Washington (CNN) -- We now know President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner agree on at least one thing: In 2014, keeping the political base happy matters more than advancing once-critical policy initiatives. For the GOP speaker, a personal commitment to big immigration changes, including a path to legal status for millions of undocumented workers, was sacrificed after it became clear there would be a conservative revolt. The argument from the right: turning out conservatives is the key to 2014 midterm success, and big immigration changes would anger the base. And now the President's counter move: dropping from his new budget an idea he said was essential just a year ago -- a more modest calculation of inflation adjustments for Social Security. Then, it was a critical piece of entitlement reform and deficit reduction. Now, the calculation is simple: liberals hate the idea, and pushing it in 2014 would anger a base the Democrats need in November.
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Both Obama and Boehner dropped high-profile initiatives to keep base happy
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For Boehner, his commitment to immigration reform was sacrificed
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Obama dropped his idea to tweak inflation adjustments for Social Security
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Both moves show a shift to election-year positioning
John Boehner
Boehner
Boehner
When @placeholder retreated on immigration, it was the White House and its allies who said he was being shortsighted and putting politics ahead of the national interest.
John Boehner
Boehner
Boehner
Now, the flipside, from @placeholder's office: "The President has no interest in doing anything, even modest, to address our looming debt crisis.
House
A lot can happen between February and November, but the best bet at this early juncture is that Republicans keep their @placeholder majority.
Barack Obama
Obama
Obama
The organization is the grassroots offshoot of the 2008 and 2012 @placeholder presidential campaign.
Democrats
The summit goal: try to defy the midterm historical odds and protect @placeholder seats.