President Obama likes to think of his presidency as historic simply because of his skin. He may be on to something. Never before has a president been so thin-skinned. And now - with his poll numbers in what appears to be a permanent slump - he's getting catty:
With his approval numbers flat-lining near the 50 percent mark in recent months — and Democrats trailing Republicans by double digits among independents in recent surveys — the president and his congressional allies could use a boost among both core Democratic constituencies and folks who feel no particular allegiance to either party.
Republicans say the president’s return to confrontational, campaign-style politics is beneath his office.
“The presidency is the highest office of the land, and when he differs, he should differ on policy [and] on principle,” said Ari Fleischer, who was the White House press secretary under President George W. Bush. “He’s entitled to fight and defend himself, but not in ad hominem personal style. It’s unseemly for a president to do that.”
Republicans also depict Obama’s approach as a sign of weakness born of a loss of traction on the issues.
“Name-calling isn’t typically done from a position of strength,” McConnell spokesman Josh Holmes said.
Source: Politico
