Team Obama is very effective at LBJ/FDR Hardball. Too bad they always use it for the wrong things

What we are seeing now is the Obama Machine in full gear. And it is an awesome sight. An absolutely brilliant and effective political performance. This is the Obama we thought we would be getting in 2008. (I am not being sarcastic.)

Twisting arms and putting the pressure on reluctant members of their party. Sending out a very effective and totally consistent message. Making sure the Democratic Party is unified in achieving a goal. Building d smart relationships with Republicans to push things over the line.

There's only one problem. They always wait until there is a bad deal on the table before they actually use this super effective political machine. And all of this firepower is aimed against liberals and progressives.

This is becoming a pattern. During the process of developing legislation, Obama shows no actual leadership and is arms-length and is indecisive. His stated goals are very muddled and inconsistent to the point of incoherence. He advocates for something important one day, then advocates in the opposite direction the next. His role in negotiations seems to be totally self-defeating by starting at the GOP's points and moving rightward from there. He seems detached and almost confused.

As a result he allows Republicans to roll Democrats and push their backs to the wall. And that results in some awful last-minute "compromise" legislation that gives the GOP 80 percent of what they want and Democrats 20 percent. And always on the verge of some "disaster deadline."

But then a miracle seems to happen. Obama slips into a phone booth and emerges as Super President. He dons his LBJ Suit, marshals his forces and aggressively and clearly leads the troops, twisting arms, reining in recalcitrant Democrats and whipping them into line. Don Knotts transformed into Gen Patton, and the Keystone Cops White House are revealed as the ruthlessly effective Mission Impossible team.

The result is a formidable political operation with one message: "This is inevitable. Resistance is futile."

There's only one problem. It is used to ensure that the goals of liberals and progressives are undermined. Of course the WH Squad is sympathetic. "We know this is a bad bill, but it must be done to avoid disaster."

So we end up with conservative hash.

Oh if only team Obama were to actually kick-in earlier when it matters -- and if it were used to advance a liberal agenda and support liberals and progressives instead of defeating them.

"F--k you, Obama!" from me and I'll make his campaign pay for the stamp.

:)