Just as President Obama’s appearance before the House Republican caucus last Friday gave him an opportunity to push back against some of the most outlandish conservative caricatures of his presidency, his visit with Senate Democrats on Wednesday morning allowed him to confront, head on and in public, the timidity and centrism from within his own party.
“There was apparently a headline after the Massachusetts election,” Obama declared during the morning meeting, to which cameras were allowed access. “The Village Voice announced that Republicans win a 41-59 majority. It’s worth thinking about. We still have to lead.”
In one key exchange Wednesday, Obama rebuked pleas from Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) that he moderate his agenda and work with Republicans to ease the current state of economic uncertainty.
