Establishment DEMs Tiring of Obama

Politico reports Sen. Bill Nelson told other Senate Democrats, in a private meeting, that President Barack Obama's unpopularity is becoming a political liability to the party. Nelson declined to comment to Politico. Translation: Nelson made these complaints in the caucus meeting and can't deny it. Nelson wasn't the only Democrat at the meeting who was unhappy with Obama.

Several senators expressed the opinion that Obama needed to show more passion, while party liberals renewed their complaint that Obama should abandon the pretense of bipartisanship in the face of Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's intransigence and what they consider the Kentucky Republican's blatantly political tactics aimed at making Obama a one-term president.

Going back to the Illinois legislature, when has Obama ever dugged in and waged a partisan battle over policy. Obama the partisan policy fighter does not exist. Joe Klein in his book Primary Colors perfectly described politicians who come from a legislative body and want to be in the executive branch.

He was a former insurance salesman, had the terminal gray look. And you can almost see him troping closer and closer to Stanton with each stop. I hated this part of it - reminded me of the crap I had to do with Larkin: stroking, stroking, promising, praising. But, then, Barry Gaulter was a legislator. Stanton was right about that: they were a lesser breed.

Economist Brad Delong is so unimpress with Obama's fiscal policies that "nobody who has not served a full term as a state governor or managed a similarly large organization should be supported in any presidential run." Obama ran on vague platitudes of "change" and "hope."

Indications are that Obama is willing to give in to the Republicans on the Bush tax cuts. The fact that Obama is willing to put on the facade of bipartisanship over the deficit shows a lack of political seriousness and courage. Obama's principle over policy earned a public rebuke from James Carville.

"If Hillary gave up one of her balls and gave it to Obama, he'd have two," Carville said at a "Christian Science Monitor" breakfast discussion.

Carville refused to apologize for his remark. Obama never makes Republicans pay for attacking him or his policies. Democrats now realize there is no fight in Obama.

Obama's view is he can attack progressives because he will have no primary challenger. That strategy helped keep liberal voters at home. Obama fails to understand that independent voters are not a Democratic base. Unfortunately, Obama is willing to pander to independent voters, many of whom are Tea Party supporters, at the expense of progressive policy. If Obama had a primary challenger he would have to push for more progressive policy.