Congressional Democrats question Obama's loyalty; Sanders wants primary challenge

We may be on the verge of quite possibly one of the most interesting political developments in decades and it is unfolding within the Democratic Party. While this may seem subtle and not much of a big deal to most, and may I stress to no over play this, but Democrats are now publicly questioning whether or not President Obama shares the same core values they do, which, if you follow politics, is unthinkable.

Source

With more concerns than details, Democrats lashed out, saying that deep cuts to federal agency budgets and entitlements were too steep a price to pay. They questioned whether Obama shared their core values, and they sought reassurance — at a hastily arranged evening meeting at the White House that lasted nearly two hours — that the final legislative package would be the balanced approach that the president had promised.

That is not the only problem right now in the Democratic Party, it gets worse.

Source

Reid and other Democrats warned the administration officials in the meeting that they might not support a deal between Obama and Boehner if kept out of the loop.

“It was a heated session,” said a senior Democratic senator who attended the lunch. “There’s a basic lack of trust with the president.”

Now polls are showing Obama’s support is dropping hard among Liberals in this country.

Source

"But drill down into that number and you'll see signs of a stirring discontent on the left," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Thirty-eight percent say they disapprove because President Obama has been too liberal, but 13 percent say they disapprove of Obama because he has not been liberal enough - nearly double what it was in May, when the question was last asked, and the first time that number has hit double digits in Obama's presidency."

Looking at that figure another way, roughly one in four Americans who disapprove of the president say they feel that way because he's not been liberal enough.

Obama's approval rating among liberals has dropped to 71 percent, the lowest point in his presidency. And the number of Democrats who want the party to renominate Obama next year, now at 77 percent, is relatively robust by historical standards but is also down a bit since June.

This signifies a large drop-off in support from his base, and this poll ended 2 days before mainstream establishment Democrats came out questioning whether Obama believes in the same principles they hold close.

Now it appears Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) wants a primary challenge from the Left for President Obama.

Source

"Brian, believe me, I wish I had the answer to your question. Let me just suggest this. I think there are millions of Americans who are deeply disappointed in the president, who believe that with regard to Social Security and other things, he said one thing as a candidate and is doing something very much else as a president. Who cannot believe how weak he has been for whatever reason in negotiating with Republicans, and there’s deep disappointment. So my suggestion is, I think one of the reasons the president has made the move so far to the right is that there is no primary opposition to him and I think it would do this country a good deal of service if people started thinking about candidates out there to begin contrasting a progressive agenda as opposed to what Obama believes he’s doing. [...] So I would say to Ryan, discouragement is not an option. I think it would be a good idea if President Obama faced some primary opposition."

Thanks for this info. I hope it is more significant than subtle. I hoped Obama would be for the people, versus the PTB. But it turns out, the reverse was true.

Bernie Sanders FOR PRESIDENT!

FORGET Ron Paul.

reply to post by Misoir


the reason he might be loosing popularity with the dems is because he's trying to work with the right. so he's not liberal enough and he's not conservative enough?

who cares if the dem party is mad anyways?
who cares if either party is mad? you cant go from one extreme to another.

i dont know what im saying, i hate politics.

Originally posted by simone50m
Bernie Sanders FOR PRESIDENT!

FORGET Ron Paul.

No dear. Sanders is a sell out. Research what happened with the "Audit the Fed" (2010) bill. He caved to the big bank lobbies.

Originally posted by simone50m
Thanks for this info. I hope it is more significant than subtle. I hoped Obama would be for the people, versus the PTB. But it turns out, the reverse was true.

The hens have come home to rooste. You can't promise everyone everything (solely to get elected) and then not deliver and that's what's happeneing now.

reply to post by Misoir


Great, now the President even does deals behind his own parties backs..

Next comes full executive rule I guess.

reply to post by Misoir

Obama has had 3 years to show what kind of president he is.
And it is an epic fail, only matched by Pelosis' failure as speaker of the House.

There is blood in the water and the political sharks are circling.

