Obama Is A Chess Player
As I bluntly stated months ago, there are certain moneyed interests in the blogosphere who are going to claim that the Democrats suck, that Obama sucks, and that we need to "primary" sitting Democrats because they aren't doing anything. While these hollerings will inevitably be true in certain individualized instances, make no mistake that the shrieking keyboards are going to promulgate this narrative no matter how much Obama gets done.
The concern trolling for money purposes (How can you get donations if everything was great?) is a farce. The bill Obama has put forth for the stimulus is far from perfect but guess what? It's got a lot of good in it and yes it is going to pass.
I don't like the Gregg appointment on its merits but strategically it's not a bad idea. Senator Newman is a caretaking "moderate" who is not running in 2010 for the Senate. The Democrats have two candidates in the House who could become Senator from New Hampshire in 2011. The Republicans will have a name to be later. It's much easier for a sitting member of the House to be a nobody than it is Judd Gregg. Big picture folks, big picture.
I don't like the Gregg appointment but now he won't join in a filibuster of the stimulus. This guarantees it goes to the floor. What do you need to pass it? Yes, 50 votes. Do we really give a shit if 5 Democrats decide to vote against it? They aren't filibustering so let them posture politically. The bottom line is passing the bill. Big picture folks, big picture.
I don't like the Gregg appointment because I had legitimate concerns about the census. A fair and accurate count is vital. But Gregg won't be in charge of the census.
To pass a bill in the Senate you just need to find 60 votes to break cloture. Senator Newman may end up being that 60th vote at times if Olympia Snowe caves in to GOP pressure.
You can't get the change you want overnight. It just doesn't happen that way. You have to know when to go for the jugular and when to go incrementally. You have to know how and when to move the American public leftward without going overboard. These are balances Obama understands quite well (As did Nixon on the conservative side). Stay patient folks. You will get most of the change you were promised. You just won't always like the speed and methodology of that change.
The concern trolling for money purposes (How can you get donations if everything was great?) is a farce. The bill Obama has put forth for the stimulus is far from perfect but guess what? It's got a lot of good in it and yes it is going to pass.
I don't like the Gregg appointment on its merits but strategically it's not a bad idea. Senator Newman is a caretaking "moderate" who is not running in 2010 for the Senate. The Democrats have two candidates in the House who could become Senator from New Hampshire in 2011. The Republicans will have a name to be later. It's much easier for a sitting member of the House to be a nobody than it is Judd Gregg. Big picture folks, big picture.
I don't like the Gregg appointment but now he won't join in a filibuster of the stimulus. This guarantees it goes to the floor. What do you need to pass it? Yes, 50 votes. Do we really give a shit if 5 Democrats decide to vote against it? They aren't filibustering so let them posture politically. The bottom line is passing the bill. Big picture folks, big picture.
I don't like the Gregg appointment because I had legitimate concerns about the census. A fair and accurate count is vital. But Gregg won't be in charge of the census.
To pass a bill in the Senate you just need to find 60 votes to break cloture. Senator Newman may end up being that 60th vote at times if Olympia Snowe caves in to GOP pressure.
You can't get the change you want overnight. It just doesn't happen that way. You have to know when to go for the jugular and when to go incrementally. You have to know how and when to move the American public leftward without going overboard. These are balances Obama understands quite well (As did Nixon on the conservative side). Stay patient folks. You will get most of the change you were promised. You just won't always like the speed and methodology of that change.
I think this way too but also have a nagging feeling I am deceiving myself.
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