Pelosi and Reid Drag Obama Down

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright November 14, 2010
All Rights Reserved.                                

        Taking inventory, President Barack Obama has some critical decisions facing an uncertain reelection bid in 2012.  Calling the Nov. 2 midterm election a “shellacking,” Barack doesn’t need to be a psychic or rocket scientist to figure out what went wrong.  On the surface, the bad economy put a dark cloud over Democrats’ showing, losing 61 members of their House caucus, six senate seats and 10 governors’ state houses.  While it’s jumping the gun to call the misfortune the “death of liberalism,” it does represent a backlash against Barack’s performance during his first two years.  When he was swept into office in 2008, Democrats also misinterpreted the mandate, giving the 47-year-old junior Illinois senator a crack a fixing former President George W. Bush’s economic and foreign polity mess.  Independents and crossover Republicans gave Obama the benefit of the doubt.

            Those same voters have now pulled the plug  on their support, only partly because of the sick economy and high unemployment.  All things considered equal, voters had high expectations for the youthful African American president, believing, as they were sold, that he could end Washington’s partisan divide, wrap up two unpopular foreign wars and fix the worst economy since the Great Depression.  Not long after Barack was sworn in, he acquiesced to the Pentagon’s demand for 20,000 more U.S. troops in Afghanistan and gave House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and his Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel the green light to overhaul the nation’s health care system.  Instead to getting his own footing, Obama deferred much of his domestic and foreign policy agenda to Pelosi and Reid, disappointing voters who expected a new brand of leadership.

            To save his presidency, Barack must cast off Pelosi and Reid’s yoke, step into his own shoes and prove he’s calling the shots.  He should signal to Democratic leadership that he needs to work with new faces on Capitol Hill.  Pelsosi presided in the House over the worst Democratic showing since the 1994 Newt Gingrich Republican Revolution.  As the House leader, she must take some responsibility for Democratic failures.  While she’s now in line for House Minority Leader, Barack must throw his support behind fresh leadership.  He must do the same in the U.S. Senate, where Sen. Majority Leader Reid survived a bruising reelection battle with Tea Party newcomer Sharron Angle, nearly pulling off the upset.  While Reid held on, voters clearly signaled they want new Senate leadership.  Without working with new folks, Barack faces an uphill battle for reelection in 2012.

            Winning back independents and crossover Republicans is crucial for Barack’s reelection bid.  He needs to work with less partisan Democrats in both the House and Senate, proving, once and for all, he’s capable of finding common ground with Republicans in Congress.  Newly minted House Speaker Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) appeals far more to independents and crossover Democrats, presenting a real problem for Barack in 2012.  Barack desperately needs new leadership in Congress to prove he’s capable of the bipartisanship he promised in the 2008 campaign.  Pelosi and Reid are symbols of all that’s wrong with the Democratic Party.  Without looking like Benedict Arnold, Barack must throw his support to new Democratic leadership in the House and Senate.  His continued reliance on “senior” Democratic leadership usurps his autonomy and growth as president.

            Behind the scenes in Congress, Democrats face a power struggle with Pelosi and Reid.  Neither wish to take responsibility for their failures and instead place their egos over Barack’s prospects for a second term.  House Speaker Boehner has already signaled Republican priorities in the lame duck session and over the next two years of repealing Democrats’ health care reform.  Instead of resisting GOP efforts, Barack should work with new leadership to deal in good faith with GOP objections to the current legislation.  With Reid and Pelosi at the helm, compromise is unlikely.  “Sometimes in this business, it’s difficult to know when to move on,” Rep. Albio Sires (D-N.Y.) told FOXNews.  “With all the losses that we had with governors and all the redistricting that’s going to be done, we don’t need the target,” urging both Pelosi and Reid to step aside for the good of the Party.

            As titular head of the Democratic Party, Barack has the right to seek new leadership, especially after the abysmal performance on Nov. 2.  While he’s more than accepted his role, Pelosi and Reid must do the same, this time by stepping aside for new leadership.  No manager, in or out of government, can continue in the same position with a track record of failure.  Pelosi and Reid point to their recent legislative successes, including health care and financial reform as proof they should continue in their current leadership positions.  Obama should sit them both down in private and explain the bigger picture.  Their recent legislative agenda won a shortsighted partisan battle but lost the bigger war of conquering Washington’s gridlock and partisan divide.  Accepting their resignations should help Barack get back on track, build needed support and pave the way for his reelection.

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

©1999-2012 Discobolos Consulting Services, Inc.
(310) 204-8300
All Rights Reserved.