Is Obama Being Too Timid for Liberal Democrats?

Is President Obama Thurs blame for the upcoming Democratic losses Because his agenda wasn't sufficiently liberal?

With just five days before the election, the party's most liberal activists are increasingly pointing the finger at Mr. Obama and his Legislative Allies for Giving up too much of the progressive agenda, too quickly.

Jon Stewart, the host of The Daily Show, Mr. Obama confronted with the charge Directly on Wednesday night, suggesting That The Administration's Achievements HAD Been more "timid" Than They Should Have Been.

The president pushed back hard, saying that they HAD a "profound disagreement with you, this Notion That's HealthCare was timid." Mr. Obama argued his legislation achieved That 90 Percent of what liberals wanted, But never was Designed to change things overnight.

"When we Promised DURING campaign 'Change You Can Believe in,' it wasn't the change you CAN believe in in 18 months," Mr. Obama said.

Writing in The New York Times on Sunday, Ari Berman argued That "Democrats Would Be in better shape, and Would not accomplish more, with a Smaller and more ideologically Cohesive caucus."

But in a new Memorandum To Be is circulated on Capitol Hill this morning, Senior Officials at a Centrist Who Are think-tanks close to Mr. Obama's administration say Berman has it Exactly Wrong.

The memo, from Jon Cowan and Anne Kim at Third Way, Says Democrats Should resist the idea That They Would've Performed better this election season if They HAD Pursued more liberal Policies without having "Thurs Thurs cater to moderate and Centrist Democrats.

"Both politically and substantively, liberals need moderates," Mr. Cowan and Ms.. Kim write in the document, obtained by The Caucus. "By rejecting the big-tent coalition That Brought Them power in the first place, the only things Democrats will accomplish are permanent Minority status and the frustration of Their Legislative Priorities."

The memo argues That need moderate Democrats and Independent Voters To Be Elected. And They Say That historic legislation over the years has always Been the product of compromises with Broad coalitions of centrists, Not the work of liberals banding Together.

"To Believe a small-tent Strategy CAN Achieve a" big agenda "is Folly," They write. "In the aftermath of EE losses next week, Democrats Should reject the purity

That test view moderates are either unnecessary or destructive. "

That is a point, the group is rare in Agreement with Karl Rove, the former top adviser Political Thurs George W. Bush. In an appearance on "Fox and Friends" Thursday morning, Mr. Rove said the President Should Not Listen to attacks from liberal activists.

"Criticism from the Left Is Not going to cause your party To Lose That all the seats it's going to lose," Mr. Rove said. "The Independents streaming into the Republican column Is Not Happening Because the president has Not Been sufficiently left-wing."