Dems Frustrated With Obama

Senior Democrats on the Hill are expressing frustration with Obama because he isn't taking a particular stance on specific issues regarding health care reform. They claim to be "baffled". Good heavens, do they really expect him to put his name on something that might prove unpopular with the public, ... to own it, in a sense? Since when has that been his job? He's voting Present. What more do you want?

WASHINGTON (CNN) – As the prospects for passing health reform by the time Congress leaves for its August recess look bleaker, Democratic grumbling about President Obama is growing louder. One Democratic senator tells CNN congressional Democrats are “baffled,” and another senior Democratic source tells CNN members of the president’s own party are still “frustrated” that they’re not getting more specific direction from him on health care. “We appreciate the rhetoric and his willingness to ratchet up the pressure but what most Democrats on the Hill are looking for is for the president to weigh in and make decisions on outstanding issues. Instead of sending out his people and saying the president isn’t ruling anything out, members would like a little bit of clarity on what he would support – especially on how to pay for his health reform bill,” a senior Democratic congressional source tells CNN.

Comments

[Jake]

Mr. Riehl, I love your blog, it's my second stop every morning. But if your posts continue to feature those idiotic "Infolinks" I'll delete it from my bookmarks tomorrow morning. Those and their ilk have to be one of the single most annoying features that the Internet has given rise to. I'd rather have popup ads than see those horrible little double-underlined words.

But otherwise, keep up the good work...

[jdm]

What the heck is "a senior Democratic congressional source"? An aide?

Geez, "[l]et's see, the President has a filbuster [sic] proof Senate, a +60 seat margin in the House, a favorable press, a fawning Hollywood, a supportive academia and" they're still whining.

Quote from a comment at Althouse.

[plainslow]

What did we expect. He did vote "Present" a few times.

[Neo]

The "Lightworker" actually making decisions .. who knew that came with the job ?

[Rick Caird]

I have thought since the stimulus bill that Obama is afraid to be involved with the actual specifics lest he be held accountable. He has sent his whole career in not being responsible for anything and it has worked up until now. Obama is a fine example of the Peter Principal.

Rick

[zaugg]

Ditto Jake's comments about the infolinks. I though I had a malware problem but I don't have those green demons on any other web page.

[Anon]

Obama isn't a leader, I thought everyone but the liberal Demcrats already knew this. ALL he knows how to do is campaign and give speeches. He can't govern, he doesn't want to govern...if he did, then he would know the ins and outs of the legislation he's hawking...he'd rather do set piece town hall meetings.

At least with the Clintons you could be assured that the knew exactly what they were proposing even if they wouldn't always tell the truth about it.

[martin j smith]

Barak Obama Mr Bob and weave or Zig and Zag. That is his entire method.
But if Democrats want Obama to say: Yes I support rationed health care,I support government healthcare monopoly and I support government involvement in a citizens medical and mental health personal information and decisions about treatment. Go ahead just say that. I dare him and the dems to be transparent.

[xerocky]

"and another senior Democratic source tells CNN members of the president’s own party are still “frustrated” that they’re not getting more specific direction from him on health care."

Why did you vote for him if you wanted specific? He's never, as far as I can tell been specific about anything. Just about every promise that he's made has been flip floped on. He was resolute about closing gitmo when he first took office, how's that going?

http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/thegaggle/archive/2009/07/20/obama-and-gitmo.aspx

Obama doesn't do specific, and when he does, it doesn't go well because he usually hasn't really been informed enough to make a half decent decision.

[Mark E]

You mean some Democrats actually want to get re elected? How DARE they?

[SacTownMan]

Wait, you mean the election is over?

You didn't really want him to lead did you?

San Fran Nan, Prince Harry, Dodd, Frank and the other half wits have been doing a standup job of running the country into the ground, why stop now?

And I would echo the comments on the annoying infolink crap.

[Lala]

I see the infolink on the side but it's not annoying to me. What is it that you are seeing that I'm not? I use Firefox and have antivirus and malware programs running

[Dan Riehl]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. I don't particularly love Infolinks either. But back on my birthday, I suggested anyone interested might hit the Tip Jar.

The result was - $0.

That's why I never do blog blegs, as some blogs do, almost constantly. They never work for me, whatever the reason. Maybe I just don't beat people up, or play on their sympathy to generate any revenue.

So, I add Infolinks to try and generate some few dollars, and it will be few, most likely - and the first thing some folks want to do it bail. I see. Because I do this everyday for six or more years as a special gift for you, paying for the hosting and everything else myself.

I get it. Thanks for making it clear.

[mark l.]

"I see the infolink on the side but it's not annoying to me."

exeprienced this sporadically with "justoneminute". it comes and goes. not sure why, but i would bet this years's deficit that it is not by dan's design.

as an experiment:

viagra.

[mark l.]

as for the tip jar...

I've been revenue neutral since the market went out of favor. I did buy a bulk of gnbt, with an odd purchase order, with your b-day in mind.

it is a lottery stock, but the odds on a sizeable payout make the wager acceptable, especially in this market.

I have to admit, that I enjoy this blog, waaay more than my soon to expire subscription of national review. If gnbt doesn't move by the end of the year, I will send you my check for the renewal price of the national review. I would much rather pay for something I enjoy.

[Dan Riehl]

Thanks, Mark. I don't even like making a big deal of the tip jar thing. I didn't complain. What disappoints me is friends unwilling to consider I might want to generate a little revenue. It isn't like I want to give people reasons to not visit the blog. It wasn't done because I want to inconvenience anyone. What I'd rather not do is ask people for donations a few times a year, or whatever. I'd feel worse about doing that. And systems that allow bloggers to generate some scratch isn't a bad thing for bloggers. They are still playing out across the medium. This is just one experiment.

[SacTownMan]

Dan,

I must apologize if you thought that I was dumping on you for the info links. I simply was commenting that they were annoying but did not intend to imply that I would bail as some others had posted. As a regular here I appreciate your forum to interact with the normal folks and poke sticks at the trolls!

I am sending you a small donation today and I am more than willing to try and do so in the future. I would encourage some of the other regulars to do so also. I guess I'll just have to cut back on my crack habit!

Just don't switch to pink font or include links to Daily Koz please!

Keep up the good work!!

Again, thanks for the forum.

STM

[Dan Riehl]

Thanks, Sac. I appreciate that. But I also want everyone to know it isn't necessary. I don't want people to feel they have a responsibility to hit the tip jar here. That's why I use ads and am exploring Infolik. I'd rather people didn't feel obliged to do it. I wouldn't have even brought it up if not for the protestations - wich I understand. But feel I should respond. I don't like any annoyance like extra links on the blog and I may drop it. Believe me, these programs don't generate serious cash.

If I had to live off my personally blogging, I'd starve, as would most all right-side bloggers. The Republican alinged groups don't even support us with ads, unless you're one of the top 2-3 maybe. And I doubt they are getting rich from it.

[SacTownMan]

Just kidding about the crack habit!

Waiting for the moonbat "racist" outrage in 5..4..3..2..1!!