Congressional Insiders Poll

by Richard E. Cohen and Peter Bell

Ever wonder what the insiders really think? Here’s the inside scoop….. ssssshhhhhhhhh

Q: What is your top concern about how President Obama has dealt with Congress in his first 100 days?

Democrats (34 votes)

He is trying to do too much 12% He has not provided enough direction 9% He has been too accommodating 24% He has governed too much from the left 6% None of the above (volunteered) 47% He is taking liberals for granted (volunteered) 3%

Trying to do too much

"But is that really a bad thing?"

Has not provided enough direction

"More accurately, the vacancies in his administration leave him without the necessary support to provide detailed direction and support."

"He risks receiving very watered-down legislation from Congress if he does not insist on bold specifics."

Has been too accommodating

"I am the Left, and he has certainly not governed from here! Consider the stimulus bill and his proposals to deal with the banking problems."

"If Republicans are going to oppose our efforts to fix this economy no matter what we do, we need to move ahead without them."

None of the above

"I think he is doing a great job: He has struck the right tone in cleaning up the mess the Republicans left us."

"President Obama has worked hard in his first 100 days to turn around the complete disaster left by the Bush administration. He’s gone above and beyond expectations in the first 100 days."

"He’s doing a great job! A breath of fresh air after his predecessor."

"Very good interaction with Congress so far."

"He is trying to do much, but ‘much’ is exactly what’s needed right now to help our nation recover."

"He is keeping his promises to the American people. Alleluia!"

"What is your agenda here? This is a biased question that implies something negative as the only option."

Q: What is your top concern about how President Obama has dealt with Congress in his first 100 days?

Republicans (34 votes)

He is trying to do too much 32% He has not provided enough direction 3% He has been too accommodating 3% He has governed too much from the left 56% All of the above (volunteered) 6%

Trying to do too much

"The one thing folks are looking for is economic growth, but he’s wrapped himself up in a term’s worth of contentious debates and spending."

"Iraq, Iran, health care, energy, card check, bailouts, stimulus—-the promise of ‘change’ and action has resulted in there being more of a payoff for looking like he’s doing something without actually doing it or being mindful of unintended consequences that could result from the rush to action."

"Bite off more than you can chew and you’ll choke."

"Let’s see: He has offended the Brits; made the Poles and Czechs regret they trusted us against their archenemy, the Russians; been told ‘Get lost’ by the Europeans on borrowing and spending and Afghanistan; heard the North Koreans say ‘Pound sand’ just before they launched a test missile; proposed adding more debt on Americans than [did] all the presidents before him combined; and offered more nationalization of American business than ever in our history. It is very cool, however, that he has a BlackBerry and an iPod."

"Fire, ready, aim appears to be his strategy."

Has not provided enough direction

"The president asked for a stimulus bill focused on jobs. Congress handed him a bill with loads of frivolous spending that reopens the rhetorical door to ‘tax-and-spend’ Democrats. He needs to weigh in more–and earlier."

Has governed too much from the left

"Big Government extremists are run amok."

"Obama’s turning left more often than a NASCAR driver."

"Chaos!"

Q: Should Congress repeal the trade embargo on Cuba this year?

Democrats (34 votes)

Yes 76 percent No 24 percent

Yes

"Decades of failed policy, and we’re still the only country in the hemisphere not allowing trade and travel to Cuba. It’s plain stupid."

"During a recession, no stone containing untapped economic stimulus potential must remain unturned. Cuba is ready to trade, and so must we [be]."

"Even the Cuban diaspora in Miami agrees. Who thought in 1959 that Castro would still rule Cuba in 2009? American isolation policy didn’t work."

"Yes, with Cuban concessions on human rights."

"It hasn’t worked in all these years. Why stick with it?"

"It’s a dumb policy that hasn’t worked for 50 years!"

"It is a failed policy, and it should end."

" ‘Should Congress?’ and ‘Will Congress?’ are two very different questions."

No

"Raul Castro says all items are open for discussion. But talk is cheap. There should be negotiation with Cuba on the issues of democracy, political opposition, free speech, human rights, and an end to the police state. If they make real change, we should lift the embargo, but not before."

