NYT Columnist Maureen Dowd Rips Obama On Background Checks

[TreasonousBastard]

14. LBJ had Republicans calling themselves Democrats and...

lost them all over civil rights. Other Democrats were firmly in the pockets of the city machines and were dealt with somewhat differently.

More to the point is that every President knows how to talk to the Hill and remind them that they can support a strong or a weak candidate in the next election. They understand that some of them are more worried about a primary than the general and can help defuse that worry. Base closings? Contracts in your state or district? Certain information that may or may not be disclosed? Coalition building? Exploiting existing dissension?

Arm twisting is fundamental in politics no matter how much one would prefer to believe otherwise. It just happens to be a miserable, dirty business and to get anything done you have to play the game. Obama's great at chess and basketball, but he should have spent some time at wrestling and rugby.