President Obama’s real opposition

It has been increasingly clear over the past few weeks that President Obama faces some serious opposition, not from the Republicans as one might expect, but from his own party, lead by House Speaker Pelosi. Of course the conservative Republicans have their own agenda, even in the minority, and they have been pushing that agenda. But the really serious battle has been between the White House and the liberal Democrats, led by Speaker Pelosi. President Obama would like an effective stimulus package NOW, preferably with bipartisan support so that he has some political cover if it turns out not to work – a very reasonable position. Speaker Pelosi would like a bill that funds a long wish-list of long-term liberal programs, and as she showed last week is quite happy to ignore the President and completely exclude the minority party in shaping it.

So the test will be to see whether President Obama is willing, or able, to stand up to his own party in Congress and force them to reshape the bill to provide the short-term stimulus we really need, without lumbering it with all the long-term liberal programs Speaker Pelosi wants to push.

This will be an interesting time.

If you would like to weigh in on this discussion, send your comment to the White House at http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/, and/or contact your representatives in Congress.