No Rest for Beleaguered President

Obama steels for fight as digs at hubris, inexperience continue

By Jason Farago, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 7, 2009 5:45 AM CDT

(Newser) – Barack Obama and his allies are calling this week a make-or-break climax for his administration. He met with the House and Senate leadership last week, his top lieutenants blanketed the talk shows yesterday, and he's holding two meetings with health advisers today. Obama is faced with finishing the health-care battle without the wave of public support that swept him into power, notes the New York Times.

Obama "had to expend some political capital" to push through the economic stimulus package and other critical recovery measures, making it harder to bring through major health reform, concedes Obama's senior adviser David Axelrod. That's the spin, in any case, that the White House prefers to another one gaining traction: that a young president believed his own press and overreached. As one Republican said: "If they thought that his popularity and the good will he had would support liberal policies, they were wrong."

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

President Barack Obama listens to a question at the White House Forum on Health Reform in the East Room of the White House earlier this year. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

The first family returns yesterday to the White House after five days at Camp David. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

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It goes without saying that a lot is riding now on his ability to re-energize the health care debate and bring it home to a successful conclusion. Nothing will influence the perception of the
presidency more. - Presidential adviser John Podesta

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 21 comments

SilenceDogood

Sep 9, 2009 11:07 AM CDT

Odowd, please do not judge the entire Republican party by just one President. Also GWB did not have the scandal ridden administration that Clinton will be remembered for. Obama or Eleanor Roosevelt could have run against McCain and won, not to mention his failure to keep campaign funding commitments and then his historic campaign funding, brilliant move too. Obama promised Hope and Change, nothing in specifics, just Hope and Change. The problem now is he is facing the realities of budget constraints, a true lack of bi-partisan support due to left sided leadership and a gaggle of Democrats all running around like Chicken Little all trying to get the sound bite. The theatrics of this political circus is hilarious. What I am waiting to find out is who are the Democrats going to try to blame a 11 trillion dollar projected deficit on, because right now the Republican have a Teflon suit on regarding that 800 pound gorilla.

Kant

Sep 8, 2009 5:51 AM CDT

It's quite possible. Especially if he continues to alienate the liberal base.

OWLWOMANXXXX

Sep 7, 2009 12:36 PM CDT

Bush took his whole term off....not just five minutes

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No Rest for Beleaguered President