http://washingtonexaminer.com/obama-aloofness-hits-new-height-on-budget-sparks-hill-anger/article/2547714#Obama aloofness hits new height on budget, sparks Hill anger
By Paul Bedard | APRIL 25, 2014 AT 1:23 PM
President Obama's refusal to write a fiscal 2015 budget in line with pre-approved spending caps and his team's take-it-or-leave-it approach with budgeteers and appropriators is angering lawmakers and threatens to undercut his second-term agenda -- even with Democrats.
Congressional sources said that since Obama submitted his budget, which busts through spending caps on defense, neither he nor his budget advisors have met with key members to spell out the administration's priorities or at least indicate what programs they don't want cut.
Instead, they said Obama is forcing them to be the “bad guys” and make cuts, said the aide of a key Obama ally. “He’s abdicated his responsibility, and now it’s up to us to clean it up,” said the aide.
For some House and Senate members of both parties, Obama’s aloof approach and dismissal of Congress has reached new levels with his budget. “He knew what he had to come in at. We had a government shutdown over the issue. And he still spent more,” said the source.
In other administrations, the president and his team have met with members of the budget committees, authorizing committees and appropriators to discuss priorities. That, said the sources, hasn’t happened in years, and now some are considering retaliating with blunt spending cuts on the president’s agenda.
