Dana Milbank advises Obama to triangulate against his liberal base, & says "So far, so good."

[highplainsdem]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/12/AR2010111200063.html

How Obama can get beyond the debt commission deadlock
By Dana Milbank
Sunday, November 14, 2010

-snip-

Is this how the next two years will look? Probably. But the outline released by the commission co-chairmen, Democrat Erskine Bowles and Republican Alan Simpson, also presents an opportunity for Obama - if he's willing to triangulate. He'll have to take the perilous path of turning against his liberal base, but it just might work.

-snip-

If a budget hawk such as Coburn can get on board, any Republican can. Beyond that, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which led the opposition to Democrats in 2010, conceded Thursday that "any solution will require commitment and sacrifice on both the spending and revenue fronts."

In those statements are the contours of a deal Obama could strike with Republican lawmakers such as Ryan, the incoming House budget chairman. For a president in urgent need of regaining his standing, the possible results must be tempting: a balanced budget, a shrinking federal debt, a long-overdue rewrite of the tax code, improving Medicare and Social Security solvency in the long run, and easing health-care costs. The political benefits could be equally enormous: taking over the main issue of the Tea Party and building a good relationship with business.

The questions are whether Obama is willing to stand up to Pelosi and whether he can weather the consequences of triangulating against the liberals. So far, so good. "Before anybody starts shooting down proposals, I think we need to listen," he said from Seoul, in an implicit rebuke of Pelosi. He also said that he's "prepared to make some tough decisions" and that "we're going to have to take actions that are difficult and we're going to have to tell the truth to the American people."

-snip-

[Rex]

1. Amazing.

We just watched the biggest crime spree in modern history and Dana wants him to triangulate against his base? Epic fail.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

3. Did you see the hit piece he wrote on Clinton in the guise of "praise"?

"Clinton would have been a better president because she would have given up on HCR and been better friends to Wall Street and big business"

[Cosmocat]

20. Yeah ...

sure, cause, you know, killing all of his actual support will result in the GOP just passing on the next election, as opposed to framing him as a communist, muslim america hating failure ...

[DJ13]

2. Sure, triangulate all you want Mr. President

But dont expect many in your own party to continue supporting a sellout.

[Lord Magus]

6. Because of course, Dana Milbank speaks for the president.

Seriously, think before posting.

[DJ13]

7. My comment wasnt addressed to Millbank

[Chulanowa]

10. No, it's just based on the assumption that the president will go...

"Thanks for the good advice!"

[Lord Magus]

12. No, it was just you acting as if Milbank speaks for Obama.

[laughingliberal]

14. Nah, the President can triangulate against liberals just fine without Milbank.

“The only way to make those tough choices historically has been if both parties are willing to move forward together,” he said at a news conference in Seoul, South Korea. “And so before anybody starts shooting down proposals, I think we need to listen, we need to gather up all the facts. I think we have to be straight with the American people.”

Mr. Obama’s stance was at the request of the chairmen, Alan K. Simpson, a former Republican Senate leader, and Erskine B. Bowles, a White House chief of staff to President Bill Clinton, who wanted to avoid any statements that might prejudice the panel’s deliberations before its Dec. 1 deadline. But it was also a response to the outcry from both conservatives against taxes and from Mr. Obama’s liberal base against the plan’s proposed long-term cuts in domestic programs across the board, including Social Security and Medicare.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/12/us/politics/12fiscal.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

Translations:

"The only way to make those tough choices historically has been if both parties are willing to move forward together" = We have to cave to the Republicans

"I think we have to be straight with the American people.” = We're trashing SS & they'll have to live with it

"it was also a response to the outcry from both conservatives against taxes and from Mr. Obama’s liberal base against the plan’s proposed long-term cuts in domestic programs across the board, including Social Security and Medicare." = BOHICA

[Lord Magus]

17. Translation: your English is a bit rusty.

Apparently unlike you, Obama is aware that the report Simpson and Bowles put out is not going to be the commission's final recommendation. And if Obama was going to tell the commission what their recommendation is supposed to be, why would he have appointed a commission in the first place?

[laughingliberal]

18. Oh, I'm sure it's not the final rec. I fully expect it to get worse.

Appointing this commission was his first mistake but I'm under no illusions that he didn't know exactly what they would do.

He created the CFC after the Senate voted it down and it's his baby.

[emulatorloo]

23. Do you think Milbank is credible? Well he isn't. He was banned from COUNTDOWN for a reason n/t

[laughingliberal]

4. Oh, how noble! The US Chamber of Commerce is willing to endure this plan. As if we can't see...

it's another big tax cut for business and the rich paid for on the backs of everyone else. The less you have, the more you'll lose.

But Obama has shown he has no problem triangulating against his liberal base. So, his statement today that we need to 'listen' to all this tells me he's on it.

[DontTreadOnMe]

5. Triangulation = Reelection

It doesn't matter what the majority of Americans want or need.

It's all 3-D chess... until we run out of consumers.

[Cosmocat]

21. the opposite ...

sorry, this is just Halpern's wet dream of how BO would find a way to get absolutely killed in two years ...

he even extends the top rate, he loses his base, probably permanently, and then in all good faith, the Rs will just pass on the next eletion, right? They won't do what they do always, what they have done every second of his presidency in going after him 100 percent like a pack of deranged lunatics?

[defendandprotect]

8. Triangulation .... that's sounds familiar .... JFK and coup on our people's government ...!!!

[Radical Activist]

9. Who?

Step 1) WashPo corporate backers want Obama to take X conservative action.
Step 2) WashPo runs story claiming that Obama is considering doing X.
Step 3) Bloggers go into fits about latest Obama betrayal. Obama's support falls.
Step 4) WashPo runs editorial stating why Obama should be more conservative and do X.

STOP BEING PLAYED BY THIS SHIT PEOPLE!!!

[TheWebHead]

11. totally agree with Milbank

Obama needs to regain the middle which left him in droves w/ hcr and piling on deficits/debt. By having some "go fuck yourselves" moments with the boisterous left wing of his base and shoving Pelosi to the side this week, he can begin the process of regaining them back before 2012.

[EFerrari]

16. Yes, it's worked so well for him so far.

LOL

[laughingliberal]

19. Yep. Cause the middle's been dying to cut Social Security. Everyone hates Social Security.

Especially will win over a bunch of older people when they see the part about screwing them on COLA's. They only voted for Republicans by about 62% last week. This oughta get it up around 85% for 2012.

[ipaint]

13. Bread and circuses for the masses.

While they rob us blind.

[laughingliberal]

15. Yep. This is a done deal. Well, almost. I expect the final recs to be worse. nt

[hobbit709]

22. Dana Milbank can commit unspeakable acts with himself.