Obama's not liberal enough for Sanders? Huge surprise there! Bernie Sanders is an admitted and self described socialist. He is always outspoken when anything goes against the design of his Congressional Progressive Caucus, as is his prerogative.

This is just party politics

sanders.senate.gov...

reply to post by robyn


Okay. So, another caver. S**t. He's been so bold and loud in recent daze. I mistook it for spine. My bad.

Well, all I can say is the campaign against Obama has been very effective.

It is almost the opposite of Bush... The worse Bush did, the more conservative closed ranks... I
recall ATS, there were no apologies or explanations from the small conservative crowd (back then, small)
It was like

"If you don't like what he's doing, you can move"

"If you hated the war, you loved terrorists"

"FISA and the patriot act keep us safe, you are a chicken coward!"

It was like the energy that is directed at Obama directed at constituents, I am not exaggerating or
trying to bash. Conservatives are really good at killing their enemies and protecting their own people.
Liberals have little clue how to leverage a tactical political assault AND, I think liberals question things much more, why we eat our politicians.

Obama was demagogue well before he got elected, the extreme socialist tag and the discrepancy of his actual policies is a fine example... Conservatives have created a multifaceted legend.

A Muslim for the people who are still gripped with 9/11 fever
A Gay for people who dislike gay lifestyles
An illegal immigrant,
And for all...
A Red Marxist

Psychologically speaking, Obama has been slapped with tags that cover the demographics of much of conservative America... I know conservatives who hate all four! Imagine a Muslim, Gay, Illegal, Marxist
in a small west Texas town

Sanders is much farther left, he has the right to be pissed

Obama tries to appease conservatives, not sure why

although I do like some conservate policies, I am not keen on the rhetorical mentality, it turns me off

reply to post by Janky Red


I realize that this is a conspiracy site, but perhaps there is really a pretty simple cause for the dissatisfaction the public, arcoss the broad spectrum of ideology have for Mr. Obama.

He's doing an absolutely miserable job. Its as simple as that.

Click here for more information.

reply to post by Janky Red

Why is it, when the left is backed into a corner, the GOP has to "learn"?

The left should "learn" not to promote such losing ideologies.

reply to post by Janky Red
Why don't you tell me how you really feel.



Nice rant. Sorry it had as much substance as a beer fart during Superbowl Sunday.

You're party/ideology can only get their ideas enacted if lying and subterfuge are involved.

Before you get off on some moral high ground, check first if you've gotten another tweet from Weiner.

Originally posted by beezzer
reply to post by Janky Red

 

Why don't you tell me how you really feel.

Nice rant. Sorry it had as much substance as a beer fart during Superbowl Sunday.

You're party/ideology can only get their ideas enacted if lying and subterfuge are involved.

Before you get off on some moral high ground, check first if you've gotten another tweet from Weiner.

Exactly

a guy getting a BJ or taking a picture of his wang is on par with destroying the worlds economy

or attacking the wrong country

with bombs

Sorry it had as much substance as a beer fart during Superbowl Sunday.

exactly why you are the same as a spineless coward

ever single thing I posted is true, but you, having the fortitude of a jellyfish cannot even
ackknowledge conservative Americas supporting and reelecting the man who did
all those things. Watching the station, funding the station that sold the ideas you ignore now
like a girly girl.

You are weak frankly, a man with character would at the very least
recognize wrong doing... But see this is like the majority of you guys, I was like you when I was
six or seven, nothing was my own doing, it was everyone else fault.

You guys are going to elect Rick Perry

destroy the economy again

and blame the next guy who comes in, a lasting investment!

