Obama's Fixer-Jim Messina-"I did have someone tell me this week they hope I died," Jim proudly said

[Pirate Smile]

For Obama's Political Knots, He's the 'Fixer'
Low-Profile Aide Jim Messina Has Tackled Tough Problems

By Anne E. Kornblut
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, February 21, 2009; Page A01

Holed up in a windowless West Wing office, Jim Messina is working on his usual assignment: fixing President Obama's problems.

-snip-
Messina's most renowned feat on Capitol Hill was straight out of Emanuel's no-holds-barred playbook, and it came shortly after President George W. Bush was reelected in 2004. With Democrats still in the minority and frustrated by their inability to block the Republican president or his congressional allies, Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) tapped Messina's boss, Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), to run a strategic effort to defeat a top legislative priority of Bush's second term, the partial privatization of Social Security.

-snip-
"Messina stepped in and delivered a beat-down sandwich, and in my view, it was the beginning of the end of Bush's approval ratings," said Barrett Kaiser, Baucus's communications director and a close friend of Messina.

-snip-
Messina's soft spots for his friends are matched by a legendarily rough approach to his enemies. While he has not yet sent a dead fish to a political opponent -- an infamous episode from two decades ago that is considered the epitome of the Emanuel style -- "I did have someone tell me this week they hope I died," Messina related proudly. (The death wish, he said, came from a job applicant to the Obama White House whom Messina turned down.)

Messina, who is single, has also discovered a side benefit to working for the president. When he brought a date to a gala at Ford's Theatre this month, Obama stopped by to chat.

"It turns out the president is a really good wingman," Messina said. Obama, he said, "stopped by and said, 'Messina, you look pretty good when you clean up.' "

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/20/AR2009022003853.html

[Cirque du So-What]

1. Another asset on Team Obama

I'm glad to know that tough characters like Jim Messina have President Obama's back.

[Berry Cool]

2. What do I know?

Here, I thought he was pretty good with Kenny Loggins.




(yeah, yeah, I know)

[gmoney]

4. You need to watch Yacht Rock

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMTI8vg7A5U

[Cirque du So-What]

5. Crossed my mind as well

Then again, I'm the sort of guy who hears The William Tell Overture and thinks of The Lone Ranger. Or thinks of Bugs Bunny cartoons upon hearing anything from The Marriage of Figaro.

[PopSixSquish]

3. The President Has Got Quite the Tag Team Going on There

Emanuel, Messina, Axelrod, Jarrett and Gibbs for the smackdown.

I like it.