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Subscribe to RSSThe Nation profiles the man who will head up President Obama's re-election campaign: Jim Messina. And as Ben Smith suggests, the primary takeaway is that Messina appears to a target of the left -- much like Rahm Emanuel was when he served as Obama's chief of staff.
From the story by Ari Berman:
Unlike Plouffe, who became a revered figure among Obama supporters, Messina begins the re-election campaign with a significant amount of baggage. As a former chief of staff to Baucus and deputy to Emanuel, Messina has clashed with progressive activists and grassroots Obama supporters both inside and outside Washington over political strategy and on issues like healthcare reform and gay rights, alienating parts of the very constituencies that worked so hard for Obama in 2008 and that the campaign needs to reinspire and activate in 2012. Obama’s fixer has arguably created as many problems as he’s solved. “He is not of the Obama movement,” says one top Democratic strategist in Washington. “There is not a bone in his body that speaks to or comprehends the idea of a movement and that grassroots energy. To me, that’s bothersome.”
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He was great in Poco.
Damn, When did Loggins and Messina break up?
Oh, it's not THAT Jim Messina?!! NEVER MIND!!!!!!!!!
Emily Litella
Who knows? When it's all over, we may wish it had been.
I thought both Loggins and Messina were dead.
Nice Joe...
The "light" touch is what's most appreciated here at First Read.
Right, Feisty?
Bev?
The "light" touch is what's most appreciated here at First Read.
Light bulb, maybe. Over your held might help. ;-)
Anna Molly-
I'm different...
I've changed.
Please say it isn't over...?
Hmmm...
We always say that...don't we, AM?
I heard this garbage on The Last Word when Lawrence O'Donnell interviewed a writer for The Nation about this.
Another tactic by the media and others, including I'm afraid, some so-called progressives, who hope to discredit President Obama.
The proof that Messina is anti-gay is some ad that shows a male and something about hair. I wasn't paying close attention to the finite specifics, but the jist of it made me laugh out loud.
No matter what Obama does or what he says, the right say the opposite and the left claim it is not radical enough.
If I was Obama, I might consider walking out of the Oval Office and flipping everyone the bird.
It is obvious he is way too smart for the likes of we Americans.
If it wouldn't be so drastic, I almost wish those at The Nation, DKos, FDL, et.al. actually get to have one of the batsh&t crazy Republican candidates become president.
Then they would have something to actually complain about. Personally I can't believe Chris Hayes approves of this type of innuendo. It's as bad as Trump's conspiracy theories.
Liberals who rant about 'evil corporations', turn a blind eye to the $ 1 billion that Obama is raking in...from "crony capitalist" corporations like GE and Goldman Sachs.....
No, I don't. And again it shows how little you know about liberals -- at least about THIS liberal.
I'm for public campaign finance. Still put it on my tax return, matter of fact.
I walk my liberal talk.
Let's see, in 2010 the Corporate cash to campaigns was $120.9 million to republicans and $15 million to democrats. Nope, no billion to anyone--but it certainly was lopsided to the right by about $106 million. Corporations lean right because that's the side that gives them all those tax breaks, loopholes and subsidies. They throw some cash to the left just to appear remotely on the up and up.
That's funny, Corporations hire people, but when you have a President that is wishy washy on corporate tax breaks, you're not going to hire and sit on your profits. Kind of like now. Speaking of profits, what did GE make? Better yet how much taxes did they pay? Hell I paid more than they did!
Just curious, Jody...
What did it look like in 2008?
When President Obama was elected?
"...like GE and Goldman..."
See, we KNOW it's GE and Goldman. It's not SECRET. Get it yet??
Anna, I know you won't invite me to dinner for moonbats, does that count?
That's for me to know ....
Quoting the Koch brothers manifesto now, are we? ;-)
I didn't say that. You did. Do you have any fan belts I could borrow?
Are we liberals supposed to get upset because of Messina? Is this another media-created noncontroversy controversy. I doubt anyone picked would make all the progressives, liberals, moderate democrats happy. Look, anyone who thinks Plouffe, Axelrod and probably Gibbs aren't the main re-election team is not thinking clearly. Messina will do the job and if he creates problems, he'll be reassigned.
Fortunately, Jody-
Where the media is concerned, we have MediaMatters to provide us with an unbiased opinion, don't we?
We have a variety of media to provide various opinion as well as facts, left and right. I read many and make up my own mind.
"Mediamatters is not biased..."
Sticking by that assertion, are we, Jody?
Oh no, here we go again.
beverly, excellent post, short and sweet! well done!
Yours too, for a change. How about balloons?
Why even try to have a discussion with tea people? Facts do not exist in the realm of their world, nor does research and actual critical thinking.
Once their FOX buddies gives them their talking points - repeatedly, then they answer. Until then all they can do is yell Soros, Kenya, socialism, 57 states, Barry, Muslim, etc.
They are hopeless and I bet even if Republican governors who just might hurt them in their respective states, they still will never admit a thing. They can't say I'm wrong.
So give it up. Too bad there is no medication for stupid.
chandler - your point?