Obama Budget Escapes Liberal Backlash — For Now -- "'the professional left” was remarkably muted."

[jefferson_dem]

Obama Budget Escapes Liberal Backlash — For Now
By MICHAEL D. SHEAR


Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press

President Obama speaks at Parkville Middle School and Center of Technology, in Maryland Monday. At right is Jacob Lew, director of the Office of Management and Budget. The response to President Obama’s proposed 2012 budget from Republicans was predictably negative. But the reaction from what Mr. Obama’s spokesman once called “the professional left” was remarkably muted.

White House officials and their political operatives had braced for criticism from liberals who they expected might whine about the focus on deficit reduction and the cuts in some key programs aimed primarily at Democratic constituencies.

There was a bit of grumbling Monday as Mr. Obama revealed his plans, including a proposal to slash the home heating assistance program and community block grants by 50 percent. But the griping was relatively minor, especially given that liberals were already upset by Mr. Obama’s compromise on the Bush tax cuts less than two months ago.

In fact, the president is getting much-needed support from his liberal leaders on Capitol Hill. Representative Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House budget committee, called the president’s proposal a “tough love budget” and aimed his criticism at Republicans and their push to cut even further.

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http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/15/obama-budget-escapes-liberal-backlash-for-now/?smid=tw-thecaucus&seid=auto

[Tunkamerica]

1. Whine? AP? C'mon now you fucking a-journalistic assholes

try to be apolitical for once in your shitty too-long life

[Teaser]

4. this was a blog post

not a report, so apoliticality is not likely.

[Tunkamerica]

5. sorry, my mistake. I took the photo attribution as the source

[jefferson_dem]

8. Sorry about that.

I can see how it would be misleading. :hi:

[MannyGoldstein]

2. It means that we've passed into the Acceptance stage

We started out thinking he was FDR. We've finally accepted that http://www.harpers.org/archive/2009/07/0082562">he's Hoover.

Now we can move forward.

[jefferson_dem]

9. Digging back into the archives for that one.

Harpers 2009. Bah.

He's Hoover-Carter-Reagan-Clinton-Booooooosh!

[denem]

10. Finally (june 2009) decided he's Hoover. What a crock.

It was Hoovers determination to let the banks fail that killed the economy as much as his failure to boost spending.

Oh, BTW, do you know what economic policy FDR campaigned on. Oh yes, balancing the budget.

Do you post counter-factual nonsense just for the fun of it?

[polichick]

15. It's true that the left has come to understand and accept that big change...

...will not come by way of this president - just little tweaks to a sick corporate structure.

The question is, what's next?

[bluethruandthru]

3. I think the "professional left" was dumbfounded by the President's

proposed budget. Maybe they didn't want to "whine" - as the White House expected. God forbid anyone criticize the "tough love" budget!

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[Enrique]

11. the 'tough choices' turned out to be really easy!

no price is paid for cutting aid to poor people. He'll probably get a bump in his approval rating.

[WI_DEM]

12. when compared to what the GOP is proposing it looks much more moderate.

[displacedvermoter]

13. So that is a good thing, having a Dem President who thinks

like a not-so-crazed Republican!

[Hello_Kitty]

14. Seriously!