White House Chicago Politics

WHAT WOULD we do without Karl Rove? President Bush’s chief political aide is building a new career as a political analyst. Today he turns he attention to the Chicago politics style at the White House. Writes Rove. quoting President Obama:

"Don’t think we’re not keeping score, brother." That’s what President Barack Obama said to Rep. Peter DeFazio in a closed-door meeting of the House Democratic Caucus last week, according to the Associated Press.

The problem for White Houses is that there’s not a lot they can do to recalcitrant solons, especially ones in their own party. After all, what’s the point? If you stick the stiletto in one of your own you are risking that the seat will go to the other party at the next election.

The White House is ginning up “MoveOn.Org, Americans United for Change and other liberal interest groups.” Originally they were using them on Republicans but now they are pressuring wavering Democrats, “including Democratic Sens. Kent Conrad, Ben Nelson, Mary Landrieu, Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor.”

Notice anything in common with those Democrats? They are all Democrats from Republican leaning states like North Dakota, Nebraska, Louisiana, and so on.

Now, I’d say that there’s a good reason why these practical politicians are wavering in their support for the president. They are worried about their seats.

MoveOn.Org is running ads aimed at 10 moderate Senate and House Democrats. And robocalls are urging voters in key districts to pressure their congressman to get in line.

You can see what’s going on here. President Obama is acting like a precinct captain in a one party machine city. In Chicago, you go along with the machine or you don’t got a political career.

But America isn’t Chicago. President after president has come to Washington with the intention of ramming his agenda through Congress. And president after president has discovered that the president proposes and the Congress disposes. That’s what the separation of powers is all about. That’s what limited government is all about. That’s what the founding fathers were all about.

Somehow, you get the feeling that President Obama is about to learn a big lesson. Every president does. But, of course, this is a president who promised to end the partisan bickering, and rule with sweetness and light.

I’ll tell you. Those moderate women aren’t going to like this. And Karl Rove knows the reason why.

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Christopher Chantrill blogs at www.roadtothemiddleclass.com. His Road to the Middle Class is forthcoming.

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