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One of the more common Republican criticisms of President Obama, at least in the context of the debt-reduction talks, is that he hasn’t shown enough “leadership.” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) took to the floor late last week to cry, “Where in the world has the president been for the last month? … He’s the one in charge.”
One of the parts of Obama’s press conference this morning that I especially liked was the president’s pushback against the notion that he’s been a passive observer in this process.
“I’ve got to say, I’m very amused when I start hearing comments about, ‘Well, the president needs to show more leadership on this.’ Let me tell you something. Right after we finished dealing with the government shutdown, averting a government shutdown, I called the leaders here together. I said we’ve got to get this done. I put Vice President Biden in charge of a process — that, by the way, has made real progress — but these guys have met, worked through all of these issues. I met with every single caucus for an hour to an hour and a half each — Republican senators, Democratic senators; Republican House, Democratic House. I’ve met with the leaders multiple times. At a certain point, they need to do their job.
“And so, this thing, which is just not on the level, where we have meetings and discussions, and we’re working through process, and when they decide they’re not happy with the fact that at some point you’ve got to make a choice, they just all step back and say, ‘Well, you know, the president needs to get this done.’ They need to do their job.
“Now is the time to go ahead and make the tough choices. That’s why they’re called leaders…. They’re in one week, they’re out one week. And then they’re saying, ‘Obama has got to step in.’ You need to be here. I’ve been here. I’ve been doing Afghanistan and bin Laden and the Greek crisis. You stay here. Let’s get it done.”
I’m glad the president pressed this, not just because he sounded a bit like Truman slamming the do-nothing Congress, but because many in the media have bought into the notion that lawmakers have dug in on this, and the president hasn’t. That’s nonsense.
Congressional Republicans haven’t been slaving away, trying to strike a credible deal. They’ve been making threats, drawing lines in the sand, and barking orders about what is and is not allowed to be on the negotiating table.
“They need to do their job.” Part of those responsibilities includes working in good faith to find an equitable compromise with a Democratic Senate and a Democratic White House, and then doing what they must do, but what the president cannot do: passing the damn debt-ceiling increase.
Tick tock.
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ghostryder on June 29, 2011 3:38 PM:
But Steve, if they do something then the Tea Party will get, well you know, MAD at them!
Tick Tock is right!
Redshift on June 29, 2011 3:43 PM:
Earth to McConnell (and every media idiot who buys his line) "leadership" doesn't mean "doing everything yourself." Out here in the real world, we call that "micromanaging."
In reality, though, it's just another manifestation of the utter and complete disrespect modern Republicans have for the office of the President when it's occupied by a Democrat. Presidents have subordinates who do much of their negotiating for them, just like leaders of every other large organization. Pretending that those people don't really represent the president's position is just another way of acting like he's not really president -- they'll talk to him, but not acknowledge that's the same as talking to Executive Branch representatives.
T2 on June 29, 2011 3:55 PM:
Unfortunately for Obama, "their job" is running him out of office by any means possible.
I'm sure he knows that, right?
T2 on June 29, 2011 3:58 PM:
And one other thing.......it was good to hear him take the GOPers to the woodshed a bit today. Now, he needs to be calling one of these pressers EVERY WEEK and hammer this sh*t home to the public. It's called Bully Pulpit, and it needs to be used.
Patrick Star on June 29, 2011 4:09 PM:
I'm hoping Obama realizes that pretty much every congressional Republican not only hates him with the burning heat of a thousand suns, but also totally disrespects him and looks upon him with utter contempt. Not a good basis for a constructive dialog.
stevio on June 29, 2011 4:12 PM:
BULLY PULPIT
BULLY PULPIT
BULLY PULPIT
Did I mention Bully Pulpit? Really?
DAY on June 29, 2011 4:24 PM:
A good start, but you will notice he did not mention any NAMES.
He should have said "that jackass Cantor chickened out when the going got tough, and Bitch McConnell stands on the floor of the senate and calls me names every day, but where is he? Out drinking Kentucky moonshine with Speaker Boner, er Boener?"
Cugel on June 29, 2011 4:24 PM:
"Making progress"???? I what insane BIZARRO world is trillions of cuts to middle class entitlements (always called "savings" in the press instead of benefit cuts) "progress?"
EVERY concession made by Obama and the Democrats is undoing more than 60 years of Democratic commitment to middle class entitlements. And every ONE of them is totally unnecessary!
Cantor told his caucus back in January that "of course" we have to extend the debt ceiling. Everything they are "demanding" is nothing more than a total BLUFF!
And everybody in Washington knows it. Obama WANTS these cuts to Medicare or he would simply say "The Republicans want to destroy the economy in order to cut Medicare. I refuse to go along and I demand that the Republicans do the responsible thing." Then he'd have a bevy of experts including the Treasury Secretary and Wall Street experts and former members of the Fed board stand up and say publicly that a repudiation of the debt would be a total disaster.
