Washington Post: Opinion: Dana Milbank: Barack Obama’s Intransigent Backbench": The Advantages of Being Reelected President

Dana Milbank: Obama’s intransigent backbench - The Washington Post

When you are running for reelection, as much as your base or in President Obama's Far-Left flank might seem weird or cooky. To the average Joe or Jane in America, the average American whatever their background who doesn't take politics and current affairs as seriously as people who I don't know. Write and read blogs and editorials about politics and current affairs, might find the Far-Left or Far-Right flank. In either party nuts lets say, but the leaderships in both parties have to take their their far-flanks seriously because. They need those people to get reelected, it doesn't mean you have to give them everything they want. Or in President Obama's case almost nothing that Progressive/Social-Democrats wanted in the first term. But at the very least you have to make them believe lets say, even if your fingers are crossed behind your back. Look buddy or sweetie, I'm really with you I just can't make that public right now. Because I have that other party over there that I have to negotiate with and besides I have to get reelected because if you don't. Like me wait until the other team is in charge.

But after you've just been reelected going away even especially in an election you probably should've lost. Considering the situation the country was still in going into the election. Now you are on top of the world so to speak and you still have a Democratic Senate thats now picked up seats and can push your. Agenda for you and to hold the Republican House that just lost seats at bay so you never even need to bring out your veto pen. At this point in Barack Obama's Presidency, I'm not sure he even has a veto pen, I do not believe he even has a veto to his name yet. So by putting things on the table that Democrats generally would never even consider, like changing the cost of living increase in Social Security. And Republicans at least in the House still saying. "No, no, no!" To quote Margaret Thatcher to any compromise that involves new revenue even as it relates to tax-reform and bringing down the. Corporate tax rate in exchange, which is something that Barack Obama actually wants to do. The President can look reasonable while Republicans and the Far-Left look stubborn.

From what I've seen about President Obama's 2014 budget proposal is that its not a serious attempt. To balance the budget certainly or even achieve serious deficit-reduction but a serious attempt to bring. Congressional Republicans to the negotiating table to get a balanced deal that the leaderships in both parties can live with. And sell to their caucus's in the House and Senate so both sides can move on to other priorities and we'll see how successful it is.