VOL. 4 NO. 10 POLITIfriday, february 5, 2010 CO www.pOLiticO.cOm Dems Grouse A Big Bang Gone Bust? House Hikes As Obama Franken lays into Axelrod Moderates say it’s time for Debt Ceiling Maneuvers on White House strategy some small ball instead But Returns To Middle By Manu Raju anD anDy BaRR By glenn thRush anD MaRin cogan Sen. Al Franken ripped into White House Moderate Democrats, coping with To ‘Pay-Go’ By eaMon javeRs senior adviser David Axelrod this week the electoral fallout of President Barack anD victoRia McgRane during a tense, closed-door session with Obama’s grand and ground-down legislative By DaviD RogeRs Senate Democrats. ambitions, have a message for their leaders: President Barack Obama is running Five sources who were in the room tell Stop supersizing us. Congress approved a record $1.9 into resistance from congressional POLITICO that Franken criticized Axelrod If the first year of Obama’s term was trillion debt ceiling increase Thurs- Democrats over several key economic for the administration’s failure to provide dominated by the so-called Big Bang push day together with Democratic-backed proposals — blunting the party’s abil- clarity or direction on health care and the for enormous, politically risky initiatives — legislation to reinstate “pay-go” rules ity to send a clear message to middle- other big bills it wants Congress to enact. the stimulus, cap and trade and health care credited with helping to rein in defi- class voters that Democrats feel their The sources said Franken was the most — Year Two is fast shaping up to be year of cits in the 1990s. pain. outspoken senator in the meeting, which small ball, retrenchment and backlash. Final passage took two highly par- Obama has run into friction from followed President Barack Obama’s ques- “I’ve always maintained that I thought tisan House votes, but the end prod- fellow Democrats over plans to freeze tion-and-answer session with Senate Dem- that they were doing too much, too fast,” uct was something of a coup for the some federal spend- ocrats at the Newseum on Wednesday. But said Rep. Mike McMahon (D-N.Y.), an endan- embattled leadership cheered on by a ing, to use bailout they also said the Minnesotan wasn’t the gered freshman who represents a Staten Is- flash from its past: former President funds for small-busi- only angry Democrat in the room. land district long occupied by Republicans. Bill Clinton. ness lending and to “There was a lot of frustration in there,” “Without question, the biggest complaint With new unemployment numbers limit the reach of out Friday, Democrats now can afford big banks. See fRAnken on Page 19 See MODeRATeS on Page 15 to turn their full attention back to the And Obama’s economy without fear of Republicans call for a jobs bill bleeding them to death with more reuters left Senate leaders painful debt votes before the Novem- Barack Obama pledging a vote as ber elections. By adding statutory pay- early as Monday go rules, the leadership also hopes — but offering no details of what a to have found a new message — and measure might include or how much budget compass — by which to steer it would cost. in the sea of red ink facing them and All of this paints a picture of a gov- President Barack Obama. erning party that faces uncertainty Obama himself welcomed pay-go about the way forward on the econo- as a return to what he called “a simple my, especially in the wake of a shat- but bedrock principle: Congress can tering defeat in the Massachusetts only spend a dollar if it saves a dollar Senate race last month. elsewhere.” White House aides insist that the But the day belonged more to Clin- Democratic pushback on Obama’s ton, who returned like an old coach ideas is just a normal part of legislat- bucking up his team and suggesting a ing and that Obama is likely to get few new plays of his own. much of what he wants in the end “This is important for our party be- because of the Democrats’ sizable cause it reminds people that, for the congressional majorities. That was last 30 years, we have had a better re- Obama’s message to Senate Demo- cord on fiscal discipline,” Clinton said, crats this week, when he implored joining a conference call with report- them to use their legislative might to ers and House leaders. “This is one lead the way on the economy. of those things that has the benefit of But in the early going — at a mo- being both symbolically and substan- ment when Democrats believe it’s crit- tively beneficial” he said. And Demo- ical for Obama to demonstrate that crats, he predicted, will find it easier

See OBAMA on Page 10 See DeBT on Page 13

Vice President Joe Biden GOP, Democrats Both See Hope in Brown swears in sen. By Manu Raju ABC’s Barbara Walters last weekend Republican Senatorial Committee, Scott Brown, that he’s “always been a big-tent per- which invested heavily to help Brown with wife Republican Scott Brown was sworn son.” win the seat that Democratic Sen. Ted gail Huff, on in as the newest member of the Senate Senate Republicans hope he’ll be Kennedy held for more than four de- thursday. on Thursday evening — and immedi- their reliable 41st vote; Senate Demo- cades. JOHN sHINKLe ately became the No. 1 target for sena- crats hope he’ll see the need to swing With new power to prevent bills from — POLItICO tors seeking help in either advancing left to win reelection in Massachu- advancing, top Republicans are eager to or killing the Democratic agenda. setts just two years from now. persuade Brown to stick with them on Although Brown rode to office on a “I think he’s got a line to walk, and critical procedural votes, giving them wave of anger from the right, he’s also he’ll figure it out,” said Texas Sen. professed his independence, telling John Cornyn, head of the National See BROwn on Page 12

iNside POLITICO 44 POLITICS IDEAS Rep. anh CLICK “Joseph” Obama rewrites lesson plan for Rep. Griffith joined the party, but To regain power, the GOP Cao Super Sunday: For POTUS, Cao and education, underscoring job prep. Republicans aren’t celebrating. must cede it to the people. other guests, it’s all about the game. AP Page 3 Page 8 Page 18 Page 21