Category: politics

Desiree Rogers hits the road

One word: Good.

The Bitch and the Buffoon

WASHINGTON–White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers told me Friday she will step down next month, after presiding over 330 events in the White House in 14 months.

Rogers is departing after achieving a major goal of President Obama and First Lady Michelle — opening up the White House to make it the “peoples house.”

“As we turn the corner on the first year,” Rogers told me, “this is a good time for me to explore opportunities in the corporate world.”

Rogers told me it has been “an honor and a privilege to serve this president and First Lady, in what has certainly been a historic presidency.”

Rogers, a friend of the First Couple for years, was one of the first Obama administration appointees.

“When I took on this assignment, we talked about the importance of creating the people's house. My work was really to create this framework,” she told me.

“I think I completed that work. Our office has been able to lay the foundation for what will be known as the “people’s house”; and it has already taken shape.”

Rogers tenure was marked by high points–she was a moving force behind a White House music series–and a low point, when the Obama;s first state dinner was crashed by a publicity seeking couple, Tareq and Michaele Salahi. Though the Secret Service immediately said it was their fault–agents did not follow security protocols–Rogers got some of the blame.

via White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers to step down – Lynn Sweet.

Here’s a clue for this stupid bitch. It already was the people’s house. Nothing you said or did changed that at all.

Don’t the the door hit ya, where the good lord split ya.

Keith Olbermann 'An American Cry for Help'

(H/T Mediaite)

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

While some might construe this as an attack on conservatives, I submit that the villains in the effort to reform health care are numerous, and multi-partisan. While Sarah Palin initiated the “Death Panel” hysteria, it was the mainstream media that abetted her, and a handful of Democrats who lacked the sac to leave the provision in the bill. The same dynamic holds true of the larger picture of health care reform.

No matter your point of view on health care, you would have to at least agree that Keith’s story is effective at conveying the idea that we have to do something, that the status quo is unacceptable. When the bravado and the posturing are set aside, we agree more than we disagree.

There may be some who will accuse Keith of manipulation here, or worse, exploitation. This has become a popular way of dismissing powerful stories that challenge our worldview, and it’s cheap. Keith Olbermann, whether you agree with him or not, is obviously exposing something deeply personal, in a sincere effort to make this ordeal have some meaning. How you take it in is your business, not his.

I think this also demonstrates why Keith Olbermann should make an effort not to lower himself, not to be petty or cheap. In this case, many people who could have benefited from hearing the story of Keith’s father now will not. The idea isn’t to be neutered, witless, and inoffensive, as much as it is to use the passion and the biting wit on worthy targets, in a worthy fashion.

Finally, it’s my hope that everyone who reads this will keep Keith’s dad in their thoughts and prayers, just as you would hope for the same were it your loved one who was suffering.

Amen.

Barack Obama is still in Perpetual Campaign Mode

From the Department of “Why am I not surprised?”:

President Barack Obama’s top advisers are quietly laying the groundwork for the 2012 reelection campaign, which is likely to be run out of Chicago and managed by White House deputy chief of staff Jim Messina, according to Democrats familiar with the discussions.

For now, the planning consists entirely of private conversations, with Obama aides at all levels indulging occasionally in closed-door 2012 discussions while focusing ferociously on the midterm elections and health care reform, the Democratic sources said. “The gathering storm is the 2010 elections,” one top official said.

But the sources said Obama has given every sign of planning to run again and wants the next campaign to resemble the highly successful 2008 effort.

David Axelrod, White House senior adviser, may leave the West Wing to rejoin his family in Chicago and reprise his role as Obama’s muse, overseeing the campaign’s tone, themes, messages and advertising, the sources said.

via Exclusive: White House privately plots 2012 campaign run – Mike Allen – POLITICO.com.

This could be taken a number of different ways. Perhaps the White House knows that they might be in trouble and are getting ready to plan the attack now. Either way, it does seem to be a bit early on. However in the interest on fairness, I will point this out:

Even though the planning is still very preliminary, the campaign is likely to launch in just over a year. President Bill Clinton opened his second presidential campaign in the March after his first midterm congressional elections, and President George W. Bush opened Bush-Cheney ’04 a month later in the political cycle.

