John Major is not a man to go tiger shooting with. - Paul Johnson on John Major
If nothing else, Barack Obama's style of leadership has been consistent. Consistently bizarre. I just don't get this. It's now been over two weeks since Scott Brown's election brought health care reform to a screeching halt, and here's what Obama's come up with as a response:
White House aides have privately told Dem Congressional aides that the White House supports the House passing the Senate health reform bill with a reconciliation fix, something that could give a bit more momentum to that approach, according to two Congressional staffers familiar with the discussions.
The private communications will lend a bit of cheer to those who had hoped the White House would use its heft to help Congress break its logjam by endorsing a specific route to getting reform done.
Obama and the White House have not publicly stated a preference on how they’d like Congressional Dems to proceed. But White House aides have privately made it clear to the Dem leadership that they support the approach many Dems are coalescing behind: The House passing the Senate bill, with fixes made by the Senate via reconciliation, the sources say.
That's one motherfucker of a stand you're taking there, Mr. President!
Seriously, does the White House really think this sort of posture is going to get health care reform passed? In the 2+ weeks since Scott Brown won Ted Kennedy's old senate seat, Obama's publicly pushed for a new bank tax, a budget freeze, a deficit reduction commission, the end of "Don't Ask Don't Tell" and the biggest fucking budget you've seen in your life.
Why all the reticence on health care reform?
Christ, America hasn't been able to get Barack Obama to shut up and get off the TV for five minutes at a stretch since the inauguration and the one thing he won't talk about is supposed to be his signature issue. I just don't get it. Democrats in the House and the Senate need political cover to get health care reform passed, and there's Barack Obama - ten or so months into this legislative process - sending private signals of support.
The man is not to be trusted on a tiger hunt. He seems able of little more than either dropping his rifle and fleeing or shooting off his own foot... but not much else.
But Barack Obama, point man on a snipe hunt...
Posted by: richard mcenroe | February 03, 2010 at 10:55 PM
I suspect he believes that what he is doing is "delegating" like they talked about in the one-semester "Leadership" class he earned a gentleman's C in.
Which really gets to one of his core problems. The man has no discernible gift or skill as a leader. Some people are born with a talent for leadership, others learn the necessities. The world's armies exist because it is a learn-able skill. Obama doesn't even seem to know that it exists as a skill and shows no natural gift for it whatever.
Obama only knows what it is to be "in charge;" he lacks the skills to organize a church bake sale.
Posted by: Ronsonic | February 05, 2010 at 12:52 PM