Plugging a Leaking Waterloo
It didn’t take long. In spite of ascending to office on a wave of public sentiment and hope, in spite of surrounding himself with a cadre of experts, in spite of being one of the most intelligent men to ever inhabit the White House, Barack Obama may be proving himself to be a political neophyte.
Over the weekend, the White House dropped some clear hints that the government-run health care proposal known as the "public option" would not be considered mandatory for an Obama signature on a health care bill. The statements ignited a political firestorm within the Democratic party. It is a conflagration that should have been anticipated. Coming on the heels of a series of shameful distortions by the very Republican leaders the White House had been carefully cultivating for a bi-partisan agreement, the apparent policy shift had the hallmarks of a bona fide political disaster. Rather than boldly and unequivocally backing up what was widely considered to be the key provision of his own plan for reform, the president left the appearance of caving in to the GOP and its operatives whose disruptive tactics at town hall meetings this summer have made a mockery of political dialogue.
President Obama was a distinguished professor who appears now to have received some schooling in the rough and tumble of American politics. The idea of negotiating in good faith with an obviously intractable and unethical opponent is viewed by many as a fundamental error. The idea of negotiating in public while in the middle of a long summer recess, seemed to be a large blunder to those who know about the dynamics of political deal making.
The explosion of anger among the ranks of progressives in the Congress was quickly felt. By this morning, left-leaning Dems were warning the White House that up to 100 of their members would refuse to vote for an Obama bill without a public option. Within a heartbeat, the administration was backtracking, insisting that it didn't mean the public option was dispensable.
The problem here may have something to do with President Obama's experience before becoming a politician. As a community organizer and constitutional scholar, he is naturally disposed toward compromise, toward finding a consensus on tough issues. Yet, with clear statements from GOP leaders that they may not vote for any Obama bill, the policy hints from the administration over the weekend made the president seem to be overly compliant and weak in the knees
Granted, the weekend statements from the White House may have been an attempt to test the limits of constituent opinion. Floating such a trial balloon in public may have been the strategy; but it was a balloon that came dangerously close to carrying away Mr. Obama's leadership credentials - and perhaps his presidency - along with it.
It didn’t take long. In spite of ascending to office on a wave of public sentiment and hope, in spite of surrounding himself with a cadre of experts, in spite of being one of the most intelligent men to ever inhabit the White House, Barack Obama may be proving himself to be a political neophyte.
Over the weekend, the White House dropped some clear hints that the government-run health care proposal known as the "public option" would not be considered mandatory for an Obama signature on a health care bill. The statements ignited a political firestorm within the Democratic party. It is a conflagration that should have been anticipated. Coming on the heels of a series of shameful distortions by the very Republican leaders the White House had been carefully cultivating for a bi-partisan agreement, the apparent policy shift had the hallmarks of a bona fide political disaster. Rather than boldly and unequivocally backing up what was widely considered to be the key provision of his own plan for reform, the president left the appearance of caving in to the GOP and its operatives whose disruptive tactics at town hall meetings this summer have made a mockery of political dialogue.
President Obama was a distinguished professor who appears now to have received some schooling in the rough and tumble of American politics. The idea of negotiating in good faith with an obviously intractable and unethical opponent is viewed by many as a fundamental error. The idea of negotiating in public while in the middle of a long summer recess, seemed to be a large blunder to those who know about the dynamics of political deal making.
The explosion of anger among the ranks of progressives in the Congress was quickly felt. By this morning, left-leaning Dems were warning the White House that up to 100 of their members would refuse to vote for an Obama bill without a public option. Within a heartbeat, the administration was backtracking, insisting that it didn't mean the public option was dispensable.
The problem here may have something to do with President Obama's experience before becoming a politician. As a community organizer and constitutional scholar, he is naturally disposed toward compromise, toward finding a consensus on tough issues. Yet, with clear statements from GOP leaders that they may not vote for any Obama bill, the policy hints from the administration over the weekend made the president seem to be overly compliant and weak in the knees
Granted, the weekend statements from the White House may have been an attempt to test the limits of constituent opinion. Floating such a trial balloon in public may have been the strategy; but it was a balloon that came dangerously close to carrying away Mr. Obama's leadership credentials - and perhaps his presidency - along with it.
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