Awesome.

And for each and every trip he takes, he should invite both senators and the congressperson representing the district, regardless of party.

Either the republicans will keep slapping away his hand, or they will start to pay attention to the voices of their own constituents, begging for Washington to understand what is important.

I was listening to NPR this morning and Mara Liasson said the withdrawal of Gregg is a huge blow to the Obama administration. I laughed out loud. The first thing I thought about when I woke up this morning was the fact that yesterday my company announced they were eliminating a department of over 100 people. That is what directly impacts my life--not who the commerce secretary is going to be.

So, from a Washington insider perspective, maybe it was a blow. But the voters are paying attention now, and our concerns really couldn't be further from what the pundits deem important to talk about.

Of course, it would be nice if, before he took it to the streets, Obama had something to take.

So far -- Nada.

And stop scheduling Washington DC "summits." That upcoming one on "fiscal responsibility" is a really, really, really bad idea. Like your opening obsession with intra DC "bipartisanship," Obama, it is just going to privilege your enemies and give them another microphone to oppose programs like Social Security that help millions of regular Americans without taking responsibility for fixing things like corporate pensions and broken health insurance that are failing most families.

If the militant extremist Republicans can really and truly be counted on to propose to solve the Crawford Crash troubles by smashin' Social Security and dismantlin' Medicare, why, give them as many microphones as possible!

In the real world, though, I fear they are not yet quite so far around the bend as that, though maybe Dr. Limbaugh will herd them there eventually.

Meanwhile, it seems to me that the bipartisanship shtyk should be persevered with, and especially as long as one can count on the bozos to slap or bite any hand stretched out to them. It will be when (if?) they start respondin' like adult human bein's rather than AEIdeological wind-up toys that the present course will need to be reconsidered.

To moan about "a really, really, really bad idea" may itself be a symptom of Washingtonitis. Making progresses through the shires is an excellent idea, but it won't really be the end of the world if there is the occasional conference at Whitehall or Hampton Court as well.

Happy days.

Another smart one by Theda. This strategy of continuing to take it to the people also reminds me of something Nate Silver said the other day: it forces the MSM out into the 'real world' on a regular basis, and when they're covering those human interest stories in Peoria, Evanston, etc. their narrative becomes much less slanted toward the GOP talking points or the usual narratives of party conflict (for as we all know, reality has a well-known liberal bias).

Theda Skocpol throws her slops out the window and the people below yell up their thanks - "another smart one by Theda" and "another slam dunk post". Great analysis, great advice from "analysts like" Skocpol who "should have seen this coming"...what in the world prevented her from "seeing this coming"? She tells us that "along with others like Andrew Sullivan" she's completely "amazed at the brazen obstructionism" of the GOP and the media's collusion in their agenda.

The reason why the GOP drives the media is because liberals have failed over the last twenty years to stop the calumnies, the lies, the misrepresentations, the foolish fixation on habits and clothing and speaking abilities of democrats. It was the Andrew Sullivans, the Chris Mathews, the Gene Robinsons, the E.J. Dionnes who either drove the debilitating discourse or failed to speak up while it was going on and contributed to it by ommission and continued to do so during this primary/election season. Chris Mathews "who was almost always right" and "interesting" has now fallen to the complete stupidity of obstructionist, one sided media representations - the same Chris Mathews whose show is and always has been dedicated to the obstructionist, trivialized pursuit of all that is meaningless and unneccesary in political discussion - and Skocpol didn't see this coming. "Like...Andrew Sullivan" she is "amazed" at the obstructionism of the GOP - the same Andrew Sullivan who built his career on obstructionism and the destruction of the democratic party. What should be "amazing" to Skocpol is that Sullivan is amazed when he has facilitated this kind of criticism for more than twenty years.

Now Skocpol tells us that Obama should "get out of Washington D.C.", that to get out and "meet with the people" will reset the media's agenda in reporting and commenting on the political discussion. They'll simply be forced to look outside of D.C. for fresh, new coverage of politics from the advantage of the "town meetings" in fly over country, coverage driven by local media, more informed and less biased than the D.C. media gang.

The "town meetings". This is where Skocpol really starts to fling the slops - she tells us that this is where we can hope to find new strength and belief in this administration - Obama's willingness to take it to the people in town meetings across America. The same "town meetings" that are orchestrated, planned, funded and scripted by political operatives in Washington D.C. - political operatives who plan the stage setting, determine who in the press will have access, who pre-screen the "little people" in the meeting and what questions will be asked and what the answers will be, long before the local media even knows that a meeting will be held. Look out, Washington D.C. elites, your days of setting the political agenda and discourse in this country may well be over - the people rise up in the glorious tradition of the American town hall meeting to ask their scripted questions and receive the scripted answers that will set the elites in this country trembling with fear. These town meetings will also force the media to get out of D.C. - they'll ride in an airplane together, sleep in the same hotel, ride the same press bus to the same meeting and ask the same "little guy" the same questions.

And so Skocpol tells us, the social revolution will begin - all those local officials, the average joe banker and business person, the republicans, the independents, they'll all rise up in a rebirth of that self-empowering vehicle of social change, the local town meeting. That is of course, if those pesky liberal advocacy groups will stop distracting Obama with every little thing like civil rights for all, not some groups, or any other selfish cause such as abortion rights or any other rights these pesky advocacy advocacy groups seem to think are important.

Oh, and Obama, don't hold those "summit meetings" where you bring to D.C. those elites who actually have power and try to sway them or influence them in accepting your plans and programs. Skocpol thinks they're time vampires and open mic nights for criticism by the elites of D.C. According to Skocpol, you don't need to know what the "extremist elites" are thinking and saying, you need to know only what your own political operatives are thinking and what words they're putting into the mouths of the people.

Those in power? Fuhgetaboudem...

Yes! If Obama sells the American people on his policies, the disloyal opposition and his own blue dogs will fall in line so fast your head will spin. Or if they don't they will reap the consequences.

What's more, Obama seems to discouraged any outside support. His put-down of General Clark comes to mind. Clarks comments were the last of any comments by anyone but Obama during the campaign that I remember.

There are labor groups and root groups and surrogates who are able and willing to jump in, but it seems they are suppressed - in the interest of what - bi or non partisanship? Or does Obama need to control the message to the point he doesn't trust others?

But instead of Obama/Democrat surrogates the airwaves are awash in rightwingnut surrogates spewing their lies and their hatred every chance they get. So in addition to Obama's personal outreach, he needs to let loose some of the other people who can help him sell.

I hope that Obama is greeted everywhere with the clanging of pots and pans like the people of Iceland did. Naomi Klein talks about the outrage around the world from Latvia to Greece concerning the awful stimulus packages that are rewarding the same old finance real estate construction cabals. http://www.alternet.org/workplace/125566/naomi_klein%3A_public_revolt_builds_against_rip-off_rescue_plans_for_the_economy/

I want to see more real outrage and real democracy, but watching orchestrated Town Meetings with Oprah like give-aways to the needy is creepy and smacks of what Sheldon Wolin calls "inverted totalitarianism" i.e. it looks like democracy but it is all a controlled image and message. Creepy.

It's time to retire all these pundits who have had their day. Time for new voices. Read Glenn Greenwald today for a real eye opener about who is controlling whom. http://www.alternet.org/workplace/126867/obama_and_liberals%3A_a_counter-productive_relationship/?page=3

Presidents are like sharks they have to keep running their campaign or die of suffocation