A President Suffers: Obama Powerless

Barack Obama can apparently do whatever he likes these days, but, regardless of what he does, he can satisfy no one. If he waits until after the November elections to address economic concerns, he’s accused of inaction. If he tries a new economic stimulus initiative now, it’s seen as cheap electioneering.

The measures he proposes are all sensible ones. The $50 billion rail and roads projects would create long term jobs. His proposal to give high-tech firms a tax break of some $100 billion over ten years would jumpstart research and development. Such projects are urgently needed because a 9.6 percent unemployment rate — high by U.S. standards — is fueling fears of a new recession.

But Obama’s problem is that his billion-dollar initiatives are starting far too late. In just eight weeks, elections affecting one-third of Senate seats and the entire House of Representatives will be held. That isn’t enough time for Obama to gain public support for his expensive plans.

Because of the legislative process, he won’t get anything through before election day — and not only because representatives will be busy on the campaign trail. Republicans will do everything in their power to prevent a vote on any of his initiatives because if they have to vote against them, they open themselves to charges of obstructionism.

After the midterm elections, things will be even more difficult. According to polling, the chances of Obama retaining a congressional majority are slim. It’s far more likely that he’ll be dealing with Republican majorities, and in recent weeks they’ve made it clear that they would rather derail the economic recovery than help give the U.S. president a political victory.