Sen. Alexander accuses Obama of building an 'enemies list'

The Washington Post By Perry Bacon Jr. Oct. 21, 2009
Sen. Lamar Alexander, the No. 3 leader of the Republicans in the Senate, on Wednesday accused the Obama administration of creating "an enemies list," comparing the recent criticism by the White House of the Chamber of Commerce, the Fox News Channel and other political opponents to the behavior of the Nixon administration.

"This behavior is typical of street brawls and political campaign consultants," Alexander said in a speech Wednesday morning on the Senate floor. "It is a mistake for the president of the United States and the White House staff."

White House officials have over the past week publicly criticized the Chamber of Commerce as not representing the interests of many businesses and said Fox is so biased against the administration that it should be not be treated as a legitimate news outlet. Alexander also criticized the administration for briefly barring the health insurance company Humana from writing Medicare beneficiaries to warn them that proposed health reform legislation could hurt seniors and jeopardize their benefits -- a contention that the White House disputes and has called misleading.

"Insurance companies, once the allies of the Obama health care proposal, have suddenly become the source of all our health care problems -- because they pointed out, again correctly, that if Congress taxes insurance premiums and restricts coverage to those who are sicker and older, the cost of premiums for millions of Americans is likely to go up instead of down," Alexander said, referring to White House criticism of a much disputed study sponsored by the America's Health Insurance Plans. Independent experts have suggested the study incorrectly said health care premiums would go up for millions of Americans. "Because of that insubordination, the president and his allies have threatened to take away the insurance companies antitrust exemption."

Alexander's remarks made him the highest-ranking GOP official to make the unflattering comparison of Obama to former president Nixon, a Republican, a line of thinking also recently put forward by former Bush White House adviser Karl Rove. While a reliable GOP vote and a member of the leadership, the Tennessee senator's sharp tone was surprising, as he has called for more cooperation between the two parties and was one the few GOP senators to support the appointment of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court.

Alexander also served as an low-level aide in the Nixon White House, an experience he referred to in his speech. He had no role in that administration's creation of a formal list of political opponents to target and "use the available federal machinery to screw," in the words of a Nixon aide.

"If the president and his top aides treat people with different views as enemies instead of listening to what they have to say," Alexander said, "they're likely to end up with a narrow view and a feeling that the whole world is out to get them. And as those of use who served in the Nixon administration know, that can get you into a lot of trouble."

The White House replied by stressing the president's bipartisan outreach. "While some Republicans on Capitol Hill seem to be formulating lists of people and policies to oppose, this president is focused on tackling the list of critical priorities that Washington has ignored for too long," said Josh Earnest, Deputy White House Press Secretary. "From the Recovery Act to health insurance reform to the small business initiatives he announced today, the president is pleased with the progress that's been made on the list so far and remains committed to working with Republicans to include their best ideas, even if he doesn't get their support."