Showing posts with label Robert Gibbs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Robert Gibbs. Show all posts

Feb 8, 2010

Chicago Four Are Not the Problem

Edward Luce's piece on the Chicago Four in the Obama administration is getting a lot of buzz, but it reveals more about what is wrong about political journalism than "Rahm Emanuel, the pugnacious chief of staff; David Axelrod and Valerie Jarrett, his senior advisers; and Robert Gibbs, his communications chief." [Financial Times, America: A fearsome foursome (go ahead and register for free)]

Luce's thrust is that anonymous Obama allies and friends in Washington think the "Obama White House is geared for campaigning rather than governing ... ."

Not mentioning the sociopathic GOP opposition who would gladly burn down America than see it succeed under Pres. Obama, Luce's internally inconsistent piece is in essence a dubious complaint that Rahm Emanuel yells at people and self-entitled people in Washington should have their asses kissed, just like Sally Quinn says. That's it. That's why the buzz about this 1,900-word piece.

The problem in the Obama administration is recognition and subsequent objectives and commitment. For example, the Dept of Veterans Affairs (DVA) is a damn disaster and here's how we'll fix it.

Students and working-middle-class families are in crisis and here's how we'll fix this.

The Iraq and Afghanistan wars are unmitiagated disasters, and we'll get the hell out now.

Personally, I still believe that Obama will commit himself to helping people over money. Maybe it is blind faith like Sarah Silverman laughs at herself for.

Luce's piece concludes:

The White House declined to answer questions on whether Mr Obama needed to broaden his circle of advisers. But some supporters say he should find a new chief of staff. Mr Emanuel has hinted that he might not stay in the job very long and is thought to have an eye on running for mayor of Chicago. Others say Mr Obama should bring in fresh blood. They point to Mr Clinton’s decision to recruit David Gergen, a veteran of previous White Houses, when the last Democratic president ran into trouble in 1993. That is credited with helping to steady the Clinton ship, after he too began with an inner circle largely carried over from his campaign.

But Mr Gergen himself disagrees. Now teaching at Harvard and commenting for CNN, Mr Gergen says members of the inner circle meet two key tests. First, they are all talented. Second, Mr Obama trusts them. 'These are important attributes,' Mr Gergen says. His biggest doubt is whether Mr Obama sees any problem with the existing set-up.

'There is an old joke,' says Mr Gergen. 'How many psychiatrists does it take to change a lightbulb? Only one. But the lightbulb must want to change. I don’t think President Obama wants to make any changes.'

Take it for what it's worth.

Apr 17, 2009

It's D-Day, Shiller, Roubini, Stiglitz, Kuttner and Krugman Sound Alarm

Just saying.

- Roubini's Pissed-Off and Stiglitz Goes Ballistic

- Robert Shiller: Depression Lurks Unless There’s More Stimulus

- Krugman: Green Shoots and Glimmers

- Kuttner: Will Obama's Economic Team Lead Him Off a Cliff?

Politically, it's time for a for-us or against-us ultimatum to the GOP while people still recognize that Bush and his GOP brought us to this mess. The TEA Party was a joke, for now.

But the idea that we have to try the recovery program now and then try something else, more comprehensive, in the Fall ain't going to work while the economy continues its slide and the GOP continues trring to appropriate unfocused frustration and aggression.

Be bold and great forces of the American people will come to your aid. "Choo-choos," as some the Tea Set derogated the labor-intensive high-speed rail project should be just the beginning of a massive public works program. [I know we have some begun now.]

And everyone knows that the fare of Robert Gibbs' “you will see in a systematic and coordinated way the transparency of determining and showing to all involved some of the results of these stress tests” didn't play and appears emblematic of opacity.

This recovery needs to be framed as Obama against Newt, Rush, Sarah Palin and the GOP.

Spook them [the GOP] , scare them [the public], shake the markets.

I know this more confrontational political strategy is being considered; well now it's D-Day, and Gen. Patton-Obama ought to lead the landing this time and all operations thereafter.

A Vision for High Speed Rail