Congressional Democrats increasing frustrated with Obama not working on budget negotiations

Obama seems a lot more concerned about his standing in the polls than fixing the budget deficit. He wants Congressional Republicans and Democrats battling each other why he can stay out of the picture. So much for Obama's promises on the deficit. From Roll Call:

President Barack Obama’s laissez-faire approach to the ongoing spending debate is winning him few friends on Capitol Hill.
Republican and Democratic Members alike are becoming increasingly critical of the president and are demanding the White House immediately step up its role in the standoff over funding the government. And Democrats fear that if Obama doesn’t engage more directly — and soon — they will lose the war of words to the Republicans on the critical issue of federal spending.
Members have used Obama’s upcoming five-day trip to Latin America, which begins Friday, to argue that the administration seems to have other priorities.
Sen. Kay Hagan said she was frustrated that the Senate would have to vote this week on yet another short-term continuing resolution; the North Carolina Democrat said she would be reluctant to support another one, adding that leaders of both parties “need to get to a negotiation on this.”
“We need to be sitting down,” Hagan said. “We need to have leadership from the president, but we also need to focus on the task at hand.”
The House passed a three-week continuing resolution Tuesday to keep the government funded through April 8. The Senate is poised to adopt the measure today. In the meantime, Members have been struggling behind the scenes to negotiate a broader agreement on a long-term spending measure that would fund the government through Sept. 30. The two parties are about $50 billion apart on spending cuts as part of that larger package.
Several House Democrats, including Reps. David Price (N.C.) and John Garamendi (Calif.), used Tuesday’s closed-door Caucus meeting to tell White House Chief of Staff William Daley that the president needs to increase his visibility on the issue. Members have grumbled for several weeks that Obama isn’t involved enough in the debate, but sources said those frustrations are growing.
“They did have an exchange, and several Members did express some frustration and concern about the low-key approach of the president,” one Democratic leadership aide said of Tuesday’s Caucus meeting. “What was expressed is, we’re losing the budget debate and when are you going to lead?”
The aide said House Democrats in particular want Obama to engage more directly because as the minority party they no longer control the conversation.
Sources in the room said Daley listened to lawmakers’ concerns but explained that the White House doesn’t want to appear too shrill and on the attack. . . .