"President Obama set a new record last year for getting Congress to vote his way"

[ProSense]

Obama's Wins in Congress

By Ryan Teague Beckwith, Congress.org

President Obama set a new record last year for getting Congress to vote his way, clinching 96.7 percent of the votes on which he had clearly staked a position

That was a bit less than 4 percentage points higher than the previous record, set by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965, according to an annual study by Congressional Quarterly.

Congressional Quarterly has compiled statistics on presidential support since 1953. Editors select the votes based on clear statements by the president or authorized spokesmen before the vote.

In all, Congress took 151 votes in which Obama had taken a position ahead of time.

<...>

In the House, Obama won 68 votes and lost four.

Among the losses: a vote to disapprove further spending on a bank bailout and a July vote to pass a food safety overhaul. Both were temporary setbacks since Congress eventually ended up supporting the president's position.

In the Senate, Obama won 78 votes and lost one.

The Republican win there came on an amendment which would have barred spending money to transfer detainees from the Guantanamo Bay prison camp to the United States. In the end, the bill allowed the transfer under certain conditions.

more

[rug]

1. Well, of course: "clinching 96.7 percent of the votes on which he had clearly staked a position."

[dgibby]

2. Kinda makes you wonder about the public option, doesn't it.

Oh, wait, that's right. He didn't take a position on the public option, did he?:sarcasm:

[rug]

3. But according to this, if he had, we'd have it.

Makes one think.

[grytpype]

4. Obama doesn't do Noble Failure, OK?

I know that has a lot of libs crying, but he's in office to get things done, not "stand up for his beliefs" and lose.

[freddie mertz]

10. Perish the thought he should "Stand up for his beliefs"....

That would be SO horrible!

:sarcasm: :spray: :shrug: :thumbsdown:

[maryf]

15. Or truly represent the people's wishes!

Like health care for all...

[Phx_Dem]

26. Exactly. I prefer a leader who actually gets shit done to a bunch of whiners

who are never at a loss for something to complain about.

[IndianaGreen]

5. IOW, Obama got the HCR bill he wanted out of the US Senate

He pulled the old bait and switch on the voters when he campaigned for a robust public option and against mandates. Obama sold us a lemon.

[ProSense]

6. Maybe you should

read: this.

[flyarm]

22. maybe you should read this........

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7437647

[grytpype]

7. :cry:

He wanted the House bill too.

He wants whatever reform he can get passed.

Thanks to our crappy shit-rigged Congressional system, only the Senate bill can get passed by both houses. So he'll take it. It's progress.

This crap about Obama being a Manchurian Meanie just makes me sick.

[OHdem10]

8. The quirk in all this, Obama does not project this. Obama's style

does not project strength. This is why GOP so far get
away with painting Obama as weak.

I understand it is a matter of style. In reality this
does not mean he is a weak leader. Perception often
trumps reality in Politics.

His last speech on the Christmas Day Attack, he projected
strength.

The Image out there on Health Care is he abdicated and
turned the responsibility over to the Senate. Many commentators
who really seem to like Obama see this as a mistake.
He does not come across as in charge. Maybe, he did not
want to be in charge of HCIR, but that carries consequences.


This is not to bash Obama, rather take a realistic look at
what might influence voters.

[freddie mertz]

9. Then he obviously did not want the public option, did he?

Otherwise, he would have convinced those pesky senators to vote for it.

Right?

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :yoiks: :banghead: :puffpiece: :thumbsdown: :thumbsdown: :thumbsdown: :thumbsdown: :nuke:

[ProSense]

11. Obviously, the

reform package has his approval.

[IndianaGreen]

12. There is no such thing as a 'reform package,' it is an insurance industry rip-off of the people

[ProSense]

13. Nonsense. n/t

[maryf]

16. Nonsense, nonsense...

The bill was written by the insurance companies...and bought and paid for by them to those who are supposed to represent us...

[ProSense]

19. Nonsense n/t

[freddie mertz]

17. You post an awful lot of links to press releases.

[ProSense]

20. Does that bother you? n/t

[freddie mertz]

25. I think it gets redundant and risks coming across as intellectually lazy.

We all know what the institutional messages are coming out of Washington.

To confuse these sorts of pronouncements with any kind of truth or fact is something we are well reminded to avoid.

I prefer reading the best expressed opinions of actual humans, including your own.

If I want to go the White House or some other government agency for a press release, I can do that once or twice, on my own.

[Cha]

14. President Obama has

helped enormously to turn around the bushcheney nightmare years with what he's had to work with and what he hasn't had...all the repukes and the dinos wanting him to fail.

[Enrique]

18. they could have said 'Congress sets new record for supporting the president'

but I like it the way they have it. I think that's the way it is.

Obama defenders have been reminding us (as if we had forgotten), that according to the Constitution, Congress makes laws, not the president. They do this so when things don't go our way, Obama is spared blame. (and why are they so protective of Obama? don't ask me).

But despite this fact about the Constitution which everyone obviously knows, the president does play a critical role in legislation, and it's valid for CQ to say "the president got Congress to vote his way...".

[Ildem09]

21. duh

it's the one he dosn't that we have trouble with! I win 100% of the time I think I win

[CTLawGuy]

23. 90% of what congress votes on

are either uncontroversial matters or matters that are uncontroversial within the Democratic party. So this statistic is no surprise especially when the dems have 60 senate votes in their party.

[depakid]

24. LOL- the worst elements in the Senate have gotten Obama to go THEIR way

or rather- the way that the most corrupt elements of the party demanded irrespective of the public interest.

Easy to claim "victory" when an administration is so conflict and risk averse that it's unwilling to make a stand, even when the party has 60 ostensible votes in the Senate and an overwhelming majority in the House.

Yet another of those deals that will be a hard sell in 2010.