|  According to the New York Times, White House staff members describe a happier workplace since consolidating responsibilities and smoothing lines of communication under new chief of staff, William Daley. This follows the departure of Rahm Emanuel, the “idea-a-minute dynamo”, whom they say engineered Obama’s brilliant last minute lame duck session rescue of the soon-to-expire Bush tax cuts. Thanks Rahm.
Focusing on long-term strategic goals and being less personality driven is the new order of the day for the Obama White House. With Mr. Daley taking the lead, there is more outreach to Republicans and business groups. Other changes include eliminating the White House health care office and moving the energy czar’s responsibilities to the Domestic Policy Council. The new strategy includes not weighing in as often on day to day news events but only “…at a moment of his choosing when the public is paying attention, it will be more influential.” as White House communication director said.
Here is what this looks like in practice …the White House mostly has sought to stay out of the fray in Madison, Wis., and other state capitals where Republican governors are battling public employee unions and Democratic lawmakers over collective bargaining rights. When West Wing officials discovered that the Democratic National Committee had mobilized Mr. Obama’s national network to support the protests, they angrily reined in the staff at the party headquarters.
After last fall’s Election Day shellacking, an "enthusiasm gap" or "turn-out gap" was blamed for Democratic losses in the house. This gap existed most heavily in swing states that Obama needs for the 2012 election. States like Ohio, Wisconsin, and Indiana are now the frontlines in the Republican attack on organized labor. This gap may be in the process of correcting itself at the grass roots level as some polls show Republican Governor of Wisconsin Walker with a 57% disapproval rating due to his anti-labor machinations. Ever careful Obama may not want to take risks on this issue that he sees as jeopardizing his relations with big business or stress his ongoing battle of budget cutting with the Congress. His involvement might also energize the Tea Baggers. He and his team may figure, why go out on a limb for labor if it's not "a moment of his choosing"?
Sadly right now Obama is perceived as sitting out what might be a major pivot point in organized labor’s recent fortunes.
No one could argue that as President he isn’t a long careful distance from this campaign pledge “If American workers are being denied their right to organize and collectively bargain,” Obama said. “When I’m in the White House, I’ll put on a comfortable pair of shoes myself. I’ll walk on that picket line with you as president of the United States of America, because workers deserve to know that somebody is standing in their corner.” |
