Liberal groups have blasted Obama at times over the past two years as not being sufficiently dedicated to their positions – history that factored into their criticism of the White House on Thursday for signaling that it will compromise with the GOP on the issue of extending tax cuts that are scheduled to expire this year.

Others said they would attack Obama if he embraced any proposal to reduce Social Security benefits, as the leaders of a bipartisan panel proposed this week to cut the federal deficit…

In the House, the debate may already be resolved. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), campaigning to remain the chamber’s top Democrat, has repeatedly defended every decision on legislation Democrats made over the past two years and blamed the party’s loss of the House entirely on the recession.

Liberal activists have embraced her view, and Pelosi is unopposed in her bid to lead House Democrats.

The activists now want to win that same argument with the White House.