"Not until Cuba takes concrete steps to allow open political participation, the release of political prisoners, the reinstatement of the freedom of the press, and vastly improved human rights."

"Labor leaders, clergy members, and journalists continue to be imprisoned in Cuba for exercising their fundamental rights."

"Not opposed to repealing the embargo, but let’s do some step-by-step thawing first."

"We need more time to see how the Cuban government responds."

"The ball is in Cuba’s court. We’ve given lots of quids. It’s time for a pro quo."

Q: Should Congress repeal the trade embargo on Cuba this year?

Republicans (33 votes)

Yes 18 percent No 79 percent Debate idea (volunteered) 3 percent

Yes

"It’s long since time to just deal with Cuba."

No

"The government in Cuba is an illegitimate, totalitarian dictatorship."

"Allowing a free-for-all trade and tourism policy would only serve to further entrench the current regime, one that actively thwarts the U.S. in Latin American relations. By the way, there is no ’embargo’; there are only sanctions. The U.S. currently sells more than $750 million in agricultural and medical goods to Cuba annually, and as much as $1 billion arrives in Cuba from the U.S. as remittances."

"President Obama’s changes make sense, but to go further requires some credible movement on Cuba’s part."

"There have been no reforms in Cuba. Yet the very members [of Congress] who oppose trade with a reformed Colombia want to open up trade to Cuba."

"Sounds like a great jobs program — for communists."

Fair to debate the idea

"It’s fair to have a debate on it, but this Congress seems incapable of any action on trade issues. Still waiting on Colombia."

National Journal Insiders

Democratic Congressional Insiders Sens. Sherrod Brown, Ben Cardin, Thomas Carper, Christopher Dodd, Edward Kennedy, Frank Lautenberg, Barbara Mikulski, Mark Pryor, Jon Tester; Reps. Jason Altmire, Robert Andrews, Michael Arcuri, Tammy Baldwin, Melissa Bean, Xavier Becerra, Howard Berman, Marion Berry, Rick Boucher, Michael Capuano, Dennis Cardoza, Chris Carney, James Clyburn, Jim Cooper, Joseph Crowley, Elijah Cummings, Artur Davis, Diana DeGette, Rosa DeLauro, Eliot Engel, Anna Eshoo, Sam Farr, Chaka Fattah, Bob Filner, Phil Hare, Alcee Hastings, Rush Holt, Mike Honda, Steve Israel, Frank Kratovil, Jim Langevin, John Lewis, Zoe Lofgren, Nita Lowey, Carolyn Maloney, Ed Markey, Jim McDermott, Jim McGovern, Kendrick Meek, Jim Moran, David Price, Silvestre Reyes, Jan Schakowsky, Jose Serrano, Adam Smith, John Spratt, Pete Stark, John Tanner, Ellen Tauscher, Bennie Thompson, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Henry Waxman, and Peter Welch.

GOP Congressional Insiders Sens. Lamar Alexander, Jim Bunning, John Cornyn, Jim DeMint, John Ensign, Lindsey Graham, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Johnny Isakson, Richard Lugar, Mel Martinez, Lisa Murkowski, Jeff Sessions, Olympia Snowe, John Thune, David Vitter; Reps. Michele Bachmann, Brian Bilbray, Marsha Blackburn, Roy Blunt, John Boehner, Charles Boustany, Kevin Brady, John Campbell, Eric Cantor, John Carter, Michael Castle, Tom Cole, Mike Conaway, David Dreier, Jeff Flake, Scott Garrett, Bob Goodlatte, Kay Granger, Doc Hastings, Pete Hoekstra, Bob Inglis, Darrell Issa, Peter King, Jack Kingston, Mark Kirk, John Kline, Christopher Lee, Dan Lungren, Kenny Marchant, Kevin McCarthy, Patrick McHenry, John Mica, Candice Miller, Sue Myrick, Devin Nunes, Mike Pence, Tom Price, Adam Putnam, Dave Reichert, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Mike Rogers of Michigan, Phil Roskam, Paul Ryan, Pete Sessions, John Shadegg, Adrian Smith, Mark Souder, Pat Tiberi, Fred Upton, and Joe Wilson.