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Broken Promises: Obama's Legislative Agenda in Trouble, Politico's Vogel Says

Posted Jan 08, 2010 07:30am EST by Heesun Wee in Newsmakers, Recession, Politics
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News that two senior Democrats -- Chris Dodd of Connecticut and Byron Dorgan of North Dakota -- are retiring from the Senate has shaken the ground under President Obama.

"His legislative agenda is what's in trouble," says our guest Ken Vogel, senior reporter at Politico.com. Sure the President pushed through his health-care agenda. But "in doing so the Democrats dispensed with this idea that he (Obama) was going to really pursue a bipartisan course and seek consensus to bring on board Republicans. That's over."

As a result, Vogel says the President may have little political ammo left for any remaining big-ticket items such as a second stimulus package. With unemployment at more than 10 percent -- the highest in 26 years -- Obama can't afford to ignore the economy. And aides say that will be the focus of his upcoming State of the Union address. "He can focus on the economy all he wants rhetorically, but it's going to be tough to get anything done," Vogel says.

So what's the prospect for other big-ticket items?

Chances are similarly low for movement on climate change and immigration reform, Vogel says. But don't count out regulatory reform because of its populist appeal, but Dodd’s retirement clouds the outlook, as we’ll discuss in a forthcoming segment.

Meanwhile, time is ticking. A fresh Gallup poll this week showed Obama is starting the new year with a 50 percent approval rating. And there's dissension among progressive Democrats, who Vogel says were so excited after the 2008 elections but now feel "put off and are not responding to calls for action."


 

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