Schumer vs. Obama

Jillian Bandes | December 10, 2010 3:25 PM

Rep. Schumer is usually a down-the-line liberal supporter of Obama's policies, which is why his disagreement with the President on the tax bill is so surprising.

Schumer, the newly anointed message guru for besieged Senate Democrats, told Obama he wanted the president to hold the line and oppose Republican efforts to extend the cuts to families making more than $250,000.

But Obama, according to people briefed on the hourlong one-on-one meeting, was cool and noncommittal, especially when Schumer pitched his pet plan to extend the cuts to families making up to $1 million per year — a move designed to corner Republicans into defending millionaires and billionaires.

Apparently the relationship has become so strained that Democrats are worried about the cohesiveness of their fledgling minority in the upcoming Congress. Then again, Politico has a habit of over-dramatizing political relationships, so lets take this one with a grain of salt.