From his office at West Sacramento City Hall, Mayor Christopher Cabaldon wants to give President Barack Obama a hug.
Despised by many conservatives, POTUS is persona non grata with liberals too.
There are howls at Obama's compromise with congressional Republicans to extend tax cuts to everyone – including the rich – in exchange for extended unemployment benefits and payroll tax decreases.
An achievement of statesmanship against all odds is simply not good enough.
Libs shout that Obama should have bullied the GOP into a tax hike for fat cats living off the backs of the poor.
The man who inspired us only two years ago has proved to be weak, or so the thinking goes.
Nobel laureate Paul Krugman wrote in the New York Times that Obama should have forced a standoff with the GOP – even if millions of unemployed Americans had to pay higher taxes.
Many agree.
"Since Obama became president, (Democrats) have not held any Republican's feet to the fire," said Jeff Raimundo, a venerable Sacramento strategist for Democrats. "Who knows how many would be willing to 'compromise' if the Dems ever played hardball and applied the kinds of pressure that Republicans are more than willing to assert."
God bless America. Obama wants to govern while ideologues want to win arguments – no matter who gets hurt or how badly the idea of democracy is pummeled.
"That's what gets my blood boiling," said Cabaldon, who had a spirited exchange with his friends over Obama on his Facebook page, as I did with mine. "As mayor, I have to get stuff done every day. But in a democracy, I have to work with other people."
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