Obama Learns Fast That Dems Are Hard To Herd

[pinniped]

Source: Chronicle Washington Bureau

(01-13) 04:00 PST Washington --

Even before Barack Obama is sworn in as president, some cracks are appearing in the alliance between the incoming administration and its Democratic allies in Congress.

Top lawmakers are questioning details of the president-elect's nearly $1 trillion economic stimulus plan. And while Obama wants Congress to release the second half of the $700 billion financial rescue program, House Democrats are insisting on voting on legislation this week setting restrictions on how his administration can use the money.

Behind the scenes, Obama's aides and congressional leaders are coordinating their moves closely. But publicly, lawmakers are seeking to show they won't just rubber-stamp the new president's agenda and at times will oppose his initiatives.

"We are not potted plants," California Sen. Barbara Boxer said Monday. "We are going to give our opinion."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/0...

---

We all know these congrass creeps were potted plants for the greater part of the past 8 years. They all fell into place like good little *bots.

Like Frasier Crane once said, "The man has all the backbone of a paramecium!"

Had McLame been president-elect, this article wouldn't exist.

[Skittles]

1. NOW they're asking questions???

fuck them all

[machI]

2. This is the wrong time to second guess

Democrats need to have a solid front or else the Republicans will break our rule of the Government at every opportunity they get.

If we let even a small opening for the Republicans to get in at, the will politically nit-pic the Democratic agenda into ineffectiveness.

[karynnj]

23. This is not second guessing - it is the relevant committees doing

their job. You might want to look at the Senators who suggests changes - they were and are all allies of Obama. The things they spoke of wanting were things consistent with what Obama ran on - and as important - things they ran on.

These attacks on the Senators do not seem to be coming from Obama, but from "concerned" Republicans and some Clinton people.

[mac56]

3. "they won't just rubber-stamp the new president's agenda.."

They sure had no trouble rubber-stamping W's agenda, didn't they?

What the hell is wrong with these people?!

[karynnj]

24. Actually they did not rubberstamp Bush's agenda - these are the people who fought it

[Wizard777]

4. LMAO! Obama doesn't need to worry about bringing republicans and democrats together.

As long as you title the document "Talking Points." You can literally hand a Republican their opinion. But Democrats are a diverse group of free thinkers. He's gonna have one hell of a time getting us all on the same page of the same play book. We can share a common dream like getting him elected President. But we have many different ideas on how to achieve that dream and make it real. But if you pay attention. You'll see that enacting a dream is puzzling. Each group has a couple of pieces of that puzzle. If you gather the pieces of the puzzle and fit them together. You finally get to see the big picture and that the dream has become real.

[Captain Hilts]

5. And Obama isn't the same guy he was before he got the nomination.

But I think Reid's comment stinks as have some of the preening by other Dems.

Same shit Clinton got - from conservative Dems like Sam Nunn.

Not good.

[Dawgs]

9. Huh? How is he different?

[Captain Hilts]

11. He changed his views on FISA, DC gun ban, offshore oil drilling, embargo on Cuba...

It generates the impression that if you work on him, you might be able to get him to change his mind.

In the primaries he said he'd not only oppose FISA, he'd lead the filibuster against it. After the nomination, he voted FOR it.

[Le Taz Hot]

6. This is what they're supposed to do.

Too bad they failed to do it the last 8 years.

[MissMillie]

12. I'm with you

I like that the Dems are not going to give President Obama the free ride that Bush had w/ the GOP. Hopefully we can make a case to the American public that this is how Congress is supposed to be have.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

19. as you say.

that is precisely it.

Kind of amusing, no, that they find their spines ONLY AFTER a democrat is swept into office by such a large majority? and the Mandate King, Georgie, was in negative numbers (below 50%) in national support, and they STILL could not or would not stand up to him.

[high density]

7. Barbara "I want green cards for foreign students" Boxer

Yeah, we know you give your shitty opinions too often. I love that Bush was 8 years of rubber stamping and now Obama is in and they're suddenly free thinking individuals.

