Posted on 01/25/2014 3:22:45 PM PST by kristinn
An internal White House assessment concludes that President Obama must distance himself from a recalcitrant Congress after being badly damaged last year by legislative failures, a government shutdown and his own missteps.
Obama has said that his fraught relationship with Congress, especially after Republicans won the House in 2010, complicated his ability to promote his agenda. But for the first time, following what many allies view as a lost year, the White House is reorganizing itself to support a more executive-focused presidency and inviting the rest of the government to help.
The new approach comes after weeks of internal White House debate over a single question: What went wrong in 2013? The answers will help determine the outline of the State of the Union address Obama will deliver Tuesday evening, as well as how he pursues a meaningful legacy in the remainder of his term.
Last year began with the fresh-start ambitions of his second inauguration but ended in a long trail of mistakes, international embarrassments and missed legislative opportunities that sapped Obama’s credibility with the public.
Senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer outlined the lessons learned in a three-page memo that Obama discussed with his Cabinet in recent weeks, according to several administration officials who have read the document.
Among its conclusions is that Obama, a former state legislator and U.S. senator, too often governed more like a prime minister than a president. In a parliamentary system, a prime minister is elected by lawmakers and thus beholden to them in ways...
SNIP
“Looking at the last year from outside, a lot of it was the president in battle with a dysfunctional Congress,” Podesta said. “Our task is to remember that [Sen.] Harry Reid is the majority leader, not the president,” and allow him to manage Democratic priorities in the Senate.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
I have a pen and I intend to govern without congress.
History has shown that those who govern without the will of the people being governed usually end up being ‘toast’.
Unfortunately that process can take a very long time to see it come to fruition.
“Our task is to remember that [Sen.] Harry Reid is the majority leader, not the president,”
Gee, ya think they lost sight of that last year?
Oh that evil Congress, if we didn’t have that
every thing would be peachy. /s
It is also chock-full of excuses, denials, rationalizations and a general glossing over.
The Post oh, so wants their boy to be perceived as a success.
Neither do the rest of us.
Same ole same ole.
Oh no, not again. It worked soooo well the first time.
Yes, and this sounds like classic Obama - he’s campaigning again. “Forget my record folks - we have a jim dandy new and improved approach for the rest of my time in office. My past mistakes are not important. I can’t really say it’s Bush’s fault anymore so I’ve zeroed in on Harry Reid and those evil uncooperative Republicans.”
Sounds like Zero is going to use a lot of ink signing Executuve Orders.
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Dysfunctional: the other half of the nation is represented therein.
#u<+ Obama and the muslim he rode in on.
It is true that Hairy Reed is not president. Valerie Jarret is.
In summary, Obama needs to get his head out of his ass.
What new ?
This regime is arrogant, naïve, and incompetent.
That is a dangerous combination.
A bunch of American Patriots decided we're not gonna take anymore, THAT'S what happened.
Wonder what the meetings will be like next year with nobama the only RAT left standing?
Democrats are a pathetic lot. They cannot understand what went wrong in 2013, because they can’t.
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