A Sunday Prayer

Amen!

Obama: Why Not Call Them Out?

It's become a constant theme in President Obama's rhetoric: Congress / Washington is the problem. It's very rare that he mentions that it's the Rethuglicans who are the negative force obstructing the recovery. Here's the latest example from yesterday's weekly Presidential radio address:

"Members of Congress are at home in their districts right now. And if you agree with me–whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican or not much of a fan of either–let them know. If you’ve had it with gridlock, and you want them to pass stalled bills that will help our economy right now–let them know." (emphasis added)

"Not much of a fan of either"? Please. We understand the game he's playing. With Congress as an institution having record low approval ratings, he's reinforcing the public's view and maintaining a posture of being above partisan politics. But by doing so, he's undeservedly spreading the blame equally for the dysfunction of the last two years. Maybe he doesn't care if a Rethug Senate and House is elected in 2012, only that he's reelected.

It would be refreshing if, for once, he would call out the Rethugs as the party of opposition to fixing the economy. His failure to single them out by name only lets the Rethuglicans duck responsibility -- and Dems share the blame. He shouldn't forget that he's not only the leader of the country, but also the leader of his party. Time for him to start playing both roles a lot better.

Never Missing An Opportunity To Miss An Opportunity

As we've noted before, we believe that President Obama's negotiating style leaves a lot to be desired. First on health insurance reform, he capitulated on the public option before negotiations even began with a Rethuglican opposition that was not negotiating in good faith. Then, during the lame duck session, he caved on extensions of the Bushit tax cuts for the top 1%, despite broad public support for letting the rates rise on the rich. Recently, he played on the Rethuglicans' favorite field -- cutting gummint spending -- without even questioning their premises. Then there's Gitmo and his failure to support labor battles in Wisconsin, Ohio, etc. While this may earn him a handful of points with "independent" conservatives who won't vote for him at the end of the day, it's weakening his support with many progressives.

Concerning the upcoming budget war, the Kaplan Daily's Ruth "Magic" Marcus cites the White House's late-to-the-game response to the radical Rethuglican budget proposal (emphasis added):

"First, [Obama] did not lift a finger to help his co-chairs, Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson, assemble the 14 votes necessary to get the commission’s plan a congressional vote. Then, when the plan was released, the president pointedly declined to express a view. He stuck to the vagueness strategy in his State of the Union address and his 2012 budget proposal. In the meantime, the void was filled — and the playing field was shifted even further rightward — by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan. The Wisconsin Republican unveiled a plan that makes the centrist Simpson-Bowles proposal look as if it were written by Nancy Pelosi and Howard Dean."

We'll see how he does in today's unveiling of his "vision" on the budget. The fact that he's conceded turf to the Rethuglicans already on tax rates for the rich and deep cuts in spending isn't a promising start.

Quote of the Day

"But if Obama lacked audacity, he was full of hope for a dialogue. 'I’m willing to bet,' he wrote, 'that responsible, law-abiding gun owners agree that we should be able to keep an irresponsible, law-breaking few . . . from getting their hands on a gun in the first place.' And the president’s tender approach was promptly met with a slap in the face from the National Rifle Association’s chief executive, Wayne LaPierre: 'Why should I or the NRA go sit down with a group of people that have spent a lifetime trying to destroy the Second Amendment in the United States?'” -- E.J. Dionne in today's Kaplan Daily, commenting on President Obama's editorial piece in the Arizona Daily Sun and his reluctance to stand up to National Rifle Association propaganda.

While we're on the subject of leadership, Obama is in danger of becoming President "Where's Waldo?" on the Federal budget battles, the various crises in the Middle East, job growth measures, anti-union attacks in Wisconsin and elsewhere, even the human tragedy in Japan. Showing up on ESPN to pick NCAA basketball games, or speaking about bullying in schools is fine, but then virtually disappearing from view is, well, disappointing to say the least.

UPDATE: Well, this afternoon he spoke about the looming nuclear problem in Japan, and what we are doing to help. This guy likes to take his time in reacting.