Obama seeks to hold Dems together in election year

[alp227]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — Seeking to preserve party unity in an election year, President Barack Obama is trying to tamp down internal Democratic divisions on issues like trade and energy, even as friendly lawmakers show little restraint in publicly breaking with the White House.

Obama met Monday with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who has sharply opposed the president's proposal for letting Congress vote quickly to approve international trade pacts. The president will also meet with House Democrats on Tuesday and Senate Democrats on Wednesday, when he's likely to face more pushback on the Keystone XL pipeline and health care, particularly from lawmakers who will face voters in November.

White House officials have tried to dismiss the intraparty divisions, saying they're aware of the election-year pressures driving some Democrats to oppose Obama on high-profile issues.

"All of these folks got elected in the first place by being really strong advocates for their states," said Dan Pfeiffer, Obama's longtime adviser. "And sometimes the interests of their individual state may be at odds with the administration, but that's OK. They have a job to do."

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/obama-seeks-hold-dems-together-election-year

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in contrast, politico's report about this meeting was: Senate Democrats break from Obama

[SoapBox]

1. Maybe he could offer up some

complimentary SPINES for some!

Holding Dems/Libs together usually seems like herding cats.

[Titonwan]

17. Yes

and some seem to think we think like pack dogs. That'd be you, it seems.

[leftyohiolib]

2. stand still dems while i crap tpp down on you

[Titonwan]

18. As did Clinton

with his glorious NAFTA promise. I don't like industrial whores in the least.

[broadcaster75201]

3. Well, no. Dems aren't going to take Obama's conservtive policies. However,

we will STILL get out and vote Dem in huge numbers. At least we damn well better.

[Vincardog]

8. Will we get real progressive LIBERAL candidates again? Candidate Obama was very liberal.

That did not work out very well.

If the Democratic Party wants grass roots support they had better come up with some POPULIST POLICIES and can the TPP/Keystone Bull$hit.

[blkmusclmachine]

14. Candidate Obama (2008/2012) was a mirage. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

[Mass]

4. You mean Democrats do not agree on everything?

I am shocked

Healthcare will continue to be a problem, even if Democrats will continue to support it, because problems keep on appearing as should have been expected (the automatic appeal is only the latest). What is puzzling and must have been irritating to those senators who risk to lose their seats is that the program has been sold as flawless and seamless, which was unlikely to happen.

For the rest, it seems that Keystone will wait (for as long as Kerry can wait to give his opinion at least -- at least 90 days and potentially more). And it is puzzling that nobody guessed Reid would be against the TPP. It is not as if he was a strong supporter of trade deals http://votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/53320/harry-reid/63/trade#.UvAdhvldWSo. Did he say that he would not put it on the floor or just that he would not vote for it?

[TygrBright]

5. Ben Ray Lujan (my Congresscritter) spoke to a lunch group I attended Friday.

During Q&A I requested him to kindly oppose fast-tracking for the TPP. He didn't promise, but there was applause, and he didn't launch into any kind of justification or apology for it.

We'll see.

If enough of us speak up to enough of our "leaders" we might end up with the "There go my people!" outcome.

wistfully,
Bright

[L0oniX]

6. Dear Mr President, you should have thought of that when you offered up CPI and pushed for TPP.

[KoKo]

10. Good Point! Recommend!

[jsr]

13. +1

[Titonwan]

22. Indeed

That XL pipeline is a game-changer too. I can't imagine our grandchildren's weather if we keep up this madness.
Thanx.

[underthematrix]

7. Geez! my heart goes out to the President. He not

only has to deal with the right wing crazies but he also has to hold the hands of the Emos.

[1000words]

19. Charming

Doing your part to encourage unity, I see.

[warrant46]

24. +1

[freshwest]

20. Who duly represent the same kind of voters in their districts. It's a thankless job. n/t

[Steerpike]

9. The Squeeze on the Middle Class has proved to be so Horrific

That the middle class may be in a quandry on who to support as both sides have proven to be ineffectual at best and avid supporters of the ultra rich at the worst. Leaving a rapidly shrinking middle class to sink into the abyss with absolutely no help in sight.

[KoKo]

11. Oh...Hell YEAH! What else do we need to get into?

[Steerpike]

12. Well

How about reality?

[blkmusclmachine]

15. HOPE

for

CHANGE

[Titonwan]

16. You know this 'seeking' would be a whole hell of a lot easier

if BHO didn't cave on absolutely everything. The bankers, the torturers, the illegal war prosecutors (look forward, not back!), the still ongoing torture and indefinite detentions, the assassination of U.S. citizens without due process, the promoting of TPP, the refusal to prosecute people that threw this country in a depression (while they're taking unholy amounts of golden parachutes and other perks).
It's the blue/red colored jersey'ed fucks that blind this process. (Hint: nowadays, the corporations own both their asses).
Now it depends on Harry Reid to hold the dam back. It will pass, regardless. So much for a 'democracy'. Fuck the working man, it seems.
"So this how democracy ends- by thundering applause"-- Star Wars

[stuffmatters]

21. WH officials"election year issues causing Dems to oppose Obama on some issues" Wow how cynical!

What an offensive statement. Some Democratic legislators oppose Obama's ALEC cut and paste TPP, his
KOCH polluting Keystone XL and his Pete Peterson, chained CPI theft of Soc Sec because they remain faithful to the principles of the
Democratic brand. All of these Obama "high profile issues" represent only Third Way, big oil, big Wall Street interests.


No, some Dems oppose these Obama pushes because they are repulsive to the Democratic part that still remains of the Democratic
Party. Of course they do not want to support them or run on them, because they do not believe in them. What an insult to claim it's only because they can't get elected backing them.

Maybe time to start distinguishing these as purely Obama's agenda...renaming the TPP, BOBTA, Kestone XL, ObamaXL, chained
CPI, Obamasecurity. These are programs that bear no resemblance to our historical Democratic platforms...they belong only to Obama,
and he should be reminded everyday that they will be his legacy.

[frwrfpos]

23. democrats move to the right and repubs move off a cliff

Heres a thought..how about supporting actual democratic policies instead of putting your hand out so republicans can spit on it?