White House to Counter Leadership Drag - POTUS to (finally) promote a “get-tough” approach

[jefferson_dem]

About time, eh?

White House to Counter Leadership Drag
by Marc Ambinder and George E. Condon Jr.

Updated: August 16, 2011 | 5:58 p.m.

The White House, burned by failed efforts to work with Republicans and dismayed by a growing perception that President Obama is a weak leader, has made the decision to put more pressure – and blame – on Congress when Obama returns to Washington after his family vacation.

That represents a strategic shift for a president who burst onto the national scene in 2004 with a call for national unity and a condemnation of “those who are preparing to divide us.” But it reflects a growing concern among the president’s senior advisers that the battles over the past six months about Libya and Egypt and the debt ceiling have done serious damage to his leadership image.

<SNIP>

The president answered by acknowledging, “I’ve been getting a lot of this in the press lately.” He then launched into a long reply that previewed what is to come after Labor Day. It is then, he said, that he will propose a "very specific plan” on the economy. And if Congress does not adopt it, “then we’ll be running against a Congress that’s not doing anything for the American people, and the choice will be very stark and will be very clear.” He concluded his answer stating that “the other side is unreasonable. And you ... don’t want to reward unreasonableness. Look, I get that.”

If the president follows through on this new “get-tough” approach, it will be only after the pleadings of many outside Democratic strategists who have worried that repeated GOP attacks have combined with failed attempts at compromise to wound Obama politically.

<SNIP>

According to the two senior officials, the plan to arrest that decline is for Obama to no longer be seen as above the fray. While they believe Republicans were both wrong and unfair to claim the president had no plan to bring down the deficit, they know it hurt him. So they will try to show the president as having specific plans and then show him fighting for them. No more will the president be focusing primarily on issues that can attract bipartisan support and appeal to a Republican House. And no longer will he be so willing to let Congress work out the details on its own.

<SNIP>

http://www.nationaljournal.com/whitehouse/white-house-to-counter-leadership-drag-20110816?print=true

[MannyGoldstein]

1. "Make no mistake: the buck stops with Congress"

Harry Truman is spinning in his grave.

[jefferson_dem]

3. Psst...

Spinning over to give Barack a "fist bump"? :)

CNN interview was interesting. POTUS said "Ultimately, the buck stops with me. I'm going to be accountable."
http://twitter.com/#!/WestWingReport/statuses/103609003115954176

Cohn added that “It looks like President Obama really has found his inner Harry Truman, at least for the moment.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/can-obama-win-by-channeling-harry-truman/2011/03/04/gIQAwp6OJJ_blog.html

Manny, bro, you're trying too hard. It's ok. You can give credit where/when it's due?

[phleshdef]

5. LOL. embarassing for Manny, but good timing.

[MannyGoldstein]

21. The White House... has made the decision to put more pressure – and blame – on Congress

It's Congress's fault but the buck stops with the President. Not just 6-dimensional chess, now we have 6-dimensional language.

If Obama said something like "I'm going to bang heads and make enemies if that's what it takes to help working Americans", then at least we'd have the start of some good rhetoric, which hopefully could be matched by good deeds.

But now... still bupkes.

[bhikkhu]

9. Putting quotes around crap you make up, as if someone else said it, is very bad form

...and it really has no place here. If you have to put words into people's mouths, either use a :sarcasm: insert, or state clearly that that's not what was said, but what you think could be substituted for what someone said. Other wise its just lying for the sake of misleading people, and we wouldn't want that!

[Vattel]

11. Oh please, it was obviously not a quote.

Does Manny have to make sure the dumb people aren't misled?

[jefferson_dem]

12. Actually, his post was misleading.

Not because he attributed a phony quote to Obama but because the point he was trying to make is illegitimate.

[underpants]

2. What "leadership drag"? Oh the Republicans said it more than once and MSM sold it

:eyes:

[DeleteRepublicans]

4. Tough on Who?

After yesterday with Obama dissing the unions.... I can see
he's just going to get tough on the progressives....Just you
watch!!

[swilton]

18. + 1,000

Tough on progressives, tough on Bradley Manning, tough on the elderly, tough on the sick!

[jefferson_dem]

19. Hey there. Welcome (back) to DU!

Cool font.

[tblue]

6. Oh so now that his reelection is on the line, he fights.

Well if that's what it takes, okay. But I'll believe it when I see it outside of a Q&A in a press release. That other way was not working and I'm glad his camp is acknowledging that we who have begged him to fight WERE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!

[marlakay]

7. Getting tough on congress sounds like he will blame

both sides as usual...he thinks he is supposed to stay in the middle even if one side is screwing it all up.

[SaveOurDemocracy]

8. Laughably LATE ... wayyyyyyy too late for many. n/t

[jefferson_dem]

10. "Many" could never be satisfied,

Enjoy the doldrums. The rest of us will work for Democratic victory.

[Logical]

15. Jefferson, will you admit that he is back in "campaign mode" and it is a little....

insincere that he is calling out the GOP daily now but tried cooperation for the last two years and should have been tougher then?

Who is the real guy? Because after the 2012 election, which I hope we win, I do not want him back in the "gullible" mode.

[jefferson_dem]

17. Honestly...

I understand the frustration and questioning his motivation...especially when this is what so many have been calling for.

I *think* it's 60% campaign mode (not necessarily "insincere since that's what politicians do) and 40% realization that the old "compromise first" policy-making strategy was not working.

I *know* this: After Obama's re-election 2012, and he has no more elections to worry about ever, the gloves will come off.

Either way, if this strategic shift helps him get more accomplished now and after re-election, I'm cool with it. ...but that's just me.

[Logical]

20. I so hope you are right about the gloves coming off........

I wish for that so much. The guy I campaigned for and donated money to was a guy I thought that would kick their ass from day one.

At this point I am not as sure as you are about what he does after the election. I think he wants his legacy to be "cooperation" which would work in normal life, but not with the GOP idiots!

But I do admit we need him to win. No doubt.

[vroomvroom]

13. You know it's Campaign Season when...Reason #455 (nt)

[Logical]

14. I am happy about this but it pisses me off he is back in "campaign mode" and after the 2012...

election will be hugging Boehner and talking about him sweeping his dads floor as a kid.

[Robbins]

16. Well

It's time for the fight to beguin.He needs to forget the words Bipartisan and comprosie till after the 2012 election.

If Pelosi was still Speaker we wouldn't be In the mess with dedt deal and supercongress.So Democrats need to win.And If Obama loses
Democrats go down with him.The Idea that Obama will lose and democrats will take back the House Is a fantasy.Just like a primary
challenge will do nothing but hurt Obama In the general election.And nader talking about a primary challenge Is crazy.He ran against
Obama as a Independent.Sanders has credabilty on this but not nader.

I will defently be voting for Obama In 2012 but rather I will donate money depends on what happens with the Supercongress.

[jeff47]

22. Will believe it when I see it.

There's been an awful lot of promises from this White House about fighting. There's been very little actual fighting.

[Armstead]

23. Good. I just hope he actually means it and DOES something about it

Been disappointed by him too many times.

Frankly I worry that he will come up with some meaningless token steps or, worse yet, keep up his push for crap like Free Trade Agreements.

And I also hope he will not aim it at Congress but at REPUBLICANS as the obstructionists.

But, despite thiose kisgivings, I agree it will certainly be a good things if he really does offer up meaningful ideas and actually fights for them and calls out the Republicans.