W.H. adviser: Obama will do "better" working with Congress in second term

Even on areas of consensus, though, the "simple but obvious truth," Washington Post's Bob Woodward said during a panel discussion later in the show, "is that governing is a collaboration between the White House and Congress - and let's face it, it's a collaboration that's not working. It is broken. And the president has not found a way to kind of close the deal with the leaders in the Republican Party, and quite frankly, with his own party.

"...You talk to senators and Congress members, as you know, and they feel Barack Obama doesn't like them, or is at least indifferent to them," Woodward continued. "In any negotiation you need to leave the opponent with their dignity. And the president's going out and sticking his finger in their eye."

The Wall Street Journal's Peggy Noonan suggested a shift toward compromise would do Mr. Obama good, criticizing his "us guys versus you guys" mentality, "speaking in a way that is very sour about why Republicans take the stands they take." The president "implicitly is speaking about Republicans in a country who are half the country. I think that's a new way to play it, a tough and dicey way to play it."

Former Bill Clinton White House press secretary and Vanity Fair contributing editor Dee Dee Myers agreed that when negotiating you "have to let the other guy leave the table saying they got something for their side, because... they're going to give up something big if it's going to be an important deal." And Mr. Obama and his administration, she added, "has not done that as successfully as they need to," which leaves them with something akin to the Treaty of Versailles - "You solve the first world war with a treaty that sows the seeds of the second one," she said.

But former George W. Bush Secretary of State and CBS News contributor Condoleezza Rice suggested a "non-Washington" component could help propel the White House's promise to work better with Congress in the second term.

"Obviously, relations with Congress on one side of the aisle are pretty poisoned right now," she said. "But... the American people don't want to see this divisiveness. They want to see the president say, 'I won the election, and now here's where we're going, but we're going to keep together. I recognize that we have differences that may be deep, but first and foremost, we're Americans."

Mr. Obama can't communicate that, Rice continued, "from the point of view of, 'I'm going to put this down, and then you take it or leave it.' Because there are some deep, divisive issues within the immigration debate that are going to have to be smoothed over. So the American people - I like out in California; I don't live here in Washington. And I will tell you that out in the country, there's a sense that Washington is divided, and that's not a good thing for America."

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[Mollace]

I was astonished that every member on the Meet the Press panel had nothing but criticism for President Obama, especially attacking him for not trying hard enough to work with the Congress. What a joke. The Republicans made it their mission to do everything in their power to destroy the President and his agenda and they appear to be renewing that threat despite the very clear will of the people who elected President Obama. Is he perfect? No. Did he create the morass we have been crawling out of? No. Has he tried to do his best for America? I believe so, even though I didn't agree with his Geithner/Summers appointments, nor am I thrilled about Chuck Hagel. I can't imagine the enormity of the job of president and it was disrespectful and even contemptuous of the panelsts to be so dismissive of him on the day of his 2nd inauguration. I was disgusted with Bob Woodward, Condoleeza Rice, Peggy Noonan and Dee Dee Myers. Shame on all of them.

[onthedelaware]

The individuals that CBS asked to comment on the future of the next 4 years is remarkably rediculous! These people take every opportunity to trash this Administratin. Noonan is especially obnoxious and certainly Woodward has turned out to be a real disappointment over the past year. Rice is a non-starter having served in one of the most expensive and inaccurate Administrations in the 20th Century! The debt and loss of homes, the banks that have contributed to bankrupting this country and the mind-set that has put us in this situation are directly linked to wars not paid for and the fair tale that the Bush Administration embraced exploting fear and shock of 911. Probably not intentional for Bush himself but looking at the long history of Cheney, this was not a surprise. Check with Mr. Barlow about those details. As to what is to come, no optimism. I think the attitude of the President is a relief. The integrity and cooperation he demonstrated in the last 4 years was trashed and treated with contempt by the Republicans. Their fear of a black president is at the root. The birther stuff, the utter disrespect and lack of cooperation to meet any goal even when it was authored by Republicans and their obvious disrespect of the American people has not gone unnoticed. This is one election where this was a major factor in reelecting the President and in the end, the Republican Party (a party I worked hard for in the 1960s) is about to see a new horizon of being gone. The Libertarians are ready in the wings and with the state of foreign policy, they may make in roads. So, Democrats and Republicans will probably continue to support lobbyists for the medical policies in this country, support insurance companies, ignore the investments in technology and infrastructure and that will not be at the feet of Democrats but as a result of this continued crisis in a lack of focus in the Congress.

[dpattan]

He also said Obama wants more "revenue". Meaning further increases in taxes.

[thefatcat2]

OBAMA'S IDEA OF WORKING WITH CONGRESS
You Tax and I Spend.

[KennebecGuy]

Plouffe has no credibility. As Bob Woodward stated on the same network this a.m., the President, who pledged to work a bi-partisan approach, has begun his second term by 'sticking his finger' in the eye of Republicans. He can only work with people who agree with him, thus the yes man, Mr. Plouffe.

[Rafterman11]

But will Congress do better working with the president?

[usunus]

Considering David Plouffe's history,this statement is just an embellishment for the ceremonial occasion of the swearing in.How can Barack Obama work with "bums and cockroaches" ?

[tsigili]

He is so out of touch with reality, he doesn't even KNOW his own boss.

Of course Obama will NOT negotiate with Congress on anything, and of COURSE the Congress will have to keep Obama's excesses in check.

That is the reality.

[stamicrach]

CONGRESS CAN'T EVEN WORK WITH CONGRESS.!!!; much less Obama.

Some of the statements that appear on this site get more and more ridiculous every day. (see NY Times and CBS poll of 1,110 Americans)

[Filmguy870]

WORD!!

[NotLobamatomized]

Based on what?

[dtschuck]

Confidence/approval rating: Congress 20%, Obama 50%. It looks to me that the American public understands who the underperformer is.

[Filmguy870]

TOTAL WORD!