who needs to lead?
just throw a few ideas out there and then compromise, compromise, send mixed message, re-compromise, talk tough a little, joke around, compromise, say one thing, then the opposite...
let the chips fall where they might.

The Administration has been quite effective at putting the arm on progressives when it wants to. The problem isn't that it's poor at governing, the problem is that it's governing from the Right.

Iraq and Afghanistan were funded with supplementals without a hitch. The corporate welfare gravy train has continued without slowing. Defense spending is still sacrosanct. The Establishment Agenda is just fine.

There's just that annoying contrast between rhetoric and actions . . . .

Must be nice to read an article that confirms your own narrative. As Somerby so often says in response to this, "HEY RUBE!"

This administration needs to get their act together, you won, now govern. As much as I hated Junior and his cronies, they at least read the tea leaves and took what was, at best, a minor mandate and shoved their agenda down our throats, Obama and his group are still trying to be voted most popular. You won, you have a majority in Congress, so something with it. As a moderate liberal, I am fed up with you.
Do the job we elected you to do; health care, close Gitmo, end DADT, get out of Iraq and re-look at Afghanistan, and if you do what you said and don't get re-elected, you left with your head held high.
What's the point of doing nothing for the 1st four years, so you can be re-elected for 4 more years, do something in your first term, stand on your record and hope for the best.

No Amount of Campaigning will overcome your lack of governance.

Susie Madrak: This reinforces what I recently wrote about Obama's lack of executive skills. Seems like I'm not the only person who noticed.

Sarah Palin: What was he? A community organizer? He has no executive experience!

.. sad to say .. I agree ..

and all you other wonderful progressives who wont be happy until another wingnut takes control of the whitehouse

and ya...lets put Brzezinski in a leadership role....the man whose policies led up to disaster in afghanistan

dang, if this doesnt give me flashbacks to the clinton era

here is what is funny

obama did what the progressives were screaming for

FIX HEALTHCARE.....THEY CRIED

FIX THE MIDEAST....THEY SHOUTED

so now susie is saying that he shouldve told them to all eff off

ok, so now gay groups are pissed that he didnt put dadt at the head of his agenda

and everyone else is pissed that he didnt fix an economy that was set up for failure starting during reagan

i wish he would just pull a rahm and tell all you efftards to shut the eff up

when's my next interview with Couric?

I think this criticism of Obama is way over the top. I don't accept Edward Luce as infallible--check out the many critical reader comments on Amazon on his book on India. As for Obama lacking executive skills, I can't think of anything further from the truth. His swift, coordinated and comprehensive response to the emergency in Haiti is just one example.

obama is a failure in every sense of the word as a president.

he needed to stay a consitutional lawyer as a professor.

he understands little about leadership.

he is waiting for congress to act.

congress is incapable of acting.

they are bought and paid for by corp america and the industrail military complex.

the self destruction of america's wealth and morals is in full swing.

check history of rome, england, germany, and japan and how their imperialism worked for them.

we are an imperialist nation and dont have a clue why we are hated by the world at large.

bullies are never loved maybe feared by never loved.

but some one or something always does a bully in.

in our case it will be a bankrupt nation.

a dumbed down socity that has palin as a popular politican is destined to fail.

but I do agree with her obama is a failure in every sense of the word as a leader.

but he does give great speeches. but lacks understanding of leadership.

the system is broken and destined to break,

capitalism must self destruct. few have understanding of why capitalism is destined to fail. very few.

then maybe Obama meant it when he said that he wanted to be President of ALL the people and, in fact, is listening to everyone as he wrestles with a veritable mountain of complex issues (all of which he seems to have a handle on).

As someone who considers himself an "independent progressive", I haver always been turned off by most of the conservative/right TV bloviators and blogs because they all seemed to be echo chambers where people came to bitch. I am getting the sad feeling that a lot of those on the left are falling into the same trap where "progressives" are afraid to disagree with other "progressives" for fear of being turned on by the those who have picked up a convenient mantra of dissatisfaction.

I thought progressives were willing to listen and to join in efforts to actually embrace change - on a continuing basis - to seek a better America. Given the immensity of the changes ahead, we all need to be involved and we must at least acknowledge that real, fundamental change in this country (just look at Congress today) is going to be a long, difficult process.

I am reading an awful lot of arm-chair quarterbacks that have already decided that in 12 months they know better about what should be done or should have been done than this President. Listening to him myself, I am not so certain that he isn't way ahead of most of us in understanding, and committing himself to, the long road. In trying to alter a broken system, there is no instant gratification.

journalists and hacks to help him govern? If I want a Clemons to give advice I am going to Clarence and not Steve.