ALL AROUND THE USA....

OBAMA’S LACK OF LEADERSHIP ON DEBT DEBATE

“ONE OF THE LOWER POINTS OF HIS PRESIDENCY”

Obama’s “Inept” Leadership On Debt Ceiling Debate Has Left His Party And Presidency In A “Diminished State” 

The New York Times’ Ross Douthat: “Ever since the midterms, the White House’s tactics have consistently maximized President Obama’s short-term advantage while diminishing his overall authority. Call it the ‘too clever by half’ presidency: the administration’s maneuvering keeps working out as planned, but Obama’s position keeps eroding.” (Ross Douthat, “The Diminished President,”The New York Times, 7/31/11)

The New Republic’s Jonathan Cohn: “This Is Not Leadership” (Jonathan Cohn, The New Republic, 8/1/11)

·       Cohn: “[T]his time, I think, it's impossible not to second-guess his decisions.” (Jonathan Cohn, “This Is Not Leadership,” The New Republic, 8/1/11)

·       Cohn: “Imagine if the president had, from the very beginning, laid out a few key principles and stuck to them: No tying the debt ceiling to deficit reduction; no attacks on Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security; no deficit reduction without higher taxes on the rich.” (Jonathan Cohn, “This Is Not Leadership,” The New Republic, 8/1/11)

Bloomberg: “[O]bama’s Strategic Positioning Contributed To The Missed Opportunity For A Potentially Historic Bipartisan Deal …” (Margaret Talev and Mike Dorning, “Obama’s Deficit Bargain Lost Out To 2012 Politics With Shifting Priorities,” Bloomberg, 8/1/11)

·       Bloomberg: “Obama came months late to the negotiations, allowed 2012 election concerns to shape his timing and willingness to advocate Social Security and Medicare reductions, and undermined his position by shifting his priorities, they said.” (Margaret Talev and Mike Dorning, “Obama’s Deficit Bargain Lost Out To 2012 Politics With Shifting Priorities,” Bloomberg, 8/1/11)

·       Bloomberg: “As [David] Gergen sees it, Obama made an early error when he failed to adopt the findings of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform.” (Margaret Talev and Mike Dorning, “Obama’s Deficit Bargain Lost Out To 2012 Politics With Shifting Priorities,” Bloomberg, 8/1/11)

·       Bloomberg: “In April, the president proposed a $4 trillion, 12-year deficit-cutting plan, with $3 in cuts for every $1 in tax increases. Social Security benefit adjustments were not part of that plan. From that point on, Obama’s position began shifting.” (Margaret Talev and Mike Dorning, “Obama’s Deficit Bargain Lost Out To 2012 Politics With Shifting Priorities,” Bloomberg, 8/1/11)

Former Clinton Advisor William Galston: “If your objective is to be a president who achieves transformational change, then I’m not sure waiting from December to mid-April is wise.” (Margaret Talev and Mike Dorning, “Obama’s Deficit Bargain Lost Out To 2012 Politics With Shifting Priorities,” Bloomberg, 8/1/11)

·       Galston: “In the end, Obama ‘was forced into defense early on and it’s not clear to me he was ever able to regain the offensive.’” (Margaret Talev and Mike Dorning, “Obama’s Deficit Bargain Lost Out To 2012 Politics With Shifting Priorities,” Bloomberg, 8/1/11)

·       Galston: “His presidency is in jeopardy, and I hope there are people around him who are willing to tell him that frankly.” (Karen Tumulty & Perry Bacon Jr., “What The Debt-Ceiling Battle Means For 2012” The Washington Post, 8/2/11)

Senior Democratic Aide: “The President Got Rolled.” “One senior Senate Democratic aide said that averting a default was a victory of sorts for Obama, ‘but when you look at the emerging details, spending cuts and triggers with no revenue, the president got rolled.’” (Peter Wallsten and David Nauamura, “Did Obama Capitulate – Or Is This A Cagey Move?,” The Washington Post, 7/31/11)

Los Angeles Times: “The initial details of the bipartisan deal leaking out indicate that in return for driving his own job approval rating down to its lowest point ever, President Obama Didn't get much out of the professed compromise.” (Andrew Malcolm, “More Bad News For Obama As Debt Deal Brings Smiles To Capitol Hill,” Los Angeles Times’ “Top Of The Ticket,” 8/1/11)

Politico: “However, it's hard to say the president won exactly: He went from a 'clean' debt ceiling increase to spending cuts, infuriated his base, ensured massive cuts to domestic programs (though not as much as Republicans would have liked), and didn't find new revenue -- at least not yet.” (Jonathan Allen, Politico’s The Huddle, 8/1/11) Research: www.gop.com