Well, the Conyerses never are shy about speaking their minds. Tension has been rising between the Michigan Democrat and Obama, who reportedly called Conyers last week to ask him to stop “demeaning” him.
Now, I’ll just pull out some of the quotes from this piece, wherein Conyers knocks military leaders and the president alike:
It’s certainly a step up in rhetoric. Adding to the tension, some of these quotes were given to The Hill for a story explicitly about the tension between Obama and Conyers in the wake of the president’s attempt to smooth things over. Apparently Obama’s words were as persuasive with Conyers as they have been with the public on health care. The Conyers story comes on the heels of this story about the Congressional Black Caucus going into open-revolt mode over disagreements with Obama. Rhetoric aside, when the rubber hits the road, the Congressional Black Caucus will be with Obama on big votes. Black voters are the only demographic group with whom Obama’s approval numbers have never dropped significantly, hovering above 90 percent as support in other segments has dropped by double digits. Nonetheless, an extended conflict between black legislators and Obama, with black legislators arguing that Obama policies require them to use their “strength and… influence to better represent our communities” can’t help with enthusiasm in this vital Democratic voting bloc in a cycle when enthusiasm will already be low, across the board.
