A President Sidelined

The Washington Post:

President Obama summoned the top four congressional leaders to the White House on Saturday morning, July 23, 2011. The night before, House Speaker John A. Boehner had withdrawn from negotiations to raise the $14 trillion federal debt limit and save the government from a catastrophic default. “Nobody wanted to be there,” Boehner later recalled. “The president’s still pissed.”

Read the whole story: The Washington Post

Comments

[Asok Smith]

03:50 PM on 09/16/2012

LOL!

The mere fact that the Obammunists are compelled to deny that they are impotent in the Muslim world means that, most likely, they ARE in fact impotent there!

[l78lancer]

08:54 PM on 09/11/2012

What a bunch of crap. Clinton got some things done...he got a lot done. It had nothing to do with dominating congress. The republicans fought him tooth and nail. Much of his success came from the democratic majority prior to losing the house and senate in 1996 (a large part of the reason they lost it.) Once they lost it Clinton became far more centrist. That was the only way that welfare reform and balanced budgets got done.

This may not be revisionist history, exactly, but is certainly is an attempt to poison the perception well for Obama.

[Kent Carson]

11:04 AM on 10/06/2012

And then there is always reality to fall back on. Clinton did not have a surplus until the GOP took the House.

[l78lancer]

07:56 PM on 10/06/2012

You don't read very well.  The last two sentences of my first paragraph discusses exactly that.  If they lost the democratic majority, that means it because a republican majority.  Evidently you missed that.  But you're too busy looking for a reason to criticize that you don't read what's in front of your eyes.  Read it again, then avoid making stupid statements in the future.

[Jerry Frey]

11:35 PM on 09/09/2012

Grab some east to understand facts - we're ....ed.

http://napoleonlive.info/see-the-evidence/debt-deal-graphics/

[atexasdem]

09:46 PM on 09/09/2012

I will be so glad when the elections are finally over and maybe, just maybe instead of focusing on the elections, someone will focus on running the country.

[Jerry Frey]

11:37 PM on 09/09/2012

That's not how the system works - getting re-elected is the primary purpose of politicians - running the country is their day job.

[trebledamages]

12:04 AM on 09/10/2012

. . . And that's the problem.

[AA2011]

09:07 PM on 09/09/2012

These are people who have made up their collective minds that they weren't going to work with this President. john Boehner himself said that the President set a bad tone during their very first meeting when he told John McCain, "John, I won." They have allowed their collective "EGOs" to be bigger than the United States of America. They felt slighted by the President saying the obvious when he tried to tell them that he had a mandate and was going to use that mandate to implement those policies he promised during the campaign. They were "PISSED" How dare he throw it in our faces? I can recollect telling the media the same thing when he won in 2004 that he was going to use his mandate, his political capital to turn Social Security into a "voucher" system. Congressional Democrats at that time, didn't get pissed. They did not allow their egos to get in the way of working with the President even though they vehemently disagree with some if not most of his policy psoitions. Its a shame, these Republicans of today are not "statemen," they are liars, obfuscators, and demagogues.

[Jerry Frey]

11:38 PM on 09/09/2012

"They have allowed their collective "EGOs" to be bigger than the United States of America." essentially correct

[JuliaOceania]

07:29 PM on 09/09/2012

This narrative that Obama somehow was not a strong enough leader to keep the debt ceiling talks from being derailed is bogus.

Obama lost control over the GOP house members because he was born a black man. Because he is black they will not deal with him. They are more loyal to the race and to their party than they are to Americans who are suffering for their lack of action.

It will be a travesty if the GOP is rewarded for their lack of integrity this november. They have no principle, and if they win it will show that having principles is not good politics. It is a shame, really.

[ggs83]

08:30 PM on 09/09/2012

I think that we are in our third white backlash--one after the civil war, one after the 1965 legislation and now after the election of the first Black President. All about the Republican Southern solution expanded
The book New New Deal exposes the Republican meeting to litterally plot against the President at the expense of the country---not sure why that is not treason
Every Republican should be ousted---one because of their treason, and two so they will let moderates back in or see the party end.

