For a while now we’ve been hearing people ask Obama, ‘What’s your plan?’ Bloggers, pundits, Al Franken, Sherrod Brown, anonymous Congressional staffers, John and Jane Q. Public. It seemed that even Obama himself asked the question, ‘Where do we go from here?’ at a recent MLK event.
But a couple of articles I read this morning made me wonder if the Red Sea has finally parted because it seems as if a plan is emerging.
The NY Times has an article up today with the headline "Obama Making Plans to Use Executive Power." I clicked on the article with some dread because as we saw with Bush, Executive Power can be severely abused. But the first paragraph swayed me into thinking that if used cautiously, this could be a good thing, especially with the inertia and gridlock that has gripped Capitol Hill. We are in perilous times. Our Democracy is being attacked by special interest and political power grabs. We need substantive action not endless posturing and bickering. We need somebody to do something, fast.
"We are reviewing a list of presidential executive orders and directives to get the job done across a front of issues," said Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff.
Those issues include: energy, environmental, fiscal and other domestic policy priorities, according to the Times.
I know, we hate Rahm, but he may be on to something here because the Times also says
The use of executive authority during times of legislative inertia is hardly new; former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush turned to such powers at various moments in their presidencies, and Mr. Emanuel was in the thick of carrying out the strategy during his days as a top official in the Clinton White House.
I think the first part of the Obama strategy is to force Congress to act with the threat and actual use of Executive Power. The McConnell-Obama face-off on nominees seemed to be the opening salvo. The GOP seemed to give up some ground by confirming a third of the nominees. Now, I know some people think Obama took his finger off the trigger too soon but I think those were warning shots and he's getting ready to reload with heavy artillery. (I hate to use war imagery, but this does seem like we are in a war. A fight against good and evil as the GOP like to say.)
The second part of the strategy seems to be, according to The Washington Post, to make Republicans take tough votes on small bills.
The idea is to make Republicans either vote for a series of more modest bills identified as popular with the public or explain to constituents this fall why they opposed them.
The decision by Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) to offer a pared-down jobs-creation bill and dare the GOP to oppose it is the most visible sign of the plan so far. White House officials and congressional staff members say it will be followed in coming weeks by a House vote to lift the antitrust exemption for insurance companies, measures to assist small businesses and extend unemployment benefits, and a proposal to levy fees on Wall Street banks that received bailout money.
So, was that whole bipartisan jobs bill a bit of kabuki theater? Some news articles said that Obama's statement after Baucus released his jobs bill was one of praise. I thought that in that statement that he was actually praising "the constructive set of measures passed by the House" and he wanted to work with them on including his additional job measures. Basically - this is not good enough. And the Post makes it sound like this strategy was already in the works when Reid ripped apart the Baucus-Grassley hot mess of a bill.
And Rahm - yes, I know, we hate him - seems to be at the heart of this strategy too, according to the Post.
Forcing Republicans to cast votes on popular legislation resembles the approach adopted by then-Rep. Rahm Emanuel, who headed the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee during the 2006 midterm election season.
Emanuel, now Obama's chief of staff, pushed for votes on several bills, including a measure to expand children's state health insurance, to establish a Republican voting record to campaign against that year. The Democrats captured the House by winning 30 seats, and Emanuel's tactics were credited in part for the success.
So, is this strategy a winner for the Democrats? Honestly, at this point I have no clue what will work in Washington. I'm hopeful, but my biggest concern is that even if it is successful and does generate action, will that action be fast enough, even in incremental steps, to solve our severe problems. We're still dependent on Harry Reid to stop twirling his thumbs in the Senate, but maybe his quick action on Thursday indicates that he is willing to step it up.
According to the Post, Rahm and Reid are working closely together.
Reid and Emanuel speak daily, according to a senior Senate Democratic leadership aide, who noted that there is "close coordination" between the White House and congressional Democrats on strategy for the year ahead.
"We're not looking for gimmicky issues that can make for good 30-second ads," the senior Obama administration official said. "We're not going to force symbolic votes that take 30 hours of debate on someone who is not going to be approved at the expense of a jobs bill."
I think the third part of the strategy has to be boots on the ground, in the street advocacy along with continued online advocacy. I think President Obama was calling for this type of action in his MLK Speech: MLK and the Challenges of a New Age
So it's not hard for us, then, to imagine that moment. We can imagine folks coming to this church, happy about the boycott being over. We can also imagine them, though, coming here concerned about their future, sometimes second-guessing strategy, maybe fighting off some creeping doubts, perhaps despairing about whether the movement in which they had placed so many of their hopes -- a movement in which they believed so deeply -- could actually deliver on its promise.
More from the speech, which is a good read and the video is even better. He seemed to be emotionally laying it all out there - the triumphs, challenges and frustration and, I think, a call to action.
Reverend Wheeler mentioned the inauguration, last year's election. You know, on the heels of that victory over a year ago, there were some who suggested that somehow we had entered into a post-racial America, all those problems would be solved. There were those who argued that because I had spoke of a need for unity in this country that our nation was somehow entering into a period of post-partisanship. That didn’t work out so well. There was a hope shared by many that life would be better from the moment that I swore that oath.
Of course, as we meet here today, one year later, we know the promise of that moment has not yet been fully fulfilled. Because of an era of greed and irresponsibility that sowed the seeds of its own demise, because of persistent economic troubles unaddressed through the generations, because of a banking crisis that brought the financial system to the brink of catastrophe, we are being tested -- in our own lives and as a nation -- as few have been tested before.
Unemployment is at its highest level in more than a quarter of a century. Nowhere is it higher than the African American community. Poverty is on the rise. Home ownership is slipping. Beyond our shores, our sons and daughters are fighting two wars. Closer to home, our Haitian brothers and sisters are in desperate need. Bruised, battered, many people are legitimately feeling doubt, even despair, about the future. Like those who came to this church on that Thursday in 1956, folks are wondering, where do we go from here?
His answers were to 1) remain firm in resolve 2) pressure Congress, pressure the President and don't give up! 3) recognize progress, small and large, 4) commit to universal ideals of freedom, justice and democracy to build a broad based coalition. Then he urges us not to give up on progress, voting, advocacy or activism because there is to much work to be done and
Like Dr. King said, "We must accept finite disappointment but never lose infinite hope."
This is only my second diary, but my first diary discussed building a coalition with progressive groups and groups with progressive interest. I'm ashamed to admit that I have done little towards that goal since that diary - I let the pressures of work and the negative political environment get to me. But this time I am going to start calling and emailing people to see if they will work with these other groups to start a massive movement.
Also, Healthcare for America Now is planning rallies on February 17th and I'm participating in one of their phonebankactivities this weekend.
Now, I have my own thoughts about what the administration is planning to do with HCR after the showdown, errrr, summit and I think it involves reconciliation and recess. But that's another diary.
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P.S. This not a "pro" Rahm diary. I think his comments about the Left have been reckless and sowed unnecessary seeds of distrust, but if this strategy works I will give credit where credit is due.