Donald Kaul: In swerving to avoid the Tea Party, Obama has driven his administration into a ditch

[highplainsdem]

http://www.registercitizen.com/articles/2011/08/15/opinion/doc4e4894d5a2740816887444.txt

DONALD KAUL: Playing Chicken in the Capitol
Published: Monday, August 15, 2011

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I fear that in swerving to avoid the Tea Party Express, Obama has driven his administration into a ditch from which it won’t soon climb out. Even his staunchest supporters are asking questions like these:

“If you cannot stand up against the right wing on an issue like the debt ceiling — which is, after all, more a legal requirement than an option — what can you stand up for?”

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Then he relocated to the White House. Obama the Eloquent disappeared, replaced by the Great Compromiser. Rather than using the Oval Office’s bully pulpit to make the case for his positions, he started playing “Let’s Make a Deal” with the Republicans. He sought a bipartisan solution to every problem and he always began by giving away half the store before negotiations started. Someone should tell him that it takes two to tango and that the Republicans don’t want to dance.

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As a result he managed to alienate his political base — liberals — while empowering his fiercest enemy, the tea party. And he keeps running around, looking for someone to hug. I realize that Obama has faced a very difficult situation — I’ve defended him on that basis for months now — but sooner or later he’s going to have to do something or we’ll decide he’s not very good at politics.

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Please read the entire column at the link, not just these snippets.