Obama v. Democrats

Well the first 100 days of the new administration and the new Democratic super congress are over, but it looks like the next 100 days will be even harder than the first. As Democrats continue to scuffle over details in passing the administrations sweeping agenda. Obama knows he has precious little time left to get big things accomplished, and has learned the lessons of both Reagan and Clinton whose political capital diminished greatly after their first two years in office.
The White House Climate Control bill that has been bouncing around various house committees didn't even need any full voiced Republican opposition, the bill has been stalling as Democrats are coming from every direction to protect the coal, steel, and manufacturing interests that got many of them elected in the first place. A move that has given climate change idealists inside and outside the white house a continuing headache.
There have been reported clashes between Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Wexler, who is pushing the bill and DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen. Van Hollen, who's job it is to protect freshman democratic house members, feels that many of them will become vulnerable to anti-business ads from Republicans, should the bill pass. Even House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer has said that no "consensus" has been reached on the bill, and that they're "hoping" to reach their end of May deadline.
Yesterday also, Obama introduced a plan to close offshore tax loopholes, a proposal that should've been a slam dunk for Democrats trying to raise new revenue for their spending programs, as well as encourage investment within the United States, but Sen. Max Baucus, the powerful finance committee chairman, has been cool to the tax crackdown, worried about multinational banks in New York that employ thousands.
House Appropriations chairman David Obey generously gave Obama all that he asked for and more for the continuing war in Afghanistan, but had strong words for Obama's plan, should there continue to be no signs of relief for a conflict now going into it's 8th year. He was quoted as saying he was "very dubious" about the chances of success in the region. Words that further frustrate The Administration's plans for the war weary country, should the confilct there intensify, especially after the August elections and the continuing escalations in Pakistan. Also missing from Obey's appropriation, money to move forward on closing The Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba, the administrations first victory, but now a continuing thorn as complaints are raised that Obama has no clear plan to move forward with closing the infamous prison, or relocating the 100 or so detainees still imprisoned there.
Sen. Chris Dodd today, bucking the administration, has said he was open to waterboarding trials of former Bush officials, maybe trying to take attention away from his floundering poll numbers in his home state of Connecticut.
There is something to be said with having too much of a majority: the more congressman you supposedly have on your side, the more egos, agendas, and outsized personalities there are that need to be consistently assuaged and assured.