Headline

"Obama Moves Jobs Speech After Skirmish With Boehner"

Sometimes, it's the little impressions that add up to the bigger picture. The President's decision to back down on the date for his all-important address on his jobs plan is a one-day news story. But it does highlight a continuing perception that the President avoids a fight and backs down at the first sign of it. This is what drives his base nuts. Also, either his staff was incompetent in announcing a date that wasn't properly vetted, or they got snookered by the Tan Man again -- or both.

What Obama plans to do on the jobs front is more important to the public than one of a dozen or more Rethug debates (if that was the schedule conflict). He should have made that clear and challenged Orange Boner to disagree.

"Dukakis Without the Administrative Skill"

That's one of Drew Westen's biting critiques of President Obama and his administration in a must-read HuffPo posting. Can't say I agree with absolutely everything in the posting, but jeez it sure hits a lot of the right notes for me, and for a lot of progressives* (unfortunately). My fondest wish is that Obama is shown this article, reads it and takes it to heart.

*As we write, Naomi Klein continues the pile-on.