Posted by
AJH on Tuesday, March 03, 2009 3:52:50 PM
“
Democratic Revolt May Slow Obama Agenda”
Although only a handful of moderate and conservative Democrats abandoned their leaders during party-line votes on the economic stimulus law, the group of vulnerable Democrats branded the omnibus spending bill as a budget buster and questioned whether the mortgage bill would raise interest rates on average home-owners and cause some struggling homeowners to rush to bankruptcy.
The defections could cause heartburn for Democratic leaders charged with ushering through Obama's three biggest priorities: a health care overhaul, a cap-and-trade system to curb carbon emissions and his fiscal 2010 budget blueprint. The president might also have trouble winning their votes for an anticipated second financial bailout package.
"My job is not to be a rubber stamp for the president or Democratic leadership, but to be a voice for the people that elected me," Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona said. "I voted for the stimulus, but found I could not vote for the omnibus."