So, unlike some of the partisan Bloggers, I will not sit here and act like this is some sort of a new thing with Barack Obama. However, it does show that possibly the White House and the President know that the winds are changing and they are wanting to be ahead of the game.

There is a possibility that this could be a violation of the Hatch act.

Others: Hot Air, National Review Online, JammieWearingFool, CentristNet, Jules Crittenden, Outside The Beltway,,  Left Coast Rebel,  Pundit & Pundette, and Confederate Yankee

Video: America Rising Part 2, A Call for the Republican Party

(H/T The Left Coast Rebel)

Scott Brown sells the tea party movement up the river

I hate to be the one to say it; but, I knew this was coming.

The Hill tells the story:

Newly-seated Republican Sen. Scott Brown (Mass.) on Monday joined Democrats in voting to move forward on their $15 billion jobs bill.

Brown crossed the aisle after Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) nixed an $85 billion, bipartisan plan in favor of a more narrowly-focused bill.

“I came to Washington to be an independent voice, to put politics aside, and to do everything in my power to help create jobs for Massachusetts families,” Brown said in a statement. “This Senate jobs bill is not perfect. I wish the tax cuts were deeper and broader, but I voted for it because it contains measures that will help put people back to work.”

Democrats needed to poach Brown and and least one other Republican to reach the 60 votes necessary. Centrist Republican Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Olympia Snowe (Maine) also voted for cloture on the proposal.

Reitiring GOP Sens. George Voinovich (Ohio) and Kit Bond (R-Mo.) also voted for cloture.

The reaction across the Blogosphere is mixed:

Don Surber is feeling like a chump:

I feel like a sucker right about now.

We’ve been tea-bagged.

Brown/Biden 2012.

Dr Melissa Clouthier is trying to put on the brave face:

A Twitter friend said that he’s still better than Teddy Kennedy. Well. The only reason for a Republican Senator is to stop any sort of spending bills.

[…]

Now, I’m hoping that the next big spending bill that comes along Scott Brown body slams. That’s unlikely to happen before the midterms in November. Even Democrats are worried about big spending bills right now.

Dan‘s a bit more direct:

When Scott Brown starts crafting national health care legislation, or sounding like the liberal lion of the Senate, get back to me. Until then, it’s Massachusetts. We’re still a long way ahead on the deal.

Michelle Malkin is saying, “I told you so!”:

Yes, sigh, Scott Brown. Looks like he hasn’t taken up my suggested D.C. itinerary. But those of us who knew all along what we were getting — a game-changer who vowed to torpedo Demcare, but who was not an ideological conservative — are not surprised. And I pointed out Brown’s moderate record several times on Fox and on this blog during the campaign.

….and for a Final Touch, I received this private message from a Joe Santelli on facebook:

WHO CARES WHAT YOU FUCKING THINK….IT IS MA VOTERS WHO COUNT WITH HIM!

Scott Browns closet gay lover maybe? Hmmmm….Obviously, a Democrat. 🙄

Anyhow, this right here is why I was not falling all over myself to support this guy. Somewhere between the tea party movement and the Scott Brown campaign; the message became a bit muddled. What Scott Brown’s idea of real Conservatism is, and what actually fiscal Conservative values are, are obviously two different things. You have to the learn the language of politics, when a candidate says, “I am going to do the will of the people, who voted for me…” and it is regarding a bill that Conservatives traditionally oppose; that usually means that person is going to go against Conservative principles. Also, when someone says, “Well, the Campaign is over now…” and proceeds to change a position, that is usually a good idea that this person is going to break a campaign promise in a big way. It happened with Barack Obama’s Campaign and now it is happening again with Scott Brown. The bad part is, people were suckered into believing the hype on this guy. I always try and look past the hype, and see what the person is really like. Kind of like Ron Paul; once you get past the hype, there’s really not much there.

Ah well, live and learn, I suppose. Maybe the Tea Party movement can learn from this one. That you do not support someone, unless you REALLY know them first.