President Barack Obama wants to work with the Chamber of Commerce in the wake of the conflict over financial regulations and health care, according to an article from the Associated Press. The article also mentions how “The White House and the Chamber now are highlighting areas of common ground and expressing a joint commitment to creating jobs. Obama has stressed his new economic agenda… Disagreements linger … but they no longer are the subject of loud legislative battles and big-dollar advertising campaigns by the Chamber.”
This marks a change from Obama’s earlier criticism of corporate lobbyists, according to the article. But Obama wants results, and to do that it looks like he needs the Chamber. This change of outlook is being attributed to the Congressional losses the Democrats took in the last election, and that makes sense. Obama works to get things done, but he’ll alter his tactics to get what he feels needs to get done.
Though that kind of pragmatism gets results, it doesn’t endear well in the public relations campaigns. It doesn’t sit well with voters, either. Questioning if America needs results more than it needs a solid political stance and agenda is a question I’m not ready to deal with. Unfortunately, it seems like that question is coming along, not that we can do anything until 2012 anyway.
Of course this change from Obama is a result of the losses the Democrats sustained, so the change is perfectly understandable. Even if it is a bit unsettling to watch and review, if in the long run it helps, hopefully it will be worth it. That makes the next question would the President be working for results if he hadn’t lost the Democratic majority in the House? It seemed to take the Democrats losing the House to pass a load of legislation they had been wanting to pass for two years or more. Maybe if the Democrats lose the Senate we can legalize pot.
If losing is what it takes to get the Democrats to do anything, Obama might have the right idea. If his party can’t get anything done, working with the people who can get things done makes a lot of sense. It can come across as hypocritical, but once again we find ourselves having to ask if America needs results more than it needs political ideological stability. The natural response would be yes, but the way things are, it’s frightening if you do find yourself wondering about the question rather than answering right away. Sign of the times, I guess.
Obama’s attempt to work with the Chamber of Commerce is such a sign. Working with the Chamber in and of itself is a good thing. It means, once again, the American people have a chance to witness and strive for change and reform where and when it is needed. We must also remember as those needs change, and politicians alter their position to address those changes, is it necessarily a good thing?