Then he'd reiterate his demand for a "clean bill" extending the debt ceiling.
In fact he'd have been taking this tack since January instead of sitting there on his hands and not saying a word to the American people to use the bully pulpit to his advantage.
It's nothing more than rank political cowardice and a blank refusal to fight for what's left of the New Deal! And it's going to cost Obama and the Democrats SEVERELY in 2012.
If he thinks having BOTH parties involved in this obscene and totally unnecessary "grand bargain" is going to help him he's a damn fool. And any Democrats who sign on to this are cutting their own throats.
Rick Taylor on June 29, 2011 4:24 PM:
This has been one of the most fascinating aspects of the negotiation to me; that Republicans have dragged the administration into it as much as they could. Boehner recently said, “If the president embraces a measure that meets these tests, he has my word that the House will act on it. Anything less cannot pass the House.”
From Boehner's remark, you'd think legislation in the House was initiated by the president. Republicans have a majority in the House. They don't need Obama to embrace anything to pass a bill, they could do it right now. I guess they don't want to end up taking responsibility for passing something that might be unpopular without getting the Democrats fingerprints on it, even as they're unwilling to accept anything less than they want.
sjw on June 29, 2011 4:25 PM:
I second T2: presidential leadership requires him or his press secretary hammering home EVERY SINGLE DAY the points he made today.
moonbat on June 29, 2011 4:26 PM:
Good thing too that he hit on the very leisurely schedule the Congress has given itself: one week off for every week worked. That doesn't play well anywhere, but particularly not in the great middle of the country. Also that he pointed out that as president he has a few extra concerns on top of doing Congress' job for it.
kevo on June 29, 2011 4:38 PM:
What have I gotten from the past couple weeks regarding the necessary leadership to get the debt ceiling raised, you may not have ever asked, but I will answer anyway?
The Republicans hand pick their leaders by standing in a straight line, and when asked to volunteer for leadership by taking one step forward, Republicans like Cantor take one step back and leave the poor dolt who did not hear the request standing by himself to carry the entire Republican line!
How do friends and allies like this sound to you right now Mr. Boehner?
Republicans - cowards, the lot of 'em! -Kevo
Mimikatz on June 29, 2011 4:38 PM:
I really liked the part where, after Obama set out the revenue increases he expected to see in the deal, someone asked how he expected to get the deal done because the House wouldn't pass anything with tax increases. He just stood there and said "I expect everyone to do what needs to be done for the good of the country. I expect that in the end the leaders will lead.". He clearly called them on their posturing and made it clear that if it didn't get done because the GOP wanted to protect oil companies and hedgies and CEO jets, then he would make it clear that was what happened. That, and the part at the very end where he pointed out they were not only playing games but being selfish to boot. And when he pointed out that his 10 and 13 year old daughters did their homework early, rather than waiting until the last minute, having been raised right.
exlibra on June 29, 2011 4:43 PM:
One of the more common Republican criticisms of President Obama [...] -- Steve Benen
Republican? I didn't know Repubs were such frequent commenters here. That's one of the reasons Repubs can get away with it; Radical Regressives are getting plenty of help from the Puritan Progressives, when it comes to turning Obama into their verbal punching bag. Just because he doesn't strut, codpiece first, all over the stage all the time.
"Clas enttle". So, what else is new?
Doug on June 29, 2011 9:28 PM:
As far as I can tell, President Obama's response was exactly right, neither angry nor dismissive, just a simple statement of fact. McConnell, Boehner, et al are the Republican leaders in Congress, they should being THEIR jobs, not trying to sidestep their responsibilities. For a group that prefers reporting on anything BUT policy, I'd have thought the MSM would have jumped at a chance to write article after article about how the Republicans in Congress were craftily attempting to shift the responsibility for debt/budget negotiations onto the President. Or wouldn't that fit the meme?
DAY noted that Mr. Obama failed to "name names" in his speech and I doubt he ever will. Why give an opponent free publicity, and increase his or her standing within opposition ranks, by singling them out by name? That's why politicians usually use circumlocutions such as "my opponent".
Offhand, I can recall numerous instances of past Presidents throwing out derogatory comments about individuals, but those were in response to reporters' questions. The only occurance of a President mentioning opponents by name in a prepared speech that comes to mind was FDR's famous "Martin, Barton and Fish" speech during, I think, the 1940 elections. It was hilarious and very effective.
Letscheck on June 30, 2011 1:10 AM:
I'm a voter.
I blame Obama for the terrible decline in our economy, the lose of jobs, homes, and the value of the dollar.
Obama is to blame. He just threatens other people to get what he wants done...but he is definitely the man behind every financial disaster we are experiencing.
mr. irony on June 30, 2011 8:21 AM:
since jan. 5 the gop house has taken 7-weeks of vacation..
gop = vacation party..