Talk about Spin -- recent legislative victories on measures favored by the President are being accredited to a new willingness to compromise on his part. Supposedly his "lame duck" status doesn't sit well with the administration and they are wanting to go out with a solid string of accomplishments.
I think the recent legislative victories are instead the result of the politics of the 2008 Presidential race. The Dems are seeing the need to give-in to the President on several issues because their candidate is needing the approval of the American public. His recent moves to the center are signalling to his cohorts that there are issues about which the majority of Americans care and Congress needs to support him in that move. You add to that the extremely low approval ratings of Congress and you have additional pressure on lawmakers. There are a lot of them fearful for their jobs as they head toward the fall.
It is pure pragmatism that moves the vote. Further stonewalling of these important measures by a Democrat controlled House and Senate would be seen by the public for what it is -- pure partisan politics. They are merely trying to assuage the fears of the average voter that a Democrat in the Executive plus Democrat control of Congress would be pure disaster.
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