Obama's 2012 Secret Weapons Against GOP: Centrism & Civility

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Obama’s Positions Himself For 2012


President Obama this month has sustained the momentum he gained in December by playing the role of Political Strategist, world leader and, in the last week, the nation’s healer.

He’s avoided engaging Republicans in debate over the difficult choices ahead, allowing the opposition to come under pressure and preserving himself for the State of the Union Address on Jan. 25.

The chess moves began the day after Obama returned from a two-week vacation in Hawaii. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs announced he was leaving the day Republicans took control of the House.

The following day, Obama announced the arrival of a New White House Chief of Staff: Bill Daley, a Centrist Democrat and CEO.

The changes appeared somewhat unscripted, but the White House had been some time in planning them. The effect of the timing was to keep Republicans from dominating the news cycle at a time when they expected to get their best, and easiest, coverage.

But the changes also kept the White House press corps from pressing the administration on the kinds of questions that Republicans began facing immediately after the New Year, such as what spending they intended to cut, and what they planned to do about the nation’s deficit and debt.

The personnel moves positioned Obama in the eyes of Politicos as a political force, already maneuvering to set up his reelection team for the 2012 campaign. And in the eyes of the general public, the hiring of Daley moved him closer to the center.

Besides that, the White House successfully kept its head down, leaving Obama to assume his role as world leader. Prior to Saturday’s shooting in Arizona, this week was set to be a contrast between House Republicans holding a symbolic but toothless vote to repeal the president’s health-care law, and Obama hosting a series of heads of state for visits.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy came Monday, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri visited on Wednesday, and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari is set to arrive Friday.

Vice President Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Afghanistan and Iraq this week.

Then Chinese President Hu Jintao is set to come next Wednesday to the White House for a highly anticipated state visit.

The White House, and congressional Democrats, were prepared to start hearkening back to Obama’s words on Air Force One en route back to Washington about the new GOP majority: “They are going to play to their base for a certain period of time, but I’m pretty confident that they’re going to recognize that our job is to govern.”

Once through next week, Washington’s attention would turn to the upcoming State of the Union speech, and the White House could begin playing the expectations game without really saying much about the contents of the address.

But then a 22-year old gunman shot Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and 18 others outside a Tucson super market, nearly killing the Democratic congresswoman and taking the lives of six others who were there to meet their representative on a Saturday morning.

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The incident – as horrific and as unwelcome as it was – has had some political impact. One of the biggest is that it pushed the president forward into a difficult but broadly appealing role of national unifier.

Obama’s speech Wednesday in Tucson was widely acclaimed by conservatives as a master stroke, a moment of true political leadership. The president’s approval rating became higher than his disapproval rating this week for the first time since July, standing at 49 percent in favor and 46 percent against, according to the Real Clear Politics poll average.

The White House on Thursday was clearly viewing the speech as a potentially seminal moment for the nation, and by extension for Obama’s presidency.

“I think there are moments in our history — Oklahoma City, the Challenger accident, what happened in Arizona — that are important for the president to talk to the nation about, and to help be part of the process of celebration and healing. I think that’s how he approached – that’s how he approached this,” Gibbs told reporters.

Conservatives, when asked about the turn of events, downplayed the impact it will have on the inevitable showdowns between the president and Republicans over spending cuts, raising the debt limit and reforming entitlements. These are all things that have to happen to one degree or another. But each side has different visions for what those actions will look like.

Like the president, Republicans in Congress have attempted to make it through this prelude period in January without putting much skin in the game. They have tried to do this by subsisting mostly on the pomp of a new Congress and by putting forward a few PR-savvy measures, such as cutting congressional office budgets.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Virginia Republican, attempted to put some of the pressure for fiscal decisions on the president.

“Once we get to the State of the Union, I can tell you, I expect this president to put some action behind the words that he has been using. Number one, I am looking to see some significant spending cuts proposed by the president that we can work on together,” Cantor said the day before the GOP took control of the House.

But it is clear that Obama has been more successful so far than Republicans — who suffered a series of gaffes their first week before the Arizona shooting — in positioning himself for battles ahead.


