| In case you haven't already seen it, this article on President Obama's inner circle is a must read.
The Obama Administration has done some great things. There is no question about that. But the Democratic Party and it's core values are going to suffer a dramatic setback if the White House and Congressional Dems don't get their act together. If we don't make more progress on strengthening the Middle Class (read: jobs and finishing health care), this will go down in history as the moment elected Democrats let the future slip away.
David Axelrod has every reason to be very proud of the work he did in mayoral campaigns in the late 1980. But that was 20 years ago. Attitudes have changes, and the Great Recession demands urgency. The fierce urgency of now. Not the timid mediocrity of "that's not the way we roll."
As far as Rahm Emanuel goes, actions speak letter than expletive - heavy words. And once again, the 90's really are over. The country is different. The Democratic Party is different. Avoiding a much more powerful grassroots coalition and a winning message is not the mark of a "pragmatist" or a "realist." It's the mark of someone whose Beltway Goggles have blinded them to the changes that have taken place in front of them.
There is no shortage of talent that could be elevated or tapped into on a much more regular basis.
David Plouffe's recent op - ed was right on the money.
Austan Goolsbee is a very effective surrogate.
Jared Bernstein and Melody Barnes are already working in the administration. Mike Lux worked in the Clinton Administration.
Robert Kuttner and Jacob Hacker are respected policy wonks who are also politically savvy.
President Obama has all of the potential in the world, but it's just not coming together. The Administration's needs to change, and soon. It's hard to see how that happens without something of a staff shake - up. |
