General Discussion

kpete

(71,996 posts) Sat Jun 13, 2015, 11:11 AM Jun 2015

CHARLES PIERCE Asks: Who had more clout in the House today? John Boehner or Nancy Pelosi? Discuss.

CHARLES P. PIERCE
The President Gets Beaten on the Trade Vote
In which the Obama trade bill fails to pass the House.

.......

There are a number of other things worth noting, though. First, John Boehner didn't exactly deliver his majority caucus, either, despite handing the floor managing over to Paul Ryan, the zombie-eyed granny starver from Wisconsin, who didn't remind anyone of Sam Rayburn, either. (Who had more clout in the House today? John Boehner or Nancy Pelosi? Discuss.) It has to be said that the president's visit to Capitol Hill was a notable clusterfk; Congressman Peter DeFazio came out of it visibly fuming.

"Basically the president tried to both guilt people and impugn their integrity, and I don't think it was a very effective tactic," said Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon. "There were a number of us who were insulted by the approach."

You can't really understand what happened—or appreciate what may happen next—without taking into account the transformative effect of the economic collapse of 2008 on our politics. There now is a legitimate progressive power base within the Democratic party that no longer takes the prerogatives of the corporate class as inviolable, and that must be considered seriously by any Democratic president and by any Democratic politician. (I wouldn't have threatened primaries were I Democracy For America, but I'd also be hard-pressed not to admit it might've worked.) This is not a failure of presidential leadership. It's the assertion of political power from another direction. If that unnerves the Green Room consensus, that's too bad. The president got a bad beat, not because he is a bad president, but because, on this issue, on this Friday afternoon, he found himself trying to sell something to a constituency that has changed. I think he has the good sense to realize this and to adjust his strategy accordingly. At the very least, he will realize that what happened to him and to his agenda today was a long time coming.

http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a35688/obama-trade-vote-loss/

4 replies

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Highlight:

CHARLES PIERCE Asks: Who had more clout in the House today? John Boehner or Nancy Pelosi? Discuss. (Original Post) kpete Jun 2015 OP

Was Boehner even there? misterhighwasted Jun 2015 #1

Mr. Pierce provides some much-needed analysis Betty Karlson Jun 2015 #2

I think the President had his coming out as a full fledged lame duck yesterday. corkhead Jun 2015 #3

Is it at all possible... Cracklin Charlie Jun 2015 #4

misterhighwasted

(9,148 posts)

1. Was Boehner even there?

Reply to kpete (Original post)

Sat Jun 13, 2015, 11:21 AM

Jun 2015

Hardly noticed him..

Betty Karlson

(7,231 posts)

2. Mr. Pierce provides some much-needed analysis

Reply to kpete (Original post)

Sat Jun 13, 2015, 11:34 AM

Jun 2015

of the broader perspective.

This is about shifting allegiances. Democrats cannot guilt their entire constituency into not shifting. That would be like trying to guilt tectonic plates into standing still.

corkhead

(6,119 posts)

3. I think the President had his coming out as a full fledged lame duck yesterday.

Reply to kpete (Original post)

Sat Jun 13, 2015, 11:42 AM

Jun 2015

His agenda is kaput for the next 2 years

Cracklin Charlie

(12,904 posts)

4. Is it at all possible...

Reply to kpete (Original post)

Sat Jun 13, 2015, 12:13 PM

Jun 2015

That the President set himself up for a beatdown on the trade deal, in order to give the Congressional democrats some good p.r. for the 2016 election cycle?

He has to support the thing so that Republicans will oppose it; and, as a lame duck, he could take the hit to his popularity. Democrats opposed the deal all along. He gets opposition votes from both sides.

Maybe the President got exactly what he wanted.

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