President/Administration

It couldn't have come at a better moment. David Leonhardt:

For all the political and economic uncertainties about health reform, at least one thing seems clear: The bill that President Obama signed on Tuesday is the federal government’s biggest attack on economic inequality since inequality began rising more than three decades ago.

But he thinks as well. (Yeah, I know, scary stuff.)

[h/t ThinkProgress]

It's the easiest thing in the world to come up with a plan when you're completely indifferent to the final results. That's always been the GOPers' advantage when it comes to HCR: basically they can recommend anything they want since universal health care is not part of their agenda, it's part of ours.

So when one of the GOPers in Baltimore whined (in so many words) 'you're ignoring us -- we have a plan too!', it was great to hear Obama respond:

I had a great time watching the SOTU with old friends from the Niles Township Democratic Meetup. Leah called us all together and it was great seeing people, some of whom I hadn't seen for way too long. We all left re-inspired and energized by Obama's words.

Obama on great and proud nations:

Came across this gem co-written in 2004 by Peter Orzag then at the Brookings Institute discussing the effects of the 2001 Bush tax cuts:

It is astonishing that, more than four years after the proposal was first made public, the administration has still not released an analysis of the plan's long-term economic effects, or even a statement of how it intends to pay for the tax cuts. Even supporters of the tax cut would presumably like to know the answers to those questions.

Obama got the Nobel Peace Prize but it's the American people who deserve the credit.

After the horrors of the Bush Administration in everything from Rule of Law to Rule of Science, it was the American people who put Obama into office. This was an illustration, as if we needed it, of how strong democracies are in a sense self-correcting.

I think the Prize is as much an expression of relief as an acknowledgment of our yankee democratic process.

"Olympic Defeat for (Elitist) Obama, Too Busy with Washington Politics to Go the Last Mile for his own Home Town"

Yeah, I know, just stating the obvious.

Progressive Change Committee Petition:

Petition text: "We worked so hard for real change. President Obama, please demand a strong public health insurance option in your speech to Congress. Letting the insurance companies win would not be change we can believe in."

Sign the petition here...

MoveOn Petition:

It's not that I disagree with anything in this editorial from the Chicago Tribune. It's just that I get the impression they knew they had to come up with something but couldn't quite find anything particularly original to say: