Harkin: If Obama Caves On Taxes, He Better Pray For Palin In 2012

WASHINGTON -- The sense of frustration among Senate Democrats over the White House's handling of the tax cut debate has grown throughout the week, culminating in a series of articles on Thursday anticipating some form of presidential capitulation.

Whether the mood is genuine or deliberate -- or, perhaps, a bit of both -- is worth some honest debate. Aides acknowledged that they were airing concerns about a forthcoming tax cut deal, in part, for the purpose of stiffening the White House's spine during the remaining negotiations. None would take the step of going on the record with their remarks. But others were even blunter when they went completely off the record.

When leaving a Senate Democratic caucus meeting late Thursday night, most members declined to answer questions about the White House's role in the tax cut negotiations. But the few who did talk didn't exactly hide their sadness over the state of affairs.

Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), for one, slyly acknowledged that he'd get himself in trouble if he answered whether or not he was happy with the administration's engagement.

"You want me to be the [troublemaker]?... I'm too junior around here to do that," said the 86-year-old, five-term senator.

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) did a little less dancing. "I just think, if [Obama] caves on this, then I think that he's gonna have a lot of swimming upstream [to do]," said the Iowa Democrat, a unabashed progressive who has been less reticent than most in criticizing the White House. "He campaigned on [allowing the rates for the rich to expire], was very strong on that, and sometimes there are things that are just worth fighting for."

And if he decided to compromise away from that, a reporter asked the senator.

"He would then just be hoping and praying that Sarah Palin gets the nomination," Harkin replied, insinuating that there would be few other Republicans that Obama could assuredly beat in 2012.

Comments

[rory talbot]

12:34 AM on 12/07/2010

Obama mean "no fight" in Keny ian.

[SirSlappy]

11:07 PM on 12/06/2010

Obama:
Dilletante: a person who takes up an activity, or subject merely for amusement, esp. in a desultory or superficial way; dabbler.

"Stupid" also fits, but pick the one you prefer.

[MrsGreebers]

10:35 PM on 12/05/2010

The White House as usual is counting on progressives having nowhere else to go. But they're simultaneously doing their best to demonstrate that there is no point in electing a democrat when it comes to actual results. Fool me once...

[MrsGreebers]

10:29 PM on 12/05/2010

This grammatically incorrect headline was OK'd by an editor?

Try "He'd Better Pray."

[Junius Publius]

05:40 PM on 12/05/2010

Or Huckabee, or Romney. He better pray he doesn't have to debate Rubio or Christie.

[jessivehadit]

04:41 PM on 12/05/2010

I think that if there is a God, he's probably as tired as the rest of us of hearing the name "Palin"

[Paul Spink]

04:21 PM on 12/05/2010

I can't believe how many posts I am reading here where people believe it is too soon to judge the Obama presidency. When do people expect us to start holding him accountable for his policies? Obama needs to know now that there is a limited amount of time available to correct his course. I campaigned for him, put his sign in my yard and spoke to friends and family on his behalf because he made progressive promises. If he doesn't keep them he won't enjoy my support or my vote in the future.Tax policy is just the beginning. I still expect some solid action on labor issues, the environment and immigration before 2012. I am done with compromise that gets us nowhere and I won't vote for or contribute to any politician who sells out my values again. Lesser of two evils or not, I will write in a real progressive or vote Green before I continue to pretend corporate Democrats are a viable option.

[Shawna Spaulding]

04:11 PM on 12/05/2010

I'M A LIBERAL, & I'M NOTING VOTING FOR HIM . HIS TO WIMPY; HE TOOK TOO MUCH TIME ON HEALTH CARE, ALWAYS GIVING THE REPUBLICANS THE BEST HAND IN THE DECK LIKE HE OWES THEM FOR MAKING HIM PRESIDENT. HE FORGETS THAT THERE ARE MORE QUALIFIED DEMOCRATS THAT CAN DO A BETTER JOB....

[SIMPLICIMUSS]

06:07 PM on 12/05/2010

What did you really expect ? He was probaly the least qualified candidate in the DEM. field. POTUS is not an entry level OJT position.

[elkhawk]

02:41 PM on 12/05/2010

If Obama 'caves' on taxes, he might as well find a secure cave to stay in because there is going to be a lot of people that are gonna want him to pay.

[sdmcmla]

01:47 PM on 12/05/2010

President Obama's problem is the promises he made while campaigning, all of which he has compromised away.
 
The President has lost the respect of his base, the people who walked door to door and campaigned their hearts out for him. Guantanamo, the public option, the weak stimulus, financial reform, you name it, and the President refused to fight for what was right. Every important principle is up for negotiation and compromise.
 
At first, progressives asked, "what will the President stand for?"  Now nobody bothers to ask because we know: he stands for nothing.  The 2010 rout should have been a wake-up call to the President that he had better start to fight for something to energize his base. Unfortunately, he's still snoozing, cocooned away in his White House bubble.
 
The unemployment benefits extension should have nothing to do with tax cuts, period. They are only coupled because the President allows them to be coupled. All he needs to do to de-couple them is to state unequivocally that he will veto any bill that contains a tax cut for the wealthy, and he will continue to veto every piece of legislation until the extension of unemployment benefits is passed. He has to say it and to do it. Problem solved.
 
The Republicans who are about to take office have lots of favors to do for their Chamber of Commerce buddies who funded their campaigns. The President needs to let the Republicans know that, as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow, they will get nothing, not one single thing for their base, unless they start to give him what HE wants for his base. The President needs to learn that that is how you effectively horse trade -- I get what I want and then, in exchange, you get what you want. Horse trading is not I get half of what I want and you get half of what you want on one thing and all of what you want on another.
 

