Obama slammed at liberal conference
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President Obama speaks to a group of supporters at a Miami fundraiser on June 13, 2011. (Associated Press)By Dave Boyer-The Washington Times4:16 p.m., Friday, June 17, 2011
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STORY TOPICS
Politics
Barack Obama
Daniel Pfeiffer
Jay Carney
White House
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As President Obama shifts increasingly into reelection mode, he is feeling persistent anger and discontent from the left as well as the right.
White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer was heckled and booed Friday at the annual Netroots Nation conference in Minnesota, a gathering of liberal activists from the online political community. When Mr. Pfeiffer reminded the audience that the president championed an equal-pay law, the moderator replied, “Frankly we’re a little sick of hearing about that one.”
Less than 24 hours earlier, White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley heard heated complaints from business leaders about burdensome government regulations at a meeting of the National Association of Manufacturers in Washington. As Mr. Daley listened to tales of the administration’s unnecessary interference in industry, he replied, “Sometimes you can’t defend the indefensible.”
Mr. Daley’s comment prompted some backtracking by White House spokesman Jay Carney.
“You have to understand that he [Mr. Daley] went in there with no prior knowledge about the cases that were put before him,” Mr. Carney told reporters. “But obviously the [examples] that sounded bad, he thought, you know, sounded bad, and he said so.”
The president’s uneasy relationship with the business community has endured since the beginning of his term. But as Mr. Obama has traveled the county recently to speak at Democratic fundraisers, the president also has acknowledged that liberal supporters may have grown disillusioned with his leadership.
“It’s not as cool to be an Obama supporter as it was in 2008, with the posters and all that stuff,” Mr. Obama told Democrats at an exclusive fundraiser in Miami on Monday. “But the values that motivated me haven’t changed, and I hope they haven’t changed for you, either.”
To another group of donors in Miami, Mr. Obama said, “There have been frustrations, and I’ve got some dings to show for it over the last two and a half years. But I never said this was going to be easy.”
While various liberal groups are unhappy that Mr. Obama hasn’t done more for gay rights or withdrawn troops from Afghanistan, the weak economy is at the forefront of the unrest. A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released June 8 gave Mr. Obama a 48 percent job approval rating, down six percentage points from a survey in late May.
Administration officials contend that criticism from the Democratic base will be helpful ultimately.
“When Glenn Beck and John Boehner and Mitt Romney attack us, we expect that,” Mr. Pfeiffer told the Netroots conference. “And sometimes when our friends attack us, we get frustrated. It doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do to get frustrated. We want you to push us.”
Added Mr. Carney, “Some of the accomplishments that the president can claim in the first two and a half years meet with approval in that [Netroots conference], and broadly beyond that. The fact that people are pressing for more to be done, whether it’s in business or in that [liberal] community, that’s the nature of our public life here. And it’s why the president says … we have much work to do.”
But as the president has tried to energize supporters, implicit in his remarks is the danger that fewer people from his 2008 army of volunteers will feel motivated to work for him in 2012.
“You’re going to have to knock on doors,” Mr. Obama told a rally in a more-than-half-empty concert hall in Miami. “You’re going to have to talk to all your friends and neighbors, and you’re going to have to talk to the naysayers.”
© Copyright 2011 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.
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M
14 hours ago
The liberals had so hoped that the chosen one would be the answer to all their dreams!
The seas would be lowered, there would be peace in the middle east, gitmo would be closed, cap & trade passed, their mortgages would be paid, guns would be banned and of course we would all be living in peace and harmony.
Turns out that hope and change were nothing but ambiguous words being thrown around by a Marxist with unrealistic ideals and zero experience in producing anything but platitudes.
I think the Obama supporters placed more importance, time and effort in picking the next American Idol than they did on picking their president.
Guys, you got exactly what you voted for!
hide 65 replies reply
The preacher
13 hours ago
Yes, the "dream" has turned into a nightmare!
hide 1 reply reply
JamesAZ
11 hours ago
"The Dream"... Many of already knew he (Barry) was a "Nightmare"
reply
szore
13 hours ago
Well said.
reply
Guest
13 hours ago
Comment removed.
hide 55 replies
Blank
13 hours ago
I'd rather return to the supposedly horrible Bush policies that had us creating jobs, lower taxes, 5% unemployment and a massive $161B deficit (and dropped every year) despite 2 wars. Unfortunately that ended with Reid and Pelosi taking over Congress in 2006 and turning it into their private politburo. It's no coincidence that the liberal takeover of Congress meant the beginning of the end for the economy and jobs.
hide 8 replies reply
ricksimm
12 hours ago
Gasoline was $1.65 a gallon when Bush left office.
hide 6 replies reply
Willy Nilly
12 hours ago
According to Lib doctrine, the Evil George Bush and his oil buddies drove the price of gas up. Heh heh heh. (GWB was cunning and dumb at he same time. Got that?) He even invaded Iraq for the oil. Clever, huh? The messiah ramped up the war he vowed to get out of and gas prices are up to $4.00+ a gallon. But, that's okay. The lib media said he was Lincoln-esque and FDR-like before he took office. We just need to accept the fact that he is God's gift to America and the world. Everything is Bush's fault. Tony will vote for him again.
hide 5 replies reply
WisconsinPatriot
11 hours ago
Tony has the chapstick and the kneepads ready for the furer. SEIG HEIL!
hide 1 reply reply
yiddishlion
11 hours ago
No he's trying on next Halloween's costume......he's going as a knob goblin......
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blog comments powered by DISQUSABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dave Boyer
Dave Boyer is a White House correspondent for The Washington Times. A native of Allentown, Pa., Boyer worked for the Philadelphia Inquirer from 2002 to 2011 and also has covered Congress for the Times. He is a graduate of Penn State University. Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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