Obama is losing momentum - and fast
James Forsyth 10:57am
Yesterday was the worst day of the Obama presidency so far. His agenda and his moral authority both took big hits.
Tom Daschle being forced to withdraw from confirmation to be both Health and Human Services Secretary and the White House’s healthcare czar because of tax irregularities leaves Obama’s major domestic priority after the economy rudderless. Daschle, a former Senate Majority Leader, was picked because he was supposed to know how to get healthcare reform through Congress. The Obama administration knows where it wants to go on the issue and Daschle’s job was to steer them through the notoriously hard to navigate legislative shallows of the issue.
The damage done by Daschle’s withdrawal is increased by how close to Obama he was. Obama came to the Senate in the same electoral cycle that Daschle lost his seat and Obama hired some of Daschle’s staffers, including his chief of staff. Daschle then was an early booster of Obama’s presidential run, giving Obama’s insurgent candidacy establishment credibility. For someone so close to Obama to have to stand down for not paying taxes on a car given to him by a wealthy businessman, taints Obama’s new politics reputation.
At a time when so much of politics is about condemning the irresponsible behaviour of the Wall Street financiers who have had to be bailed out, Obama has lost the moral high ground. It is far harder to convincingly denounce corporate excess and tax dodging when your own Treasury Secretary didn’t pay his taxes in full, when one of your earliest and most influential supporters has had to step aside because of not paying tax on a perk and the person you hired as your chief performance officer—to enforce accountability across government—has also had to withdraw because of tax irregularities.
Yesterday was meant to be the day that Obama began a public push for his stimulus package with a round of network news interviews. Instead, the interviews were dominated by the withdrawals. Meanwhile, the stimulus bill is struggling badly in the Senate. Obama’s authority has been dented at just the time that he needs to knock Senatorial heads together if his first 100 days is not to turn into as much of a catalogue of missteps as Clinton’s did.
Previous
Chris
February 4th, 2009 12:01pm Report this commentBwahahahaha.
HalcyonDays
February 4th, 2009 12:29pm Report this commentOK, he screwed up, and indeed he actually admitted it. You can't imagine Bush ever saying such a thing. Let's give him at least some credit for saying this from the get-go and accepting total responsibility. The real issue is whether this will set some sort of tone going forward or whether the Administration can move on. Probably a bit of both - in reality, the new Government will be like all the others : duck and dive, bait and switch, compromise etc etc.
Steve Foley
February 4th, 2009 12:46pm Report this commentIt really doesn't matter! He is in for nearly another 4 years at least and quite possibly will win a second term as most US Presidents who stand again usually do. Now just look at the bloomers, lack of judgement and other mistakes that G W Bush made yet he served two terms.
Sorry folks, the Republicans LOST! get used to it.
DSS
February 4th, 2009 1:04pm Report this commentBoris took a while to get his staff right too. Soon forgotten about.
Tanuki
February 4th, 2009 1:05pm Report this commentHow I love the smell of Schadenfreude in the morning.
Juliana
February 4th, 2009 1:17pm Report this commentGod this is wonderful to watch. I haven`t enjoyed myself so much for years. He`s woken up to realise he`s just another President after all, and he can`t change water into wine.
Democrats are always corrupt about money. Republicans get into sex trouble.
(er, Clinton the great exception.)
Verity
February 4th, 2009 2:13pm Report this commentJuliana - Wasn't the Governor of NY a Dem?
Frank P
February 4th, 2009 2:41pm Report this commentDan Collins with best one liner I've seen so far on the subject of this thread - and an appropriate illustration:
http://proteinwisdom.com/?p=14245
TEX
February 4th, 2009 2:52pm Report this commentI guess were just ordinary folks, as BO stated about rules for prominet and ordinary folks.
We should remeber the statement by Slick Willie; "Obama's a Chicago Thug". BO needs to surround himself with folks with ethics.
Craig Strachan
February 4th, 2009 2:53pm Report this commentAnd to think that before Christmas there were suggestions he'd have a stimulus bill on his desk January 20...