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Sources: Chicago Mag., Daily Caller, Huffington Post, MSNBC, White House.gov, Youtube, Google Maps

Booker Supports Christie's Property Tax Cap: Centrist Governance

Cory Booker Backs Christie Property Tax Cap


Newark Mayor Cory Booker is throwing his nod to Republican Gov. Chris Christie's 2.5 percent property tax cap, which the New Jersey chief executive has been aggressively selling at town halls around his state in his first six months in office.

Booker, one of the most prominent rising stars of the Democratic party, described it as Christie and other leaders "pursuing...a real remedy" to an issue that is driving people "from their homes and communities or out of the state altogether."

It's another sign of Democrats, forced by a lingering recession, moving center-right on certain fiscal policy issues.


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Sources: NJ.com, Politico, Google Maps

Democrats Prepare For Huge Losses In Nov. 2010.... Progressive Or Centrist Agenda?

Democrats Are Currently Facing The Worse Election Come This November 2010 Since 1994!

Even Pres. Obama Is Preparing For Steep Losses In Both The U.S. House & Senate.

As It Stands National Democrat Leaders Aren't Sure If They Should Be Pushing A Progressive Agenda Or Centrist Agenda.

So Sad.

Following President Obama's Election They Had It Made But They Blew It By Celebrating Too Long.

Now They Face The Possibility Of Losing It All Again To Republicans.

Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.

Yes We (Black Voters) Do Need To Get Out & Vote But Sorry Folks I'm NOT Voting For A Lot Of The Same People I've Voted For In The Past.

I'm NOT! Why?

I Was Loyal To Them But After Being Elected, (Time & Time Again), Many Democrats Stuck It To Black Voters.

Especially Black Voters In North Carolina.

This Includes Black Legislators Who Also Stuck It To North Carolina's Black Voters!

I Don't Know About You But For Me The Days Of Voting For Token Blacks, Just To Have Blacks In Congress Or On The City Council, Are Over!

Its Time Democrats Realize They Don't Own The Black Vote!

Black Voters Own The Black Vote!

The American Black Community Doesn't Need Anymore Token Blacks In Public Office!

We Need REAL Representation!

Before I Return To The Polls This November I'm Doing My Research.

Going Forward Its About NOT Wasting My Precious Vote. Its About Being A More Intelligent Voter.

With God's Help That Is What I Plan To Do.

See You At The Polls.

Peace

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"I'm Exhausted Of Defending You".

"Is This My New Reality?"




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Sources: Charmeck.org, CNN, Daily Mail, The Hill, MSNBC, Youtube, Google Maps

DNC Releases Health Care Reform Ad Targeting Markets Of 11 Centrists..."Its Time Representatives" (Charlotte, North Carolina)

Huffington Post, Politico, CNN----



("Its Time Representatives")




(President Obama announces the launch of "Organizing For America". A Grassroots level organization established to help bring about effective Change in this country.)




Ignoring criticism - namely from Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid - that inter-party targeting was ineffective, Barack Obama's campaign arm is expanding its health care ad buy into the districts of key conservative House Democrats.

Late Friday night Organizing for America and the Democratic National Committee announced the expansion of the "It's Time" ad purchase, which uses personal stories of health care struggles to drive home the need for reform. The initial purchase was on national cable and in eight states with critical Democratic and moderate Republican Senators.

Now the scope of the campaign is expanding. The ad will appear in the media markets that overlap with the congressional districts of 15 members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Eleven of those districts belong to Democrats, including Rep. Zack Space (Ohio), Rep. John Barrow (Georgia), Rep. Jay Inslee (Washington), Rep. Mike Ross (Arkansas), Rep. Bart Gordon (Tennessee), Rep. Baron Hill (Indiana), Rep. Charlie Melancon (Louisiana), Rep. Mike Doyle (Pennsylvania), Rep. Jim Matheson (Utah), Rep. Bart Stupak (Michigan), Rep. Jerry McNerney (California).

The four Republican districts belong to Rep. Fred Upton (Michigan), Rep. Mary Bono Mack (California), and Rep. Greg Walden (Oregon), Rep. Sue Myrick (North Carolina)

For reform advocates, the Energy and Commerce Committee remains the toughest venue of the three committees handling health care in the House of Representatives, in large part because of the Blue Dog and moderate Democrats that make up its ranks. In making this purchase, Organizing for America either is worried about the committee's progress or -- much more likely -- sending a message that it has no problem applying pressure on fellow party members.

