Regrets, He Has a Few
EmailAt his town hall meeting at George Washington University last night, President Obama at one point almost sounded like he was eulogizing House Democrats who made risky votes at their political peril.
“Something that I’ve been surprised about is how courageous a lot of members of Congress have been on some of the big, tough issues that we’ve worked on over the last 20 months,” the president said. “There are a lot of folks who took some really tough votes over the course of the last 20 months, knowing that it was bad for them politically; who voted for health care reform even though the polls said this would cause them problems in the next election; who voted for financial regulatory reform, even though they knew that by supporting it, it might attract big money pouring in and directing negative ads against them. And they did it anyway. And that was risky for them.”
The president specifically singled out as “folks who have been willing to stand up” Democratic Reps. Tom Perriello of Virginia, John Boccieri of Ohio, and Betsy Markey of Colorado, saying that they voted for his agenda “knowing that they might be putting their congressional careers at risk. And that’s been a pleasant surprise.”
The reflective tone, coming 20 days before the mid-term elections in which Perriello, Boccieri, Markey and other Democrats may way be shown the door by voters, is also seen in an interview with the New York Times that in the previous 20 months he let himself look too much like “the same old tax-and-spend Democrat,” that realized too late that “there’s no such thing as shovel-ready projects” and perhaps should have “let the Republicans insist on the tax cuts” in the stimulus.
-Jake Tapper
Biden Reflects on Grief, Suicidal Thoughts 
Is Congress Sounding Dumber?
Why do we, as a society, want to hold people up for making hard choices, brave vote, taking challenging positions, then get upset when those choices, votes, positions have repurcussions? If they were without risk or cost, they wouldn’t be hard, brave or challenging…
Posted by: N2vip | October 13, 2010, 10:21 am 10:21 am
Contrast this post by Jake Tapper with Sunlen Miller’s earlier post that is essentially a White House press release.
I come to Political Punch to find info that won’t simply regurgitate White House talking points. Jake Tapper’s posts are usually good. Sunlen Miller’s posts are usually worthless.
Posted by: Dave in colorado | October 13, 2010, 10:23 am 10:23 am
The risks taken by members of the House had more to do with the difference between needing a simple majority and the 60 person super majority that has broken the Senate and rendered it inoperatable. I have not joined all of the naysaying about the mid-term elections that is gleefully spewed by the entire press corp based upon all of those telephone polls. Telephone polling is not as accurate as it used to be since for the most part, cell phones are not available for contact. Many people have gone completely to cell phones – who asked them?
Posted by: azannaphx | October 13, 2010, 10:53 am 10:53 am
“During his private meeting with congressional Democrats and Republicans on Friday, President Obama ended a philosophical debate over tax policy with the simple declaration that his opinion prevailed because “I won.”
The “I won” comment came after Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., said Republicans believed cutting income taxed would do more to stimulate economic growth than providing a $500 per person payroll tax refund for individuals earning less than $200,000. The president said, according to those present, that this was an important philosophical divide between Republican and Democrats and that it had already been settled — and would remain settled — because he won the election.”
He had no intention of “working with” the Republicans on anything. He SHOVED his radical agenda through, even though is was opposed by the majority of Americans. He and Pelosi tried to squash anyone who disagreed with them. He should have stayed in Chicago, where this type of bullying leadership is acceptable. It is NOT acceptable for a President.
Posted by: wheresmymoney | October 13, 2010, 11:14 am 11:14 am
If the Senate is so broken azannaphx, why was Bush able to muscle through his big spending agenda with a divided Congress and when he had a majority it was a much slimmer margin?
I’d also love to cue up some videos of Reid, Durban, Schumer circa 2005 when it came to the filibuster and other tactics. It’s amazing how perspective changes when you go from the minority to majority or vice versa.
Posted by: Aaron | October 13, 2010, 11:47 am 11:47 am
Those supposed “hard choices” were hard because the American people didnt want them…and as is typical for liberals..they think they know whats best!POTUS still wont listen to the American people…he actually doesnt really respect their knowledge
Posted by: Shawn | October 13, 2010, 12:17 pm 12:17 pm
If anyone in the private sector were to push forward with a plan, contrary to their boss’ wishes, and the plan failed miserably, they would be fired in a heartbeat. I hope these elitist snobs burn in hell.
Posted by: Larry | October 13, 2010, 2:48 pm 2:48 pm
..just what is in the water folks drink down there on the Potomac……now we have the POTUS congratulating Demoncrat
“representatives” of the people for the hard choices…ie, votes, they had to take on “his agenda”…..of course, they did….you do what Pelosi tells you to do………I hope at the next Presidential election, we get to elect someone who says “to hell with political votes, it is time we voted the way our constituents wanted us to vote when we were elected…..” That may just be a pipedream, but you have to admit it just might straighten out the mess we have with our “government” in Washington.
Posted by: justj joey | October 13, 2010, 3:36 pm 3:36 pm
Obama should regret that he has made a lot of false claim on his health care bill and have pushed hard to pass the bill without bi-partisan support.
Posted by: austin | October 13, 2010, 4:55 pm 4:55 pm
Obama should regret that he has made a lot of false claim on his health care bill and have pushed hard to pass the bill without bi-partisan support.
Posted by: austin | Oct 13, 2010 4:55:51 PM
The Republicans have been sitting on their thumbs and whining about everything. It’s their get re-elected technique. There ends bi-partisanship.
Posted by: James | October 13, 2010, 5:29 pm 5:29 pm
I have not joined all of the naysaying about the mid-term elections that is gleefully spewed by the entire press corp based upon all of those telephone polls.
Posted by: winter boots | October 13, 2010, 9:32 pm 9:32 pm
More left leaning states trying to tamper with the vote:
We learned today that in the State of Illinois:
“Cris Cray, Director of Legislation at the Illinois State Board of Elections, says not all of Illinois’ 110 jurisdictions were compliant with the 2009 Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act (MOVE).”
Seems like a pattern in Democrat states to deny the military, who tend to vote conservative, their right to vote in an election. First New York and now Illinois. Which left-leaning state will it be next?
Posted by: EPU | October 13, 2010, 10:12 pm 10:12 pm
I bet if you took a poll on whether people see Obama as a weak leader and the democratic party as a weak political party, the results would be ugly.
Obama has never really carved out a position for himself that was not a cloned republican plan and he hasn’t even stood firm on that as he endlessly tries to “get along” and searches for a bipartisanship that will never materialize. What a waste of popularity.
Posted by: jan | October 14, 2010, 6:39 am 6:39 am
I have not joined any naysaying in mid-election is merrily spewed by the press corp are all based on these telephone surveys.
Posted by: Motorcycle Accessories | October 14, 2010, 8:07 am 8:07 am
James: “The Republicans have been sitting on their thumbs and whining about everything. It’s their get re-elected technique. There ends bi-partisanship.”
It turns out listening to the American people is a good “election technique.” Who would have thought? It’s clear Democrats never did.
Posted by: Anonymous | October 14, 2010, 10:21 am 10:21 am
Wow…yeah, that’s it Obama…we are voting out your posse because “big money was poured into ads against them’….what a friggin idiot.
That “big money” came from we the people…the American voters…the MAJORITY of the American people.
When will you tell the truth…you are a FAILURE.
Nov 2…we’ve only been saying this for a year or two.
Posted by: mjishernameo | October 14, 2010, 4:13 pm 4:13 pm