[sdmcmla]

01:48 PM on 12/05/2010

(continuing)
 
The President thinks that in 2012 he can smooth talk and convince me and other progressives that his half measures were necessary.  Well, all I can say, is Mr. President, you are WRONG.  You are underestimating the measure of progressives' disgust at your lack of principles, and, you are not the only smart kid playing this game.  Which leads to the President's second problem: The President's progressive supporters are a lot smarter than he gives them credit for. For example, progressives are smart enough to notice that he ignored Paul Krugman's advice, and agreed to a weak stimulus (laden with ineffective tax cuts), which folly is the real cause of our current 9.8% unemployment rate. Progressives are smart enough to remember that healthcare reform was a mess because the President did a bunch of backroom deals with the drug companies and traded away the public option at the outset without even trying to fight.
 
The President's progressive supporters know that the President is doing deals with the Republicans because he has aligned himself with the DLC and Blue Dog wing of the Democratic Party. These folks are the antithesis of everything progressive. If the President caves on tax cuts for the wealthy, he will have caved on every thing he promised, on every reason that the progressives had for voting for him. And he can not win without an energized progressive base walking door-to-door for him.
 
I like the President. I pounded doors for him. I will be sad to see him defeated because he had such a chance and so much promise. But even more than I like the President, I hate being taken for a sucker. I don't like people who try to play me for a fool, and I will slam the poor misinformed soul who dares try to play me.
 
The President is at a crossroads: he can redeem his presidency or he can set himself up for a mighty fall. These votes on unemployment benefits and tax cuts for the wealthy will tell exactly which path Obama's presidency will take. I am a lifelong, progressive Democrat. If the President does not fight for the right thing on unemployment benefits AND let taxes on the wealthy expire, I'm changing my party affiliation and I'm done with him. I don’t think I’ll be the only one.

[MekhongKurt]

12:56 PM on 12/05/2010

IMHO, it's still way too early at just shy of the two-year mark to predict what will happen in two more years, and not just in the case of President Obama. The most famous instance is the 1948 election, in which the newspapers had already printed headlines that Truman had lost. Then there's the case of President George W. Bush at the midterm in his first term. There were still plenty of folks very, very sore over what was widely perceived as his steal of the victory in 200 who were muttering darkly he would get his clock cleaned in 2004.

We all know how *that* worked out.

I mean my comment to be a mere observation, a dispassionate one, not an indication of whom or which position I support. I repeat:two years out is way too early to be predicting what will happen in 2012. Particularly given that the President's popularity, weakened though it is,still towers head and shoulders above the entire Congress, an institution currently held in what might be politely, if ironically, called "a minimal high regard."

[MrsGreebers]

10:38 PM on 12/05/2010

it is, however,plenty of time to judge Obama. We've seen enough. Especially his fevered rush to squander a once-in-a-lifetime amount of political capital.

[SirSlappy]

11:09 PM on 12/06/2010

It's really quite revolting.

[SirSlappy]

11:09 PM on 12/06/2010

We all know how the mid-terms ended up too. Well, maybe not you. You were sure he'd win.

Dilletante: a person who takes up an activity, or subject merely for amusement, esp. in a desultory or superficial way; dabbler.

That's Obama.

[batmanindy]

12:52 PM on 12/05/2010

If the rich get the tax cuts extended to them, I will not vote for O again. I won't vote for $arah, but I won't vote for O that is for sure. I can not believe how bad a leader he is in practice. It is just too easy on this one. Stand up and say, I will NEVER sign into law an extension of the tax cuts on the wealthiest 1 or 2 %. NEVER. Then the choice is clear, the repubs can not extend unemployment, the repubs can filibuster and stop tax cut extensions for everyone else, etc.

The repubs filibustering and such will never be blamed on O (and/or the dems) and would be a in actuality a huge political victory for O/dems.

[CyberPunk]

12:49 PM on 12/05/2010

It's not Palin or Romney in 2012, who no one can stomach anymore, but a "last-minute Messiah" who will be brought in as a virtual unknown but whose comparitive sanity, intelligence and appearance will bring out the faithful!.

[ocrmom59]

11:42 AM on 12/05/2010

It is more than the unemployment benefits on the line but several other benefits that is to help the american people. Sure we may say what we would not do but we are not the ones who really have t think about the american people.

If Obama half way give them what they want you can bet there is going to be a lot that he get back in return. We only been brief about the unemployment benefits and nothing else but it does not make news and there are things that a lot of the people would understand in the first place.

We may think the president has no back bone but he is a lot smarter than anyone realize and he knew in the beginning how things would end during the midterm election. Where the republicans always react before thinking, the president is thinking and then get things done. We are so impatient and that is the reason that we are in the mess we are in now. We had a president who said spend like it was no tomorrow while he gave to the rich and guess who is paying for it and guess who have to clean the mess up. Things is improving inspite of all the No No and NO and teabaggers. We have to keep pressure on companies to start hiring more and that will be a let down for the republicans to see that things are not in their favor

[MrsGreebers]

10:41 PM on 12/05/2010

Wow.

[kimbanyc]

11:25 AM on 12/05/2010

WHAT there weren't any news stories today about Sarah on the Palin Post?

[enigma2]

01:50 PM on 12/05/2010

Sssshhhhhhh!!!

[kimbanyc]

02:35 PM on 12/05/2010

(whispering) ok