Dems on Hill push back on Obama's agendas

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Ambitious domestic and foreign agendas sought by U.S. President Obama are creating tension with Democrats on Capitol Hill, congressional members say.

Obama's decision to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan is the latest pressure point for congressional Democrats, some of whom say Obama's broad-stroke push for action is putting them in vulnerable positions politically, The New York Times reported Friday.

The result? A shift in which Democrats in Congress have signaled to the White House that Obama can't always rely on them, congressional leaders say. Democrats of all stripes -- liberals, progressives, moderates and conservatives -- say they want Obama to succeed, but loyalty is a two-way street.

"There is a tension and a wariness about where everyone is coming from," said Rep. Raul M. Grijalva, D-Ariz., and co-chairman of the House's liberal caucus. "We are being asked to be loyal soldiers, but I think what you are seeing now is resistance to going along to just go along."

For some members of Congress, it's a matter of timing, the Times said. Mid-term elections are next year, while the next presidential election is three years down the road.

"They say you do the tough things early," said Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y. "Early 2010 is early for the White House, but it is perilously late for members of Congress. I don't know if it's a new tension, but it's certainly something people are talking about on the Hill."