Obama the mortal

New York Times ^ | December 5, 2009 | Dana Milbank

[neverdem]

In other cases, Obama truly has gone back on campaign vows. Even some of his advisers are disappointed that he has moved so slowly to close the Guantanamo Bay prison. Civil libertarians are justifiably disappointed with his decision to continue much of the Bush administration secrecy. Clean-government types are understandably frustrated that Obama vowed that lobbyists "will not get a job in my White House" but now grants waivers so that lobbyists can work in key administration jobs.

But at least as much blame for the disillusionment goes to progressives who simply expected too much of him. Some are disappointed that the Nobel Peace Prize winner proposed even higher defense spending than George W. Bush did -- but Obama never said he would cut the Pentagon's budget. Many liberals are disappointed that he isn't pushing the "public option" more forcefully in the health-care debate -- but it was never something Obama emphasized during the campaign.

For all of Obama's soaring oratory about hope and change, it was plain even during the campaign that his record was that of an incrementalist. His signature legislation -- health care in the Illinois Senate and ethics in the U.S. Senate -- were evolutionary improvements, not revolutionary overhauls. His Afghanistan policy, likewise, is above all a pragmatic, nonideological strategy. He stayed true to his campaign promise to take the fight to the Taliban, but he also tried to build a consensus.

You'd think his supporters might applaud this sort of thoughtful, methodical leadership as a repudiation of the Bush style of government by political theory. Instead, they're using words such as "O'Bomber" to describe the president. MoveOn.org launched a petition drive against the policy. Code Pink, the group that heckled Bush officials for years, heckled Obama advisers on Capitol Hill last week. The liberal Web publisher Arianna Huffington told Charlie Rose that the policy "puts into question his whole leadership."

It's not just the utopians on the left who are disappointed with Obama as he deals with the realities of the threat posed by Al Qaeda, the Taliban and other bad guys. Maybe we should thank them for being so irresponsible with national security that they show they can't deal with it?

But think also about the moderates and independents who empowered Pelosi and Reid since 2006 and Obama also in 2008. By governing from the far left on domestic matters, the heads of the moderates and independents must be spinning too, despite Balz' comments to the contrary. Obama has deferred to the far left leadership in Congress on domestic matters.

[bitt]

As a point in fact, even in the state of Massachusetts, VERY FEW cars still sport their “Obama” stickers... I’ll bet I see more old “Kerry” stickers than the Big O’s. :)