bobbyw24
12-03-2009, 08:46 AM
By Alexander Bolton - 12/03/09 06:00 AM ET
Prominent liberal activists are warning Democratic leaders that they face a problem with the party’s base heading into an election year.
The latest issue to roil relations between President Barack Obama and the liberal wing of the party is his decision to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, which liberals fear could become a debacle like Vietnam.
The left is also concerned the administration and party leaders have drifted too far to the center or are caving in to non-liberal interest groups in key policy battles, including healthcare reform, climate change and energy reform and financial regulatory reform. In some cases, liberals fear the White House is backing away entirely from core issues, such as the closing of the Guantánamo Bay detention camp and ending the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that prevents gays and lesbians form serving openly in the military.
“I think there’s a growing concern that Washington is losing battles to entrenched lobbying interests and the administration is not effectively in charge and a sense that things aren’t going well,” said Robert Borosage, co-director of the Campaign for America’s Future, a liberal advocacy group
“I think the Democratic base is getting a little nervous out there about where we’re headed,” said Sen. Tom Harkin (Iowa), a leading liberal within the Senate Democratic Conference who shares concerns over Obama’s commitment of troops to the Afghan war
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/70355-liberals-warn-obama
Prominent liberal activists are warning Democratic leaders that they face a problem with the party’s base heading into an election year.
The latest issue to roil relations between President Barack Obama and the liberal wing of the party is his decision to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, which liberals fear could become a debacle like Vietnam.
The left is also concerned the administration and party leaders have drifted too far to the center or are caving in to non-liberal interest groups in key policy battles, including healthcare reform, climate change and energy reform and financial regulatory reform. In some cases, liberals fear the White House is backing away entirely from core issues, such as the closing of the Guantánamo Bay detention camp and ending the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that prevents gays and lesbians form serving openly in the military.
“I think there’s a growing concern that Washington is losing battles to entrenched lobbying interests and the administration is not effectively in charge and a sense that things aren’t going well,” said Robert Borosage, co-director of the Campaign for America’s Future, a liberal advocacy group
“I think the Democratic base is getting a little nervous out there about where we’re headed,” said Sen. Tom Harkin (Iowa), a leading liberal within the Senate Democratic Conference who shares concerns over Obama’s commitment of troops to the Afghan war
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/70355-liberals-warn-obama