NorthernJohn
February 4th, 2009 4:09pm Report this commentI'm not a natural Democrat, but I have to say that I'm slightly worried by the glee that Obama's hiccups have generated on here.
Obama is the leader of the free world - we all have a stake in his success.
Tariq
February 4th, 2009 6:17pm Report this commentDaschle and his travails will be forgotten soon enough. David Cameron, by contrast, has had to haul Kenneth Clarke off the backbenches in order to divert the unflattering spotlight from George Osborne. Now both these men will haunt him for years to come. Obama still looks good by comparison.
Victor, NW Kent
February 4th, 2009 6:17pm Report this commentIt is important for the whole world that President Obama succeeds, not fails.
I cannot remember any head of state or even executive mayor, in the States or elsewhere, who has not had such disappointments early on.
Shame on those who show glee.
TGF UKIP
February 4th, 2009 6:40pm Report this commentAll of a sudden THX 1138 is missing.
Verity
February 4th, 2009 6:42pm Report this commentNorthern John - There is no such thing as "the free world" any more. The Nomenklatura and the Stazi are long gone, except in Britain.
Fortunata
February 4th, 2009 8:14pm Report this commentThis isn't hiccups, this is who he is! What did you expect from an affirmative action candidate who's never even run a hot dog stall? Executive experience, anybody?
Jenny
February 4th, 2009 8:30pm Report this commentCheck this out:
MARY ELLEN SYNON: Sleaze, spin and how the Obamas are already turning into Tony and Cherie Blair
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1135822/MARY-ELLEN-SYNON-Sleaze-spin-Obamas-turning-Tony-Cherie-Blair.html
THX1138
February 4th, 2009 9:57pm Report this commentTGF No I'm not, it's just a storm in tea cup.
Clinton had the same problem with Zoë Baird his first attorney general pick and look what a great & popular President he was. Before you all start o you want me to remind of his poll ratings on leaving office higher than Ronnie's.
This will all blow over in a few days and as HalcyonDays so rightly said can you imagine Bush ever admitting to a mistake.
Tom Daschle never was confirmed. Obama set ethical standards, and Daschle did not meet them. End of story
Verity
February 5th, 2009 2:42am Report this commentNumberplate - Don't write "end of story", you silly boy!
Jenny - what do you mean 'already'? We've been telling you that they are clones for months.
They've
Conservative Cabbie
February 5th, 2009 7:50am Report this commentTHX
"Tom Daschle never was confirmed. Obama set ethical standards, and Daschle did not meet them. End of story"
I was going to be complimentary of Obama and say that he handled the apology well. However, I can't let that statement of yours go.
Obama appointed Daschle knowing about his tax problems, as he did Geitner and that woman who's name escapes me. Obama also breached his own ethical rules 3 times in the space of two weeks, including within 24 hours so it's a bit fallacious of you to argue that he is some sort of ethical giant. It took him all of two weeks to have to apologise to the American people, that has to be some sort of record and just proves that he is rhetoric only. Change has not come to Washington, unless it's change for the worse.
It wasn't Obama who stopped Daschle getting confirmed, it was growing opposition in the Senate and amazingly the New York Times.
Conservative Cabbie
February 5th, 2009 7:55am Report this commentIt will be interesting to see who Obama nominates in Daschle's place. Daschel was one of the top nominees. Not only was he going to be Secretary of HSS, but he was also going to be the health Czar working out of the Whitehouse. Not only will his replacement clearly be seen as second choice and second best, it's unclear whether he'll be asked to perform both roles.
This has got to be a setback to Obama's health care plans, the replacement is probably not going to carry the same sort of clout as Daschle.
THX1138
February 5th, 2009 8:29am Report this commentVerity - Please don't comment on my posts in future - you silly girl! It's like reading the latest scribblings on a public toilet wall.
Cabbie you make a fair point TGF goaded me into a partisan comment I'd probably like to take back but it's up now.
I'll get back to you later, I have to dash out to a meeting.
RMH
February 5th, 2009 9:52am Report this commentDaschle tax issues are the same as Palin's. In essense taking state freebies and "not knowing" that there are perks on them.
For reference that means cash to stay in places and free flights for kids and family....
