MSNBC’s Chuck Todd said President Obama has been ‘terrible’ at managing his congressional relationships Friday on The Rundown.
Thursday, President Obama’s trade agenda passed a critical hurdle in Congress. The House of Representatives barely passed the rules of debate on Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation. Only eight Democrats joined Republicans in voting for the legislation. By passing the rules, a final vote on TPA is expected in the House today.
President Obama went to Capitol Hill on Friday to build up Democratic support hours before the vote.
"The fact that a presidential visit to the Hill is considered rare in year seven of a presidency is a reminder, I think, of how much this administration in particular has struggled managing congressional relationships on either side of the aisle," Todd said. "We've always been focused lately on the rough relations between this White House and congressional Republicans.
"But it's not as if this White House has had great relationships with congressional Democrats. And by the way, if this thing goes down, that's where the roots of this going down came from … what has been just terrible tending to of even allies on Capitol Hill by this President."
This isn’t the first time President Obama struggled to gain congressional Democrats’ support. Late last year, President Obama sent his Chief of Staff Denis McDonough to Capitol Hill to get Democratic lawmakers to support a spending bill.
"I tell you, it is amazing watching House Democrats. They're shooting at each other in ways that we haven't seen this Democratic Party in the House of Representatives do in a long time," said Todd.
Representative Keith Ellison (D., Minn.) tweeted this out earlier Friday when President Obama announced he would go to Capitol Hill.
Now President Obama wants to talk?
— Rep. Keith Ellison (@keithellison) June 12, 2015