David Plouffe gave a talk at the National Press Club, from which he banned the press. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/12/AR2009021203435.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

Apparently he didn't want to jeopardize sales of his new book, detailing how he won the election. Since the only purpose of National Press Club events is publicity, hard to see how this benefits him, other than to give him a reputation among the press that he's a jerk. Could well be he already had that, though.

Plouffe has always been the evil genius of the Obama campaign, the coopt and marginalize, go-along-with-us or suffer guy who enables Obama to maintain a cool that borders on frigid. Contrast him with David Axelrod in an earlier post, with some warmth, ideals and principles he's not afraid to show. Axelrod is the accessible, likeable half of the Obama image; unfortunately, he's been losing out in the internal debates lately, particularly on Geithner's disastrous Treasury launch. O could use a little more Axe, and less Plouffe-style arrogance.

Those in the GOP, whose hell-bent stance is to be the Party of "NO", will find its return karma in 2010 and 2012 when the American public will have their turn to vote No! It is unfortunate for them that the GOP continue to Place themselves on the wrong side of history and that which is good.

However, the Stimulus, Rebuild America Package will do a lot more for future generations than GOP rheteroic and stale ideas, which does nothing but pollute the air.

Of course. Gillespie and McAuliffe squaring off once again, just like old times. But wait. Aren't they both super villains? The enemy of my enemy is still my freakin' enemy.

"reputation among the press that he is a jerk"

Oops, ericfree, I was speed reading, once again, and thought you were referring to Dana Milbank.

Sen. Arlen Specter's (R-Pa.) decision to support the economic stimulus plan is apparently hurting his standing with Republicans in Pennsylvania.

No surprise, that. When Carville characterized Pennsylvania as "Philadelphia and Pittsburgh with Alabama in between" he was more correct than not. Specter has always had to contend with this. He doesn't draw his strength from the Alabama part of the state, but rather from the moderate Republicans that are located in the suburban rings around Pittsburgh and (even more so) around Philadelphia.

After Shrub, those folks are voting for Democrats (that's why Ed Rendell is the governor), and that leaves Specter with the religious right-dominated Republicans of the remaining (Alabama) parts of PA. Those Republicans have hated him viscerally for his support of abortion ever since he first won a Senate seat back in the 1980's. They don't have the time of day for Specter, just as they didn't for John Heinz. They lost their golden boy when Santorum was voted out of office.

bert: Does kind of go either way, doesn't it. I was a major fan of Milbank until he got the WaPo talking to around early '08, about the time Olbermann showed him the door and he hooked up with the cryptorighties at CNN. It's apparent he went along while Thomas Ricks and others said no thanks. Milbank's still there, probably with a nice salary boost, while Ricks got his contract bought out a la Rick Redfern in Doonesbury.

This was a fairly balanced article, though, well worth reading. Plouffe comes off as an arrogant sod, giving plenty of opportunity for anyone with an imagination and sense of humor to take one off him. Milbank apparently staked out the door wearing a sandwich board and handed out pens and pads to the non-press attendees, getting his story that way. It's the sort of joke you'd rather see played on the other side, but the kind of lesson Plouffe, like his boss not a notorious smiler, might profit from.

Raw story reports that the chairman of the Huse GOP in Tenn is joining a lawsuit claiming that President Obama in ineligable to be President.

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Craziness_in_Tennessee_Legislators_want_Obama_0213.html

Tennessee Republican congressmembers Eric Swafford, Stacey Campfield, Glen Casada and Frank Niceley have agreed to join a Russian immigrant in California's case against Obama -- which contends he's not eligible to be president, the Tennessean's Theo Emery reported Friday. Casada is the chairman of the House Republican caucus.

Ironically, the House chairman said his action was intended to quell discussion on the issue.

"Let's just put this to bed," Casada told Emery. "Yes, people may say, you're just chasing some conspiracy theory. It's a simple act on his part to just do, and we're done — move on."

The Defend Our Freedoms Foundation hasn't yet filed the suit, Emery adds.

"I agree to be one of the plaintiff's in a legal action filed by Dr. Orly Taitz, Esquire for a Writ of Mandamus to obtain birth certificate, immigration records, passports and other vital records for Barry Soetoro, aka Barack Hussein Obama," Rep. Eric Swafford said in a letter written on official House stationery.

If you look up "Dr Taitz" you will find out that she is a lawyer and a Dentist.

What I want to know is why no one has made the McCain-Leiberman analogy to the Judd Gregg situation?

Leiberman was McLame's VP choice in a move of apparent bipartnisanship, right? That choice was shut down by GOP operatives, as being traitorous in its ideaology. SO....

Why couldn't it be that Gregg was approached by the Grand ol' Party of No and told that if he accepted the Commerce position he would find himself out in the cold from the rest of the party.

Fact is, the GOP is still operating in tactical mode. So much so that it is pinning its hopes for 2010 & 2012 on forcing economic catastophe.
Meaning, if they can just say NO such that we stay in recession/depression for the next 4 years then they might have a chance.

Country First? Bullshit.

[...] a Writ of Mandamus to obtain birth certificate, immigration records, passports and other vital records for Barry Soetoro, aka Barack Hussein Obama,[...]-- as reported by raw story

Oy. It's gonna take a long, long, time to assemble all that paperwork for a non-existent person. But, hey, it provides jobs (to lawyers and researchers), so it can't be all bad, no?