it is a great set up

Oh no, I'm scared, I'm not wearing my backbrace


9/11
Iraq
Afganistan
The Enron
The Torture
The FISA
The PATRIOT ACT
The SEC asleep at the wheel
The California "energy crisis"
The subprime "market"
The derivatives market
The color coded terror chat
The DHS
Airport security madness
3 Trillion dollars missing at the pentagon
The pallets of Cash missing in Iraq
Blackwater
Bechtel
Halliburton
Deficit from 5 T to over 10 T
Manipulated gas prices (which the GOP blocked antitrust investigations)
More Nuclear Proliferation
K street Lobby
Outing CIA operatives to strong arm dissidents
Chenny's energy taskforce comprised of friends for Christs sake
Medicare part D
"Clean sky's act"
Destroying Native American trust funds
No child left behind
Wolfowitz, need I say more
terror watchlists come into fashion
Medicare privatization (whats that Mussolini quite???)
Under funding combat troops and their missions
gutting over time pay regulation
7,500 DOW
Lose of hundreds of thousands of jobs a month well into the next year
the swelling of welfare rolls due to the mismanagement
2/5 of the economy disappearing in 60 days

reply to post by Janky Red


Ahhh, I love progressive definitions.
Bravery is when conservatives attack conservatives.
Compromise is when conservatives give in to progressive demands.
Cowardice is a conservative unwilling to do what a progressive demands.

You funny.
You make me laugh.
You rant and regurgitate what the party chair tells you to say.

Do you guys get coupons if you go over quota?

reply to post by dolphinfan


Personally I think that GW Bush was an awful president. While I disagree with much of what you said with respect to economic policy, think you are spot on with respect to foreign policy, military policy and civil liberty/DHS policy.

The real challenge with Obama is that he has done nothing to reverse course on the terrible Bush policies. In fact has doubled down the bet on Afganistan which every day is looking to be as large a folly as it was when the Russians attempted and failed to turn that place into something its not, we're in the Libya business, etc. The Egypt and Syria efforts are rife with a lack of strategic direction. Obama's foreign policy is absolutely rudderless. What are the strategic objects of our current foreign policy other than bromides and telescripted speaches with zero substance. Obama is executing the fool hardy NeoCon policies with more vigor than Bush.

He's also doubled down on the DHS nonsense which has gotten more aggressive, more intrusive and more impervious to public scrutiny since he took office. That he continues to support Nepolitano is amazing to me.

From other threads, I've made it pretty clear that I think Obama's economic policys lack vision, are 180 degrees off track and are being implemented in an amateurish manner.

Had he come into office and reversed course on Afganistan, accelerated the withdraw from Iraq while at the same time being firm with Iran and the rest of these tin pots in the Middle East, I would be supportive.

Had he come out as a champion of individual privacy and liberty in this modern electronic age and ended most of the Patriot Act and pulled back on the intrusive reach of the government in the name of security, I would be supportive (I would have bet that in this area he would be a champion of the citizens, but he has shown himself to be old wine in new bottles, seeking an ever more intrusive government), I would be delighted.

Were the government divided and I felt that he was doing the above, he would have my support, thinking that the Republicans would be able to blunt his move to socialism.

He's done none of that. He's disengaged, does not look like he's really into the job, has merely doubled down on the worst of the Bush agenda while pushing an economically foolish domestic policy.

The most damaging is that he has done all of it in a totally amaturish manner. He frankly looks like light weight, I think is a light weight and thats all on him. The other party can not cause you to not have substance or be able to execute effective leadership. The other party can and should exploit weakness and that is what has happened. He's weak. He was full of promise, but as some old general once said "Hope don't pay the bills".

Give me either Clinton back in a heartbeat. Were Hilliary Clinton elected, this country would be in far better shape. She is not a lightweight. Were Bill to run right now, he would win, certainly the democrat nomination and likely the general election.

Obama has hopefully done something of tremendous value for the country and that is teach the electorate that they need to vote for someone who has actual substance backed up by achievement and accomplishment. It is absolutely amazing that a gent went from throwing cash around to ward bosses and pressure groups for a living to the US Senate where he spent two years, consistently voted "not present" or abstained and wrote not a signal piece of serious legislation got elected to the office he now holds.

I hope he does get a primary challenge. Better yet, I would love to see him pull a LBJ and just get out. Either way I hope he's gone in 18 months. In a parlimentary form of government, his party would have removed him months ago and he would have been given a vote of no confidence.

Sometimes you just have to accept your dissapointment and admit you were wrong and the Democrats were wrong in nominating Obama. He is simply not up to the task and it shows. It shows every day.