Friday, July 17, 2009

Big Mo

Interesting post over at the National Journal: "The Big Mo Slows:"

"Washington Democrats have been noticeably nervous for the past two weeks. They seem to have a sinking feeling that things aren't going well, that Republicans have begun to land telling blows on climate change and health care."


Couple that with an editorial in the Wall Street Journal by Ted Van Dyk, who worked for LBJ, titled "Obama needs to 'Reset' his Presidency:"

Your strategy, by contrast, has been to advocate forcefully for health-care and energy reform but to leave the details to Democratic congressional committee chairs. You did the same thing with your initial $787 billion stimulus package. Now, you're stuck with a plan that provides little stimulus until 2010. A president should never cede control of his main agenda to others.

This tactic has already had negative consequences. Frightened by the prospective costs of your health-care and energy plans -- not to mention the bailouts of the financial and auto industries -- independent voters who supported you in 2008 are falling away. FDR and LBJ, only two years after their 1932 and 1964 victories, saw their parties lose congressional seats even though their personal popularity remained stable. The party out of power traditionally gains seats in off-year elections, and 2010 is unlikely to be an exception.


Yipes! And that's from a Democrat.


Well, I don't know that "Big Mo" is gone entirely from the Donks...they managed to get that abortion of a cap and trade bill passed a couple of weeks ago, but even they have self-preservation instincts and marching to the socialist drumbeat of Barry Soweto and the Rahm gang has got to be tiring! Going home and facing your constituency after putting the Federal Government on a wicked combination of steroids and growth hormone drugs might not look too good.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Never underestimate how much momentum can be gained in DC with some well-placed arm twisting--especially from the likes of Rahm Emanuel. I am sure he is patrolling the halls of Congress daily to keep the Democratic members focused on O's goals.

Can't afford any whisper of complacency from the rational and conservative side that this administration is not going to get what it wants.