http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/16/anthony-weiner-obama-not-a-values-guy_n_836664.htmlBut Republicans, Weiner said, have nonetheless long done a better job of making their case -- "smaller government, smaller deficits, lower taxes" -- to the public and each other. The Democratic Party remains unclear as to its core policy principles, Weiner said, and part of the problem is Obama.
"On our side is this weird squishy affirmative sense of what government should do and how we're opposed to this cut and that cut, rather than saying, 'Here are the things: Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, environment and education. We're not cutting those. Those are off the table. That's non-negotiable,'" said Weiner, adding, "We haven't really done that very well. That's because the president fundamentally -- he's not a values guy. He wants to try to get the best deal for the American people and that's virtuous in its own right, but it becomes very difficult to make a strategy. There's been much greater global strategy thinking on [progressive media] outlets, frankly, than at 1600 Pennsylvania."
[snip]
"The problem is the negotiator-in-chief and where he'll end up, and whether we can put some steel in his spine," he said. "I assume he caved in on taxes in December because he was blackmailed on the treaty with Russia with nuclear weapons, which was absolutely critical. But that's pretty pathetic also."
Like the Republicans, the Democrats also seem to be dealing with internal conflict. It'll be interesting to see if and how this affects the 2012 election. We could end up with tea party republicans vs old guard republicans and progressive Democrats vs Obama supporters.