Better for mistakes to be made before they start their job than after....
Conservative Cabbie
February 5th, 2009 10:43am Report this commentTHX
"Before you all start o you want me to remind of his poll ratings on leaving office higher than Ronnie's"
By 1%!!! Way to go trying to find some positives out of this. Of course, Reagan when he left office had a higher approval rating than Obama does now - so much for Obama's mythical unique popularity.
You might want to start worrying about 2010 too. The Republicans have closed to within four on the generic congressional ballot poll. Thats a gain of three within the space of a week.
Verity
February 5th, 2009 2:09pm Report this commentNumber PlateL You must patronise some loos with a rather literate clientele. You have to "dash out to a meeting". Yeah. Right. So many YouTube links to cruise; so little time.
THX1138
February 5th, 2009 4:12pm Report this commentCabbie I give in it's fxxk up what can I say he was let down & tried to defend a friend.
As for you numbers I looked on Gallup and Raygun & Obama are equal but I think we can agree that's rather meaningless this early in the game.
Still it's taken Obama only two weeks to say something that "W" couldn't bring himself to say in eight years- "I screwed up." Now that's change we can really believe in.
THX1138
February 5th, 2009 4:17pm Report this commentCabbie
"This has got to be a setback to Obama's health care plans, the replacement is probably not going to carry the same sort of clout as Daschle.:
It's getting weird out there Swampland is pushing Mitt Romney
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1680168,00.html
Hey it might be a good idea, I always kinda liked the guy and he sorted out heath care in Massachusetts why not the whole country?
The Bishop Swine
February 5th, 2009 10:00pm Report this comment"OK, he screwed up, and indeed he actually admitted it. You can't imagine Bush ever saying such a thing." No but Blair was always saying sorry for this or that.One of his few better traits. I wonder how long it will be before the Americans realise that he isn't the messiah and the inevitable disullusion sets in. Whats that old saying "the bigger they are the harder they fall" seems its only a matter of time before the long painful fall kicks in.
THX1138
February 6th, 2009 7:18am Report this commentCabbie- I know you don't like Andrew Sullivan but this is a good debate.
"Andrew Sullivan and Marc Ambinder discuss the delicate dynamic between President Obama and the House Republicans."
It's Video
http://podcasts.theatlantic.com/2009/02/the-table-stimulus-and-ideolog.php
THX1138
February 6th, 2009 7:28am Report this commentLess enlightend debate!!
http://tinyurl.com/aewyah
Instapundit, Malkin, and Joe the Plumber on PJTV- Oh what the heck your probably going to love it - Enjoy.
David Preiser
February 6th, 2009 6:03pm Report this commentI love the intelligent responses about how because Bush didn't apologize for Iraq or whatever, no criticism of President Obamessiah is valid. That's almost as good as the defense that any criticism is only sour grapes. He Can Do No Wrong!
Conservative Cabbie
February 7th, 2009 8:12am Report this commentThx
Sullivan/Ambinder - Yes I watched it. Andrew Sullivan says re Daschle's non payment of taxes "I think these standards are pretty astronomically high". WTF. Paying your taxes is a high standard to attain? What a pillock. He then goes on to call Sarah Palin "psychiatrically disturbed". This from the man who obsesses about her birth canal and who despite all the news about the stimulus decides that what we really want to know, is whether Bristol was named after a place in Connecticut or after Bristol Bay. You may laugh at Joe The Plumber, a tiresome wannabe celeb, but Andrew Sullivan is no different, he just wraps up his idiocy in intellectual language.
Did you see that Obama's approval rating is down 12 with Independents. That's going to need some work.
THX1138
February 8th, 2009 12:09am Report this commentCabbie Yep I saw but it's such early days I think we should park all the polling stuff, It's kind pointless for another year at least. I thought Andrew S would wind you up!
Lets pick it up on another thread on Americano as this one has run out of steam.
I'm not going to argue on Mel's blog, her acolytes attack far to visiously for my taste I like to argue but to be insulted. No fun in that.
Brian O'Connor is a good guy and you have to on the ball as like you he see's through BS V quickly but the rest mad as box of frogs.
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