Congressman Heath Shuler has been ridiculed for possibly using his influence to get lakefront property. This would be chickenfeed compared to the president’s use of, shall we say, executive powers to select winners and losers in state races. The president is not only giving endorsements, he and staff have been recruiting candidates and dissuading others from running, in order to promote his legislative agenda.
The overt involvement of Mr. Obama’s team in New York, where they have tried to ease Gov. David A. Paterson out of the race, has made clear that this is a White House willing to use its clout to help clear the field for favored Democratic candidates and to direct money and other resources in the way it thinks will most benefit the administration and help preserve the Democrats’ majority in Congress.
