One thing is crystal clear: In their calculations of what's needed

[cali]

to stem dem losses in 2010 and hold onto the WH in 2012, this administration has decided that liberals/progressives are less important than more conservative independents. that's how they see it, and that's how they'll operate.

[flyarm]

1. and they will lose their asses in Nov..and deservedly so! eom

[cali]

2. they're earning it. n/t

[Warpy]

9. And continue to learn absolutely nothing about it

save reinforcing the stupid fantasy that the party needs to move even farther toward the far right.

Conservatives never learn from their mistakes. If they were capable of doing so, they would no longer be conservatives.

[Autumn]

3. Well that ought to work

real well.

[sandnsea]

4. Liberals/progressives will never stop bitching

No matter what. It's their nature. Consequently there isn't any method to satisfy them.

But I don't think that leads to anything crystal clear about any election.

[Webster Green]

14. Single Payer HCR would have made us very happy.

Your theory on the nature of progressives is total BS.

[sandnsea]

17. No, I heard bitching about dental and optical

and prescription drugs - and Canada doesn't even cover any of that.

So even a single payer plan exactly like Canada's would be met with bitching by the US left, unless it was proposed by Nader or Kucinich.

It's just a constant endless bitch and moan.

[donheld]

15. Liberals/progressives should never stop bitching

as long as there are knives being shoved in our backs at regular intervals.

[TxRider]

5. Problem is

I'm not sure what he is doing is what independents want to see.

They voted out republicans and gave us congress for a reason. And they swung over and elected him for a reason. They didn't like what republicans were doing.

A spending freeze may sound good, but it's not going to help jobs or the economy. Nor relieve anger they have at the massive spending already done which they think was pushed through without thoughtful targeting.

But we will see.

[Skittles]

6. and this is different from how they've been operating?

[MadHound]

7. This has been the plan for the past thirty years

It hasn't worked all that effectively, but I suppose the party needs another lesson.

[TexasObserver]

8. This is what happens when Democrats use Republican advisers.

They keep telling the president to drive further into the ditch, and he keeps listening to them.

If the administration can't read the polls from the Massachusetts race and understand them, they deserve to be remembered as the guys who forgot what party they were in.

[Ozymanithrax]

10. If it is accurate that a collapse of independent support led to debacle in Massachusets...

like a collapse of independent support led to the collapse of the Republican regeim in 2006 and 2008, then they are right.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

11. They are correct in the general, fucked in the head in the specific

Of course conservative independents are more important.

And if they could be easily won with a cynical stunt that's awesome... I guess.

But they will line up around the block to vote out Dems based on the economy. And only economic improvement can help... not keeping John McCain's campaign promises.

Funny thing about the economy... it really doesn't care what David Broder thinks.

Fuck this. This really hurts... it's as if Obama announced that "the jury is out" on evolution.

Cynical, destructive and unlikely to gain a single net vote.

[peacetalksforall]

12. If we are going to be left behind it transforms the essense of all his speeches to a rip-off,

a theft of lofty ideals, never really meant. So sorry to speak so bluntly. I hope I'm wrong. I hope the op message isn't true.

Obama should never assume that we will be there for him. I'm growing weary. I've been told for 35 years that there is no difference between Dems and Repubs and I always pretended not to hear. I'm weary of hoping. Yes, the short way of saying this is >>>> I am weary of hoping.

While I really want to fight for someone who is for the people.

Not health corporations, not the traitorous banking and rip-off fed, no war corporation, not contracted mercenaries - not killing bombing torturing invading conquering stealing lying ASSUMING.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

13. Maybe liberals/progressives have to

let go of their tenuous power, quit settling for scrapes and launch a coalition
with the sort of voters that were behind Obama during the campaign. Those
people are still there and no one is representing them.

Dr. Dean is someone I'm going to look to for motivation in moving forward.
I really don't see anyone else in a position to do what needs to be done.

[flyarm]

16. This Fed Chief Brought to You by Enron

This Fed Chief Brought to You by Enron

By: emptywheel Monday January 25, 2010 7:59 am

http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2010/01/25/this-fed-chief-brought-to-you-by-enron/

Just wanted to throw two tidbits into the debate on Ben Bernanke’s reconfirmation. First, this quote, which needs no explanation.

In the event that Bernanke isn’t confirmed, several sources say, Federal Reserve Board Vice Chairman Donald Kohn likely would be elevated to acting chair of the U.S. central bank. Bernanke would be entitled to stay on the board until his term as a Fed governor expires in 2020, but the sources said Bernanke could instead return to a professorship at Princeton University.

Possible successors to Bernanke include three people currently advising Obama on the economy, former Fed chief Paul Volcker, Larry Summers and Christina Romer.

Kohn was traveling in Europe at the end of the week on Fed business, but strategy on the Bernanke confirmation was being led by former Enron lobbyist Linda Robertson, who is viewed as an effective advocate for the banking chief on Capitol Hill.

read the rest at the link



edit to add...



see the comments by :


xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

JasonLeopold January 25th, 2010 at 10:40 am
15

Feb 22, 2001: Enron chairman Ken Lay and Enron lobbyist Linda Robertson met with energy task force executive director Andrew Lundquist to discuss energy policy.

April 17, 2001: Enron chairman Ken Lay and Enron lobbyist Linda Robertson met with Vice President Cheney for 30 minutes to discuss energy matters, including the California energy crisis.

April 20, 2001: Enron lobbyist Linda Robertson sent an e-mail to White House economic advisor Robert McNally.

May 23, 2001: White House economic advisor Robert McNally met with Enron lobbyists Linda Robertson and Richard Shapiro.