POLITICO.COM : The Arena : Professors of Political Science and Famous Authors judge the performance of President Obama and his relation to Congress - Obama's "Victory Lap" and comparison to History.

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I select the best comments and estimations, the more intelligent and wise. Those valuations that are the best judgement.

POLITICO.COM
The Arena
Are Lame Duck Sessions the "New Normal" ?
December 23, 2010

Are Lame Duck Sessions the "New Normal" ?


Some excerpts :

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Morley Winograd and Michael D. Hais are fellows with NDN and the New Policy Institute. They are the co-authors of the book "Millennial Makeover" :

Morley Winograd Fellow, NDN and New Policy Institute :

Obama's successes in the lame-duck session capped the most productive first two years of a presidency, in terms of legislative victories, since LBJ -- arguably surpassing FDR's track record in his first two years. One analysis by Eleanor Clift suggested he won more than 95 percent of the votes in Congress where he staked out a clear position. The lame-duck session's track record only confirmed the president's complete mastery of the 111th Congress and his superior legislative skills.

Of course the problem he faces is that he was elected president, not legislator-in-chief, so his overall popularity won't improve, no matter how well he deals with Congress, until he masters the art of executive leadership as well. But the skillful way he brought both new START and "don't ask, don't tell" back from the brink of defeat to triumphant, bipartisan victories in the lame-duck session suggests his on-the-job learning curve will make him a formidable executive during the next two years that both Republicans and Democrats will have to learn how to deal with.

As we enter the new year, thanks to the outcome of the lame-duck session, the learning curve has moved to the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue.

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Barry Burden Professor of political science, University of Wisconsin :

The lame-duck marathon was huge for Obama. When combined with legislation passed before the election, the production of the 111th Congress is downright impressive. Moreover, the bills passed in the last couple of weeks have drawn significant support from Republicans. Even if little else happens over the next two years, Obama will have a record of legislative achievement to run on in 2012.

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Dewey Clayton Professor of Political Science, University of Louisville :

I think that the lame duck session was a huge win for Obama. Just a few weeks ago, Obama was being written off by the media. They were even saying that Obama would be a lame-duck president for the remainder of his term. Obama has proved his political mettle by winning bipartisan support for a series of initiatives that many didn't think had a possibility of passing because of Republican stonewalling. Obama exercised political leadership and did so in the spirit of bipartisanship.

I don't think that the Democrats did too much, too late. I think that they realized that come Jan. 3, 2010, the dynamics will change greatly and the legislative majorities they now have will have ended. I don't know if future lame duck sessions will attempt such an ambitious agenda.

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Doug Roscoe Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth :

Not only has it been the most productive post-election period in decades, it's been one of the most productive pre-election periods in decades. Despite the appearance of ineptitude suggested by the heavy midterm losses, Obama was able to score major legislative victories during his first two years.

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