National Democrats
The Great Grab
President Obama spent a lot of time last election railing against lobbyists. He said when he was elected he was going to tie them in knots. Curtail their mischief. Send them into political exile. But three months later, more than ever, government in Washington is about ‘the great grab.’ Lobbyists for special interests are lined…
Read MoreObama’s Bully Pulpit
President Obama demonstrated anew last night why he’s a political force not to be underestimated. Congressional Republicans need to reassess picking a fight with a President who is smart, articulate (and clean, as Joe Biden would say). Not to mention one who has the biggest microphone in the world. Obama made his reputation as an…
Read MoreThe Way of All Flesh
In just a fortnight Obama’s gone from “Yes, we can” to “I screwed up.” Tackling the labyrinth of imperial government – with its legions of lobbyists, special interests and hard-bitten politicians – in Washington has turned out to be a tough nut to crack. In two weeks the best and brightest among us – at…
Read MoreBumpy Takeoff for Air Obama
Face it, Obamaniacs. The Man has had a rough start. Kind of like Flight 1549, he ran into some turkeys on takeoff. Some of the turkeys were Republicans. Some were Democrats in Congress. And some were in his own administration. But buck up. At several key points in the campaign, Obama seemed about to stall…
Read MorePower Shifts
We’re witnessing the biggest shift in political power in America in a generation: from the state capitals to Washington. The much-heralded “New Federalism” of the 70s, 80s and 90s is dead. The era of ex-Governors in the White House (Carter, Reagan and Clinton) is past. Today, all power flows to the Potomac. Witness: After taking…
Read MoreObama’s TV Roadblock
President Obama has hit his roughest patch since he took the oath from the man Stephen Colbert calls the Justice Chief of the Court Supreme. So yesterday Obama rolled out his most powerful weapon: Barack Obama. He “roadblocked” every network. He did interviews with Big Feet like Anderson Cooper and Brian Williams. That’s when you…
Read MoreWell, Duh
Media commentators and Republican critics alike seem shocked – shocked, I tell you – that President Obama packed the stimulus bill with initiatives he promised during his campaign, like education, energy and health care. What did they expect? That he would abandon his promises after he took the oath? Rush Limbaugh actually suggested that –…
Read MoreWhat Were They Thinking?
What were the Wall Street geniuses thinking when they handed out millions in bonuses with one hand while taking billions in taxpayer-bailout money with the other? What were Republicans in the House thinking when every one of them voted against the stimulus bill? Actually, it’s easy to answer both questions. The Masters of the Universe…
Read MoreProfessor Steinmetz and the Common Good
Professor David Steinmetz of Duke Divinity School says it is a very good idea that President Obama invited both a minister in favor of gay marriage and a minister opposed to it to pray during his inauguration – the way he sees it Obama is helping heal the nation’s wounds, end divisions, and most of…
Read MoreKennedy Stumbles
It may be the biggest myth in American politics: the well-oiled Kennedy machine. Well-oiled it was in 1960, when old Joe Kennedy was paying for it and running it through Bobby. But the machine has stumbled ever since, especially on the presidential stage. Bobby Kennedy’s run in 1968 got off to a bad start. He…
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