House Democrats Embrace Obama’s Newfound Combativeness

By JONATHAN WEISMAN
NYT

CAMBRIDGE, Md. – The on-again-off-again relationship between Barack Obama and House Democrats appears to be on again with the president’s turn toward a more populist, confrontational tone on the Republican Party.

Meeting here for their annual retreat, House Democrats appeared to be buoyed by Mr. Obama’s State of the Union address, his new class-conscious emphasis on “fairness” for the middle class and his public castigation of Republicans for failing to cooperate on his agenda.

Congressional Democrats had expressed frustration – even anger – in the past, sometimes because they saw Mr. Obama as too quick to compromise, and sometimes because they feared his broadsides against Congress would harm incumbents in the coming election.

But as they try to put control of the House in play, Democratic leaders are now encouraging confrontation, and they say they will deliver that message to the president and Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. on Friday, when both are scheduled to address them.

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