Congress is the problem 7

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1. 

   Sean Casten Posted 2:49 pm
   16 Jun 2009

   A separate, but related question.  Why is Obama deferring hard decisions to Congress?  He could have led GHG policy through the executive branch with the EPA, but has chosen to let Congress lead.  He could have led health care reform from the executive branch, but seems to be deferential to congress on that score as well.I'm not smart enough to know whether that's politically astute or not.  But it bears noting that it does take two to tango.  I share your frustration with Congressional death-by-committee (or barring that, death-by-amendment, death-by-filibuster, death-by-anonymous-hold, etc.) processes that are so innately biased towards political compromise rather than good policy.  At the same time, it is something of a relief to see a bit less Executive Privilege coming from the White House since January.But on balance, is Obama's deference to Congress net positive or net negative?  I don't know - but I do think it plays a role in the current status stasis.

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   1. 

      David Roberts Posted 3:17 pm
      16 Jun 2009

      Sean, I cannot recommend this Matt Bai article highly enough:http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/07/magazine/07congress-t.html?pagewanted=allThis Congress-based strategy is central to Obama's presidency. He's avoiding -- possibly overcorrecting -- for Clinton's mistake, which was being high-handed and dictating the shape of legislation to Congress, which is quite jealous of its prerogatives. Obama's staff is packed with old legislative hands, and glad-handing legislators is a large part of what they do. On his top priorities, Obama lays out a few basic principles and lets Congress do the rest.It's worked reasonably well so far, but a few big tests are coming up -- climate and health especially. Should be interesting to watch.(On the question of why he doesn't carry the weight in the executive branch: no politician wants the entire responsibility sitting on their shoulders. They want to share blame. Doing all this through executive tools would make Obama an enormous target.)

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      1. 

         Sean Casten Posted 3:32 pm
         16 Jun 2009

         Good piece indeed.  I hope the strategy works...

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2. 

   Mandy O Posted 3:57 am
   17 Jun 2009

   Some of us do have the same point of view
   regarding to this issue. On the other hand, the fact that Fed, Treasury, and
   Administration’s disastrous recovery plan hinges on the devaluation of the U.S.
   dollar is painfully obvious. The dollar value is something we all should be a
   little concerned with.  The dollar value, by that meaning the value of the
   American currency against all other currencies, is of great concern as many
   countries peg (or set) their currency value by the dollar.  The dollar's value
   has been fluctuating, and lately it has been trending downward, especially
   against other currencies such as the Yuan, currency of China.  Currency
   values are a complex thing and many would give a

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3. 

   randino Posted 4:16 am
   17 Jun 2009

   Ever since the New Deal, progressives have been fooling themselves about what they can expect from Washington.  When you look at the broader outline of American history, you can see clearly that Washington is not at the cutting edge of progress and change. It is now, and has ever been, the bunker of the status quo. The Supreme Court, from its founding to 1937, was the iron heel that specialized in crushing the hopes of everyone from abolitionists, to union members. The aberration was the court from Warren to Roberts.  It is not an issue of personnel.  It is an issue of the very design of the national government.  The founders were aristocrats and slave owners and the last thing they wanted was a system that was friendly to change.  The down side for everyone is that this obtuse and lumbering beast is hapless and helpless when the demand for and need for dramatic change builds to a crescendo. That is why we specialize in periods of quasi civil war - in order to do what Washington cannot do. That is why the greatest advances in dealing with climate and other issues are often taking place at the local level.  So when, in the face of a mountain of countervailing evidence from a history we love to ignore, we hope for change and get the status quo with a new paint job, we should take heart in the fact that our nation's government is working exactly like it was intended to (not) work. The question before us, is whether or not the founders' trick bag, has now become so dangerously dysfunctional that it threatens our very survival.  I fear the answer is yes. Randy Cunningham   Cleveland OH

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4. 

   Baby Boomer Posted 7:07 am
   17 Jun 2009

   A Georgia congressperson who is a doctor, Paul Broun, was on the local channel this morning spewing talking points about healthcare reform.  It was appalling but par for the course.  I'm not sure Obama shouldn't slap a few of these people down and stride toward the future in his own way.

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5. 

   bow1ers Posted 6:37 am
   19 Jun 2009

   p[oj[pk If 60 votes continue to be needed to enact lagislation, there is littl;e channe of a new health bill being passed.

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