Democrats on the receiving end of a presidential push to postpone political plans are understandably unhappy that the most powerful man on the planet is picking sides.
But, as White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday morning, it's nothing new.
Long before President Obama sent word to New York Gov. David A. Paterson that he shouldn't run for re-election in 2010, President George W. Bush and his advisers threw elbows in every corner of the political ring.
For every Paterson whose work is no longer deemed helpful by Obama, there's an ex-Sen. Robert C. Smith who believes Bush broke a promise to back him over primary challenger John E. Sununu in 2002.
For every Rep. Steve Israel who Obama asked to step aside for appointed Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, there's a Katherine Harris who was pushed out by Bush in favor of Mel Martinez.
And for every Sen. Arlen Specter who gets Obama's presidential nod against a candidate, Rep. Joe Sestak, with stronger ties to the party's base, there's a conservative Steve Laffey who watched helplessly as Washington's Republican establishment backed left-leaning incumbent Lincoln Chaffee in a primary only to see Chaffee lose the seat to a Democrat.
Heck, in 2004 Bush helped Specter, then a Pennsylvania Republican, defeat surefire 2010 GOP nominee Pat Toomey.
There are many examples of Bush and political guru Karl Rove involving themselves in intraparty warfare. No doubt the list for Obama and his coterie of advisers will grow.
But someday -- as was the case with Harris in 2006 -- candidates may stop listening to the top political pros in their party.
![[RSS]](http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/templates/images/rss_icon.gif){kind=icon}
![[ARCHIVES]](http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/templates/images/archives_icon.png){kind=icon}
Post A Comment