Blanche Lincoln: Please Moderate Your Course So You Don't Get Endangered Democrats Like Me Booted Out of Office
Obama: FYNQ

Even a Washington Post blogger is taken aback by this.

Click the link for the back and forth. Here's the analysis.

Two things struck me as extraordinary about Obama’s reply.

The first was the ease with which he cast Lincoln’s plea for a bit more centrism as a call for a return to Bushism -- the “exact same proposals that were in place for the last eight years.” That’s not what she was advocating; it’s not what any Democrat who’s questioning his approach is advocating. But the president set up this strawman, and he pummeled it, rather than engaging Lincoln’s valid concerns.

The second striking thing was how easily he appeared to write off Lincoln politically. Conceding nothing, he implied that her defeat was not only a foregone conclusion, but also an acceptable price to pay for staying the course on policy.

...
Obama’s answer to Lincoln suggests that he fully embraces the Plouffe strategy [which is "Pass the Bill No Matter What Because Republicans Are Going to Attack Us For It Either Way" -- ace]. I don’t understand it. Independently of what anyone might think of the health-care bill’s merits, the public’s attitude is hardening against it; it is politically toxic, period. If Virginia and New Jersey didn’t prove that, Massachusetts did. And November could prove it again. If the Dems tip-toe away from health care now, it would be embarrassing, but they would at least give the electorate time to forget the issue and focus on the Democrats’ other accomplishments -- if they can come up with some between now and November.

Still, give the president credit: No one can accuse him of bending his principles to politics. Of course, if there’s a price to be paid for that this year, he won’t be the one paying it. Blanche Lincoln, among others, will get to do that.

He's the only important one on that stage.

Obama's position is curious, in terms of politics. As Allah keeps noting, he seems determined to threaten Democrats with the political consequences of not passing a massively unpopular bill, which is like me telling you to hit the tip-jar or else I won't permit JackM. to write any more epic poems.

I don't know if he's living in a fantasy world, or he thinks that simply by repeating something enough times he can make it true (or at least true in other people's minds), or what's going on.

Either way, he's throwing people like Lincoln under that wonderful bus of his with the big wheels and and the tall clearance between undercarriage and street.

I wonder at what point office-holders in Lincoln's situation simply repudiate him.

Probably never. No one can afford to just write off half of their base.

Via Hot Air's Headlines.

posted by Ace at 04:52 PM

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