[Larry Motuz]

10:51 PM on 09/09/2012

I'd like some Blue Democrats shaken, not stirred, also.

[JuliaOceania]

11:20 PM on 09/09/2012

I agree completely with your analysis. 

[Jerry Frey]

11:39 PM on 09/09/2012

"Obama lost control over the GOP house members because he was born a black man." Excuses - hope and change - is he a dud because of his bi-racial nature or because he doesn't inspire confidence or fear?

[RealistBC]

07:13 PM on 09/09/2012

It's impossible to lose control of the Congress when you give away what influence you have before you are even inaugurated.

[ReturnofSergeant]

06:35 PM on 09/09/2012

I am trying to recall any quotes of Reagan complaining about the past administrations. Not either Bush. Not Clinton.

But this administration is rife with whining and sniveling of epidemic proportions.

[RealistBC]

07:27 PM on 09/09/2012

So why won't these Reaganistas just let some Republican someone make money off of a vial with Reagan's blood residue in it? Isn't anything Ronnie sacred?

[ggs83]

08:33 PM on 09/09/2012

Clinton left Bush with peace, a booming economy and surplus--what should he have compalined about
No left a worse situation to the next President
Obama should have been so nice--he should have tried Bush for war crimes/torture and he should have started out being the next Teddy Roosevelt and gone right after the new
Robber Barons
Obama knew the American people prefer politcians to compromise--he did know that had sworn to take him down at the expense of the coutry

[tinman1953]

04:52 PM on 09/09/2012

John Boehner has no spine. The poor little man.

[Dutton Peabody]

04:07 PM on 09/09/2012

His problem has always been the fact that he "thinks" he is supposed to have "control". Cooperation Barry, the ability to make the rest of government want to cooperate to get things done... that's the government of the people, by the people, and for the people part you hate so much. Too late now to even ask Santa to put it under the Xmas tree, have another brew and start packing.

[ggs83]

08:35 PM on 09/09/2012

I think his problem is he thinks he is suppose to negotiate, compromise, cooperate not unilateral control. He should have walked in like Teddy Roosevelt going after the Robber Barons.

[vinnieboiblue]

03:20 PM on 09/09/2012

The title to this story is wrong. Because the President does not control the House nor the Senate. If anything, the House Republicans backed down from their agreements. He did not lose the battle, We the People lost, due to the fact Republicans cant live up to their own words of"Everything is on the table", only to see they had a pre determined set of programs they wanted untouchable. That alone shows they were not serious about "Everything is on the table". Why do you think they had the talking points memo 2months ago, for things Republicans were not to talk about in their home districts?

[saulthesavior]

03:20 PM on 09/09/2012

A biased article to say the least. Obama would not have been so unknowledgable about such a major topic. All the WH reporters say Obama controls all meetings with his intellect and intensive preparation.

[Kent Carson]

11:10 AM on 10/06/2012

200+ fund raisers. 100+ rounds of golf. This part-time President misses a lot of meetings.

[GNOLOGY]

02:58 PM on 09/09/2012

funny

i thought john boehner was the head of congress

not that he did a very good job but still...

[ChangeRocks]

02:44 PM on 09/09/2012

My favorite line in the article........" I don't trust them"- President Obama.

[TAC]

04:37 PM on 09/09/2012

About time.

[1differentdrummer]

02:38 PM on 09/09/2012

Lost control of congress? When has he ever "controlled" congress? This is a misleading headline..

[GNOLOGY]

02:59 PM on 09/09/2012

right?
john boehner is in control of congress and he lost that to kantor

[ggs83]

08:38 PM on 09/09/2012

he also did not know that the Repub congress leaders has met and plotted to obstruct, and to oppose, to agree to nothing to take him down despite the horrible results on the country. He thought they would work with him like Dems worked with George W--Iraq, and other issues
The New New Deal