Take It To 'Em!

Great article from Gene Lyons on Salon.com today.

Don't Give In To Media Inspired Fatalism

In many cases, Republican posturing produces straw men that can be blown down by a strong gust of the truth.

Oh Snap! Obama Takes On House Republicans

There was none of the tradition of Prime Minister's Questions nor the artificial structure of a televised debate, but Friday President Obama faced some of his Republican critics at the House Republican Conference's retreat in Baltimore.  By most accounts, even some Republican ones, the President did very well.  Some said that he came out on top.  Here are a few viewpoints:

Mike Madden at Salon.com

His comments are followed by ones by Joan Walsh and Alex Koppelman.

Daniela Perdomo at Alternet.org

Susie Madrak at Crooks and Liars

Heather at Crooks and Liars

I tend to agree with Joan Walsh: this is the guy we voted for in 2008.  We need more of this type of take-it-to-em leadership.  If only this would invigorate Obama and the Democrats to go back and demand a true public option.

Massachusetts (not the Bee Gees song)

Like a lot of other Democrats, I am still trying to make sense of what happened yesterday in Massachusetts.  Here's my take.

Welcome to the Democratic Party, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.  I cannot believe it was a tidal wave of Republican anger/energy.  After all, Coakley was up thirty points not that long ago.  Then she took that ill timed vacation.  Hey, when you are Barack Obama you can do that.  Coakley is no Barack Obama.

 

Coakley is being thrown under the bus as we speak.  Is it totally deserved?  Maybe not, but Democrats are doing it anyway to avoid the acknowledging that this may truly be a sign of things to come.  This along with the losses in New Jersey, Virginia and the loss of the Olympic bid for Chicago.  Can you believe that we may have reached a point, one year removed from Inauguration Day, that Democrats may say, "No, thanks" to a Presidential visit during their campaign?  Particularly from a President once so popular and magnetic? 

 

There may be another factor at work here: the Obama voter.  2008 was a special election, maybe once in a lifetime.  A perfect storm where Republicans were apathetic while independents and Democrats were electrified.  Fast forward to 2010.  Republicans are energized and smell blood in the water.  Independents are apathetic at best and may be pissed at Obama.  Democrats are disappointed over what has been done (bank bailout, auto bailout, Afghanistan) and what has not (real health care reform, public option, strong leadership from the White House, etc...). 

 

Those voters who came together in 2008, particularly in New Jersey, Virginia and Massachusetts, may be saying, "Before we vote for who you want us to vote for, how about doing what we want: help the economy, not Wall Street.  Rethink Afghanistan.  Fight for the public option, dammit.  We put you in office, and you are going to need us to stay there."

If We Have To Explain, They Would Not Understand

All I seem to hear is how Republicans feel there is a double standard.  After all, a Republican Senate Leader (Trent Lott) made some racially insensitive remarks and he had to resign.  Harry Reid, a Democrat Senate Leader, made some racially insensitive remarks and where is the outrage?  No Democrat is calling for his head and, more troubling, the general public seems not to care all that much.

I think I can explain the difference.  Guess which Party's supporters have been seen with these:

And they wonder why their Party has no credibility and less sympathy when they cry "Racism".

The Other "N" Word

Poor Harry Reid.  The guy sounds like a henpecked husband, yet he is supposed to herd cats lead the Senate.  As if that was not enough, he had a tough re-election campaign staring him in the face, many are still not over the demise of the public option, and now we have the revelations from the new book by Mark Halperin and John Heileman, "Game Change".

Here is the bottom line: remember when Joe Biden referred to Barack Obama as "clean and articulate"?  Obama not only forgave Biden, he made him his running mate.  Now we have the comments from Harry Reid.  If anyone could hold a grudge and be justified, it would be Barack Obama, yet he has forgiven Reid.  The way I see it, if Obama can turn the other cheek, who are we to complain? 

Now, our Republican friends think they have sensed blood in the water, but it was pointed out on the NBC Nightly News tonight that the difference between Harry Reid and Trent Lott is that Reid was complimenting Obama, albeit in a backhanded sort of way ("Gee, thanks!  I think...)  Trent Lott was verily pining for the good 'ol days of Dixie, when water fountains were sacred.