As most of us thought, Obama is a center, center right president

[eomer]

58. Except that that narrative is totally false. 60 votes were not needed in 2009 or 2010.

Obama and the Congressional leadership could have done a number of important things with just 50 votes by using the budget reconciliation process, which can't be filibustered. For example, they could have increased tax rates on the wealthy and made permanent tax cuts for the middle class. They could have enacted a public option for health care insurance. They could have done these things without a single vote from a Republican and with no way for Republicans to stop them. They chose not to.

Republicans didn't take away the opportunity for Obama to be liberal in 2009/2010. Obama and the Democratic majority in Congress chose the path they did because they assessed it as the better opportunity. They felt they could ignore and insult the left and meanwhile sell themselves to the corporate bidders. In their calculus they only have to be slightly less egregious than Republicans and then they can have it both ways. They can be corporate whores and still get the votes of liberals because, where else are we going to go.