DANIEL SCHORR: It has to be a significant development to warrant simultaneous stories in the New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. The increasing difficulties that the Obama administration is having getting major policy initiatives passed Democratic controlled Congress.</s>NORRIS: NPR's senior news analyst, Daniel Schorr.</s>DANIEL SCHORR: The long overdue omnibus spending bill for the current fiscal year finally cleared the Senate yesterday, only with a help of eight Republican votes. The president's future budget is in trouble. The Party barons, so called - the committee chairs and other Democrats in leadership positions - are displaying resistance to audacious budget proposals. The first casualty appears to be a proposal to limit charitable tax deductions for the wealthiest Americans. Another is a proposal to limit farm subsidies.</s>DANIEL SCHORR: Where presidential reform runs up against constituent interests, it may be the latter that win. Thus Senator Kent Conrad of North Dakota, Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, defends farm subsidies. A proposal to cap emissions blamed for contributing to climate change runs up against members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee from coalmining states. There is some opposition among Democrats to proposals to cut back on Medicare and to means test drug benefits - that is, target them to the poor.</s>DANIEL SCHORR: The Post called the unexpected resistance an unwelcome surprise. But perhaps this should be not so surprising. Party discipline has been undergoing erosion for a long time. The Black Caucus and the Blue Dogs represent parties within a party, sometimes marching to a different drummer then the president. Time was when defection from the party and power in the White House was rare. When the party whip could make members toe the line with threats of unimaginable political pain.</s>DANIEL SCHORR: Today the party whip is more a counter of noses then an inflictor of pain. And to be a maverick no longer invites political death and can even be an asset. In the Senate, initiatives are frequently blocked by filibusters. Altogether the legislative process would probably benefit from a little, old-fashioned partisanship. This is Daniel Schorr.
The Obama administration is having increasing difficulties getting major policy initiatives past the Democratic-controlled Congress. The party barons are displaying resistance to audacious budget proposals.