[PassingFair]

8. Like BOXER was EVER a "rubber stamper" for the chimperor...

The rubber stamping more likely came
from the "new dems" and the "blue dogs".

I happen to agree with most of Barbara's
"shitty opinions".

[blm]

10. Don't SKIP the line Obama's working close WITH them. Neither Obama or senate wants perception to

be that they are rubberstamping him.

He wants to be seen as a president who listens to dissent and other ideas, and he laid a marker on that package that was SUPPOSED to be moved left by Dems.

You don't hear ANYONE complaining from Obama's team, so the corpmedia HAS to create friction that doesn't exist. It apparently works on some of you who should know better after all these years.

[Alcibiades]

16. PUMAs and Freepers

Are working to undermine this presidency before it begins.

[Le Taz Hot]

17. I am neither a PUMA

nor a freeper and criticism of a PE, based on the individual histories of his cabinet picks and other factors, does not constitute undermining. It constitutes accountability and it's what the Founding Fathers charged us to do.

Btw, calling people freepers is against DU rules; however, if you really think I'm a freeper then feel free to alert the mods.

[Alcibiades]

18. Read the post to which I was responding

"the corpmedia HAS to create friction that doesn't exist"

The friction is real, it's not simply an artifact of the media. I didn't even respond to your post. If you feel the need to force your foot into that shoe, feel free.

[Le Taz Hot]

22. This is a message board.

You, I and anyone else on this board is free to "force their foot into that shoe." That's why they call it a message board.

That aside, my interpretation of your response was that you agreed with the assertion that dissatisfaction is the result of "freepers" and "PUMAS" infiltration and not legitimate criticism of the PE, his cabinet picks, etc. If I misinterpreted your response, then I stand corrected.

[Alcibiades]

25. Not everything is about DU

I am just glad folks have a Democratic president to criticize. There are a lot of folks who don't mean him well out there. It's not imaginary: there will be people here, and much more so in the mainstream media, in Congress (which is what this thread is about) and elsewhere who will spend much time trying to make sure that the Democratic agenda is blocked. For these folks, it's all about electing president Romney or Huckabee.

[blm]

28. I think the media creation was that Obama and Dem senators are fighting, when it is obvious

that Obama submitted a proposal that deserved to be moved leftward giving the senators control of the debate to move it leftward. That also helps to establish that there is a respect for the BRANCHES of government that Bush never had as his ego demanded Republicans in congress act only in lockstep.

That some Dems here are even backing up the media and complaining about Dem lawmakers moving Obama's proposal leftward is what I am highlighting in my post.

[bdamomma]

13. Well Senator Boxer

you were all "potted plants" for 8 years weren't you?

[MessiahRp]

15. I wouldn't say Senator Boxer was personally... although that label does certainly work for others

eom

[karynnj]

26. But not for the Senators quoted in the article

They were not the silent Democrats - they were the few that spoke out. (In fact, I suspect the people complaining now were more allied with the silent Democrats.

[Betty]

14. the repiglicans have nothing to worry about

they'll still be in control.

[Romulox]

20. Good. I dont trust Obama or the people around him enough to allow my reps. to rubber stamp ANYTHING

Obama was instrumental in getting the TARP passed, for example.

[karynnj]

21. Your comment is neither accurate or sensible

The Senator saying they are not potted plants is Barbara Boxer - who was definately not a potted plant for 8 years - nor were Kennedy, Leahy, Kerry, Harkin etc

The fact that you can't see that there is supposed to be a legislative process shows that you have come to think that the norm was the lockstep Republicans.

[DonCoquixote]

27. One the one hand

It is nice to see Congress act like the check and balance it was always supposed to be. As is, the Executive branch has become way more powerful than it was meant to be, and that was BEFORE Cheney turned it into a poor man's Imperial Palace.

HOWEVER, I do see many who in the name of "checks and balances" will do their best to make sure nothing gets actually done. I mean Pelosi and Reid more than I do Boxer. The same people that DID enable Bush know that there is a formula for riding the gravy-train: Republican in the Oval Office, Dems in the majority, and an endless repeat of "we are too weak to actually do anything."