No representative is named in the ad. But every one of the aforementioned members will know that the spots are airing in their districts. The markets where the ad will run, according to the OFA/DNC press release, are: Savannah, Palm Springs, Seattle, Nashville, Bloomington, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Charlotte, Little Rock, Columbus, Marquette, Grand Rapids and Medford.



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Sources: Huffington Post, DNC, Politico, CNN, Youtube, Google Maps

Democrats, G.O.P. Centrists Unify To Reform Health Care

The Hill----

Centrist House lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are working together privately on healthcare reform.

The talks have been so secretive and politically sensitive that some members interviewed by The Hill refused to name other legislators involved in the bipartisan effort.

Members of the centrist GOP “Tuesday Group,” the New Democrat Coalition and the 52-member Blue Dog Coalition have been discussing both the policies and politics of moving their middle-of-the-road ideas in a body of Congress usually dominated by liberal or conservative ideology.

Those centrist factions are wary of the proposals their respective leaders will introduce this month. Blue Dogs are leery of the so-called public option in the healthcare reform bill that is expected to hit the House floor this summer. Meanwhile, GOP centrists opted to release their own healthcare plan a day before House GOP leaders are scheduled to unveil their reform package.

Noting that some members could be retaliated against by their leaders, some lawmakers declined to mention to whom they were talking. Rep. Patrick Tiberi (R-Ohio) said that he wouldn’t “throw [Blue Dogs] under the bus” by revealing the identities of his Democratic colleagues.

Asked last Friday about talks with GOP centrists on healthcare reform, Blue Dog Rep. Lincoln Davis (D-Tenn.) confirmed that his colleagues are actively working on compromises.

“A lot of us have tried to work together — and I’m pleased to see that some of the centrists on their side of the aisle are willing to work with some centrists on the Democratic side of the aisle, and I think you will see that work continue,” Davis said.

An aide to Davis later clarified that the congressman meant that “Blue Dogs have met with leaders from all sides in the past on a number of issues, but he wasn’t referring to anything specifically that happened recently.”

Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.), a longtime leader of the 34-member Tuesday Group, said that “these conversations take place on a piecemeal basis, but there’s no formal meetings.”

Castle appeared at a press conference Tuesday for the unveiling of his group’s package of healthcare reforms.

The Tuesday Group bill contains a number of policies that are similar to those being discussed by Blue Dogs, including the option of forming insurance cooperatives. The coalition’s measure does not contain a government-run public option, an essential healthcare reform ingredient for liberals.

Like the Tuesday Group, Senate Democrats have publicly embraced the so-called co-op option, which calls for the formation of privately operated nonprofit health-insurance groups to administer a new healthcare system.

Castle confirmed that he has had talks with a number of conservative Democrats, including Rep. Ron Kind (Wis.).

Kind said that a number of conservative Democrats are working with Republicans but would name only Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) for fear of “getting the other members in trouble with leadership.”

Their goal is to find common ground on a number of the outstanding issues, Kind said, because the likelihood of the Senate passing healthcare reform is low.

Both Castle and Tiberi were part of a small group of Republicans that visited the White House earlier this year to discuss areas of compromise on healthcare reform with President Obama and his chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel.

According to Tiberi, the president and Emanuel said they want bipartisan support and “are open to new ideas.” The centrist GOP members said they told Obama and Emanuel that they have ideas but that Democratic leaders in the House won’t listen.

Castle, however, is optimistic that bipartisan talks in the House will occur, pointing to the number of reform bills emerging in recent days.

House Republican leaders are planning to unveil their comprehensive package on Wednesday.

Tiberi said the only way there will be bipartisan talks is if Blue Dogs withhold their support for the leaked but yet to be introduced House Democratic bill.

Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (Calif.), Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (Calif.) and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (N.Y.) are taking the lead on writing the bill, which is expected to be rolled out on Friday.

“Miller, Waxman and Rangel don’t care about us … They need Blue Dogs. … Blue Dogs have a lot of leverage at this point,” Tiberi said.

However, some Blue Dogs have wavered when pressed by their Democratic leaders on other high-profile issues, including pay-as-you-go budgetary rules.


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Sources: The Hill, Flickr, Google Maps