Trump beats Obama engagement with Congress, say friend and foe

Washington Examiner ^ | 1/2/17 | Susan Crabtree

[GonzoII]

President-elect Trump is taking a far more hands-on approach to working with Congress than his senator-turned-president predecessor.

President Obama spent four years in the upper chamber, working closely with many colleagues on both sides of the aisle, but when voters sent him to the White House, he notoriously gave Capitol Hill the cold shoulder. Former congressional colleagues, even some of his biggest supporters, often described him as distant and aloof, a no-drama leadership style that eschewed President George W. Bush's chummy nicknaming of lawmakers who he cultivated with regular White House lunch and dinner invitations.

[GonzoII]

I was going to say Trump has taken a page from Reagan's playbook but it's more like Trump's natural way of doing things I'd say.

Reagan had come into Washington as an outsider, but once in town he reached out to the Congress and worked closely with them.”

[Pollster1]

(1) I hope this is true and not another round of fake news, and

(2) I hope President Trump ends up seducing Congress into following him, rather than the reverse.

[stylin19a]

President Obama spent four years in the upper chamber, working closely with many colleagues on both sides of the aisle,

Bullcrap. He never convened 1 meeting of his own sub-committee.
He was an absentee landlord.
His face should have been on a milk carton.

[mountn man]

More and more, I’m seeing similarities between Trump and Reagan.

[Vic S]

Obama spent the majority of his time in the US Senate running for President. Enough with the historical revisionism.

[Vic S]

Obama spent the majority of his time in the US Senate running for President. Enough with the historical revisionism.

[RoosterRedux]

From the article:

Trump's direct, in-your-face engagement with likely allies

Trump's style is not "in your face." The best descriptors might be "collegial" or "informal."

[Cobra64]

Yup. The authored said he spent 4 years working with Congress. BS. 16 months, maybe.

[Parmy]

Obama was a bench-warmer. Period!

[Cobra64]

Yup. The author is a moron.

[RoosterRedux]

Trump’s a dealmaker. Dealmakers don’t get seduced...they seduce.

[DennisR]

I did not know that the King normally works with his servants / slaves / subordinates / underlings... /s

Trump is light years ahead of Obama in so many ways. He is much more presidential right now (and he is only the PEOTUS!) than Obama could ever think of being. It is sweet to watch...Obama being shown how things are done when one knows what one is doing.

[DennisR]

I did not know that the King normally works with his servants / slaves / subordinates / underlings... /s

Trump is light years ahead of Obama in so many ways. He is much more presidential right now (and he is only the PEOTUS!) than Obama could ever think of being. It is sweet to watch...Obama being shown how things are done when one knows what one is doing.

[Williams]

I don’t mean this negatively to Reagan/ Trump, but politicians suck so badly and they are such idiots, that any effective person seems like an unbelievable God send. Obama was a complete dud as well as an ideologue.

[TEXOKIE]

“Obama spent the majority of his time in the US Senate running for President. Enough with the historical revisionism.”

I agree with the sentiments of your statement, but I would just add that a good bit of that time was also spent on vacays and on the golf course!

[rightwingcrazy]

“Obama spent the majority of his time in the US Senate running for President.”

That’s how he spent most of his Presidency, as well.

[trebb]

Trump likes to be face to face - he’s not unaware that he seems to have a presence/charisma that causes folks to respect him - no matter how much they hate him.

[Yo-Yo]

To be fair, Obama worked very well with Congress when he had a supermajority in the Senate and a majority in the house, and got them to ram through Obamacare at 3 am.

Once the Dims lost both houses, of course he gave Congress the cold shoulder, and the gesture was returned in spades.

Naturally a newly elected Republican President will be engaged with a Republican-held House and Senate.

Who really wrote this article?

[yoe]

Obama's arrogance will do him in...the sooner the better. A community organizer peddles Communism, the handle "community organizer" is just a polite way to say Communist.

America spoke loud and clear to the man who lost some 1000 seats over his eight years as POTUS...his ego is an effrontery to the people who told him NO on November 8, 2016...Barry will further diminish his party and distance his followers from their desired Socialism. His big talk about equality is a ruse to continue his racism as in BLM and CAIR......

[DakotaGator]

...resident Obama spent four years in the upper chamber, working closely with many colleagues on both sides of the aisle...

As I remember it Obama did nothing in the Senate, just as he did nothing in any of the other positions he was handed (which is to say, all of them). This is one of the reasons no one can find any records of his accomplishments.