Obama and the Midterms: Fundraising, Legislation to Help Dems in Distress

In Washington these days, you can almost hear the clanging bells and dull roar of the freight train known as the midterm elections as it comes speeding down the track, scheduled to arrive this November. Even three months away, it threatens to destroy everything in its path, especially the endangered flower called "bipartisanship" (a sweet-smelling bouquet, but a woefully short bloom).

In the Rose Garden on Wednesday, the president spoke to the midterms, saying, "Everyone understands that we're less than 100 days from an election. It's during this time that the noise and the chatter about who's up in the polls and which party is ahead threatens to drown out just about everything else." But was this not, after all, the president who had just left a bipartisan meeting with Republican poo-bahs Sens. John Boehner of Ohio and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky to ensure that D.C. was not Deadlock City for the rest of the year? He continued, "The folks we serve -- they sent us here for a reason. They sent us here to listen to their voices. They sent us here to represent their interests -- not our own. They sent us here to lead. And I hope that in the coming months, we'll do everything in our power to live up to that responsibility."

As proof, Obama that day (and the one before) laid out his legislative goals, including passage of the Disclose Act, aimed at shedding more light on campaign spending, small businesses assistance, energy reform and a call to expedite the confirmation of judicial appointments. The White House was keen to prove that it wouldn't be shanghaied by the elections this fall -- you could almost hear the president paraphrasing a famous line from "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre:" "Midterms? What midterms?! We don't need no stinking midterms!" Except for the fact that six hours later, Obama would embark on a 24-hour fundraising jag, hitting three big ticket events to raise money for the Democratic National Committee -- filling the coffers, for what? Those stinking midterms.

The president's legislative agenda goes hand-in-hand with the fundraising push to help the Dems hold their ground during this year's elections -- in other words, everything is of a part. And that part is: Democratic victory.

Obama's top tier items -- like the Disclose Act and the energy bill -- provide the left with an opportunity to paint GOP naysayers as obstructionists in the pocket of special interests and Big Oil. Despite the fact that the Disclose Act failed on Wednesday, Obama preemptively made it a partisan weapon, saying in a statement on Tuesday, "You'd think that making these reforms would be a matter of common sense... And you'd think that reducing corporate and even foreign influence over our elections would not be a partisan issue. But of course, this is Washington in 2010. And the Republican leadership in the Senate is once again using every tactic and every maneuver they can to prevent the Disclose Act from even coming up for an up or down vote."

On energy, Obama has spoken broadly, but vaguely, about climate change legislation, refusing to wade into the thicket of carbon offset specifics, an issue that threatens to hurt Democrats seeking re-election this fall. In his Oval Office address following the BP oil spill -- a pitch-perfect moment to push for a climate bill, if ever there was one -- the president didn't so much as whisper the word carbon, never mind cap-and-trade specifics. Instead, this week Obama pushed for Senate approval of legislation to respond to the BP oil spill and create clean energy jobs. Campaigning Dems who will need an answer on BP can cite these efforts -- then deliver a crosscut by pointing at Republican apologists for BP, including Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas).

And much like President Bill Clinton did during his content-free 1996 reelection campaign -- championing what my colleague Walter Shapiro dubs "microlegislation" like school uniforms -- Obama has made a point of touting benign, low-price legislation. On Wednesday, Obama spoke at a sandwich shop in Edison, N.J., calling for the Senate to approve small business loans and tax credits -- these businesses "will lead this recovery," he asserted -- while wagging his finger at GOP stonewalling. "We've seen a fair amount of obstruction that has more to do with gaining political advantage than helping the country," he said. "But surely Democrats and Republicans ought to be able to agree on this bill...I told [Sens. McConnell and Boehner] that the provisions in this bill are things the Republican party has supported for years."

The same tactic goes for judicial nominations: "I urged Senator McConnell and others in the Senate to work with us to fill the vacancies that continue to plague our judiciary" said Obama on Wednesday. "Nevertheless, some in the minority have used parliamentary procedures time and again to deny them a vote in the full Senate." If and when Obama makes more recess appointments, Democrats will point fingers at Republicans in Congress who forced their hand to begin with, and simultaneously score points for moving the wheels of justice forward. Said Obama, "If we want our judicial system to work -- if we want to deliver justice in our courts -- then we need judges on our benches."

For all the bellyaching about the White House not being supportive enough of congressional Democrats in the run up to the midterms -- and all of the president's rhetoric about not playing partisan politics in a high stakes season -- the executive branch is clearly working to supply its foot soldiers with cash and legislative ammo for the battle ahead. Obama himself knows better than to call these next three months what they really are -- a battle to determine what the remainder of his term as commander in chief will look like.
Make no mistake, the train is pulling into the station, and everyone's ready to get on board.