Smaller Obama policy issues - Politico

President Barack Obama swept into Office as the anti-Bill Clinton, saying even at one point that he was not sent to Washington for "school uniform" - a shortcut policy for the former President of reduced ambitions against a Republican Congress.

But face similar restrictions, Obama looks a little more like Clinton in the second half of his first term, pushing proposals for modest jobs and blocked flyers plan policy: a new pledge of paternity, graphic tobacco warnings, to update the requirements of the sunscreen, a Summit of intimidation and discounts of entertainment for the fathers to spend more time with their children.

Continue reading of the order of the day treated is the consequence of a resistant Congress and not money to spend, but it also aims to solve a political problem for the President led in combat difficult re-election. Like Clinton, Obama attempts to show voters that both Washington gridlock, it can still work to solve the problems of the people did any how small they are.

The nuances of policy of Clinton-style are remarkable for a President who shaped himself during the campaign of 2008 as a transforming figure in the mold of Ronald Reagan - not Clinton, who used small proposals, consultant-driven, such as school uniforms, a system of classification of TV and the curfew for teens to circumvent Congress and appeal to voters in class average.

"School uniforms" then invoked Obama to resist pressure from the top of its aid to scale back its overhaul of the health, saying that he wanted to "get great things," according to book 2010 Jonathan alter "The promise."

"It is a matter of some interest and historical irony that a President that began with the aspirations of Reagan was forced by events to adopt a position which is, in the continuum from Reagan to Clinton, much closer to the end Clinton," William Galston, a policy of the Clinton White House advisor and, now, a Brookings scholar ".said in an interview. "The President, in many respects, is realistic." It is simply adjusting his vest to events. »

Embrace of the Obama of the more gentle powers of the Presidency - more visibly, the Summit of bullying in March - was "a source of some amusement" with former advisers to Clinton who cringed at the mockery of their pattern of inheritance, a veteran of Clinton, said.

Obama did the opposite of shoot small in the first two years of his mandate, American realigning auto industry and a major economic stimulus plan, the redesign of health and the Wall Street reform bill. And today, he tried to negotiate a package of deficit reduction of $ 4 trillion, which would be another massive feat.

In addition, the White House is not more to go big. Immigration, education, changes in climate and clean energy bills remain on the list of wishes, but Obama spent as much time to the promotion of fragmentary economic ideas that require the approval of Congress.

Aid say that the more modest approach is part of a natural evolution for a Presidency. Recalibrés same Reagan after suffering losses in the midterm of 1982.

"While the political Congress composition may be more difficult, the priorities of the President have not changed and he works every day to move forward on the key, including relief for small business priorities, incentives to assist in the construction workers return to work by the reconstruction of infrastructure, comprehensive reform of the immigration and measures to reduce our dependence on foreign oil - all areas".the President always has the feeling that we should be able to find a consensus, "said an official of the White House who asked not be named.

After the loss of 2010 elections, the White House between what he considered a new recovery phase, arguing that the private sector, not Government, should lead the economic recovery from this time.

That approach has disappointed some progressives, including Roger Hickey of the campaign for the future of America, which urged the White House did step to reflect on the plan tactics that could pass Congress and instead propose a bold plan for the creation of jobs with an investment of large government and Democrats to run the.