Last week headlines were suggesting Obama was pushing too much, too soon, placing his entire agenda in danger. One has to wonder if this is more a political strategy, than it is an honest legislative push. Or perhaps a combination of both.
By throwing everything he can against the wall, he might be content to settle for whatever he gets. And by pushing so many controversial initiatives almost at once, he could distract and weaken opposition to any particular one, increasing the likelihood of each piece passing. Is this really about immigration reform, or about distracting the opposition to his health care plan, while tossing a bone to the hispanic lobby?
Having been rejected just two years ago, it's difficult to imagine America supporting this at a time of high unemployment and economic downturn. Obama must be betting on a quick turn around if he's serious about this.
One thing is certain, with Cap and Trade now up for a vote, national health care moving forward, the government already controlling much of the automobile and financial industry, add to all that comprehensive immigration reform, and this neophyte politician out of Chicago will have changed the fabric and future of America more than any recent president in less than two years - assuming he succeeds. What that might mean at the ballot box in 2010 and 2012 remains unclear.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers emerged from a White House meeting with President Obama on Thursday confident that the president is ready to put his political weight behind an overhaul of the nation's immigration laws.
"I don't think he could have be clearer today or more committed today that he wanted to make comprehensive immigration reform a reality," said Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-Ill.), who had previously expressed disappointment with Obama's commitment to the issue. "He led today."
Obama and members of his administration met with the lawmakers to begin mapping a plan to build support for an immigration measure that the president has said he would like to pass later this year or early next year, according to a senior White House official.
Obama knows his name will be MUD in a couple years... so he's ramming it all down a economically shellshocked public's throat before the "come-to". He is not a democratic leader, out to make Americans happy. He's a domineering Bolshevik con-artist that's out for a radical domestic transformation... and he doesn't care what you think.
He co-opted all forseeable 2012 primary oppenents, and has the DNC and MSM keep the GOP (and especially Palin) back on their heels. He then plans to blame all his problems on Bush and enjoy the incumbent's advantage on the way to another term.
His plan is a legislative/radical leftist blitzkreig... which necissarily must be rammed through THIS year. Next year he will be fighting for control of the Senate right up to November...
Posted by: Reaganite Republican | Friday, June 26, 2009 at 07:24 AM
There are signs this strategy has potential. I've seen coordinated efforts by Democrats to respond to the Republican reaction to outright totalitarian seizure policy as "screaming the sky is falling." They're painting the response as emotional, reactionary and hyperactive, and the effort has promise. "The same road blocking Republicans screamed bloody murder when we worked to save the environment and did they sky fall in? Now we're merely trying to help provide healthcare/undo the wrong of immigration/[insert nice-sounding radical cause here] and they're over reacting again."
The current Republican party has shown no capacity to handle this level of extreme gameplay. They still think they can compromise and befriend the radicals, when the reality is that they're doing little more than negotiate with Leninists who will say/do/promise anything but will not deviate from their direct path toward complete and total power. Confusing the public by tagging the Republican message as overreaction is a viable strategy to which the right shows no capacity for response. That'll give the left at least 2-3 more major wins.
Posted by: HatlessHessian | Friday, June 26, 2009 at 10:32 AM
Their goal is pretty clear. Get legislation moved through as quickly as possible because anything that is passed is going to be permanent. Anything we roll back will be filibustered by a Senate, and when was the last time the Democrats had only 40 Senators?
The economic damage is part of the goal - the more they hurt us, the more likely people will turn to the government to feed, clothe, and keep them warm.
Obama really doesn't care about the economy - he cares only about remaking this country as fast as possible, and then pretending it's the new baseline.
Our future politicians will be faced with a terrible choice - ignore what has been done and shred the Constitution, or accept what was done, and have no power to make change.
Posted by: Jim Durbin | Friday, June 26, 2009 at 06:06 PM