Obama Uses Old Law To Go Big On Climate Change

Obama Uses Old Law To Go Big On Climate Change from the New York Times 
""Censure comes up as a possible alternative to impeachment. But then the question comes up, what does censure get you that simply denouncing the president in a news conference doesn't get you?" Gerhardt said."
The more meaningless and partisan it is the more likely they are to do it.

Federalist Society Begrudgingly Accepts Obama's Immigration Powers

Legal Panel At Federalist Society Begrudgingly Accepts Obama's Immigration Powers from Huffington Post
" But, by and large, the panelists agreed the president has wide legal latitude to prioritize and shape deportation laws, as regrettable for Republicans or the long-term balance of powers that may be."

The 2014 Elections: The End of a Consequential Time?

Washington is returning to normal. And it sucks. (Ezra Klein) from Vox
"An amazing era in American politics is ending. Since roughly 9/11, American politics has been remarkably consequential."

Obama's Original Promise: An Update

Remember The Fresh Promise Of Barack Obama? What Happened To That Guy? (Howard Fineman) from the Huffington Post
"What happened to that fresh, idealistic guy? What happened to his power and popularity in the United States? Why doesn’t he dominate the political stage the way he once did? Why isn’t he as effective as we thought he would be? Some answers: ..."

The United States ... Back Out Front Again?

In the Homestretch, Obama Comes on Strong (Serge Schmann) from the New York Times
"This was the week the president went before the United Nations General Assembly and proclaimed, in effect, that the United States was back out front again — not only against the brutality of Islamic terrorists, which “forces us to look into the heart of darkness,” but also against Russia’s vision that “might makes right,” against the spread of Ebola, against global warming."
I do not share this pundit's view that Obama's leadership has been somehow lacking because he has not been "out front" on these issues.  I think a key to Obama's foreign policy has been the view that other powers (re: Europe) need to step up and take on more in "global security" issues, especially when it comes to crises that are far more threats to their own regional interests than they are threats to the US.  Examples: (1) the Ukraine situation vis-a-vis Europe; (2) Syria and US's ally, Turkey; and (3) Libya and NATO allies Italy and the other European Med countries.  In each of these cases, these regional powers would have liked nothing better than for the US to be way out front and to do virtually ALL the heavy lifting to stabilize nearby crisis zones.  In each of these cases, these regional powers would have allowed the US to assume all the risks, all the costs, and all the blame for the outcomes.  Obama, in contrast, has been very (and appropriately in my view) chary about taking this course; and instead has insisted on these regional allies pulling their own weight in matters that primarily threaten their interests and are of lesser concern to the US.  Only in neo-con land is it of primary importance that the US spend American lives and treasure willy-nilly as we make sure everyone knows what a big, bad superpower we are.

LBJ and the Paradox of Being a "Tough" Politician

We Want our Politicians to Act like LBJ. But Not Really (Matt Bai) from Yahoo News
"What we really need, I guess, is an executive in the mold of a Chris Christie or an Andrew Cuomo or a Rick Perry, all of whom are more extroverted and more brazen about wielding their power as governors than Obama is — and all of whom, not incidentally, are now fending off prosecutors and investigations while scrambling to keep their national ambitions afloat. And this illustrates an interesting paradox of modern politics: We love this idea of the ruthless and effective political operator, right up until the moment we're confronted by the reality."

Obama Has the Power to Make Substantive Change in Several Areas

How to Wreck the GOP in 3 Easy Steps! (Thomas Frank) from Salon
"Congress is a mess, but that doesn't mean Obama is powerless. Now's the time for change — and here's how to make it."

The Palestinians' "Nonviolent" Solution

Searching for a Palestinian Dr. King (Dean Obidiah) from the Daily Beast 
"There are some nonviolent Palestinians, but they get crowded out by Hamas—and the Israelis, who aren’t exactly nonviolent either."

The DOJ Getting More Involved in Investigation of the Brown Case

Eric Holder Authorizes Second Autopsy Of Michael Brown from the Huffington Post
US AG Holder: "Due to the extraordinary circumstances involved in this case and at the request of the Brown family, Attorney General Holder has instructed Justice Department officials to arrange for an additional autopsy to be performed by a federal medical examiner," Justice Department spokesman Brian Fallon said in a Sunday statement.""
Given what serial mishandlers the Ferguson authorities have been around the Brown case, don't be surprised if they try to block Holder's effort here.

The Cold Realism of America’s Defense Secretary

Chuck Hagel’s world from the Economist [of London]
"Now, high above Asia in his airborne command post, Mr Hagel notes a puzzle: since its founding America has been unusually wary of foreign entanglements, yet at the same time uniquely confident that it can fix the largest problems. That is a good balance. A turbulent world needs America to keep sight of it."

Obama's Short- ... and Long-term Prospects

Obama Outlines His Post-Presidency (Eleanor Clift) from the Daily Beast 
"With prospects for major legislation nonexistent, Obama is looking to plant seeds that he hopes his successors can cultivate."

Wise Guys v. Tough Guys in the White House

No More Mr. Tough Guy (Adam Gopnik) from the New Yorker
"We don’t need tough guys. We need wise guys. We’ve tried tough guys, and it always ends in tears. Tough guys you know right away because they’re never scared of a fight. Wise guys you only know in retrospect, when you remember that they quietly walked away from the fight that now has the tough guy in a hospital."

Obama Continues Bold Initiatives for LGBT Community

Obama’s Bold Order on Bias from the Editorial Board of the New York Times 
"Mr. Obama’s leadership is impressive because of his refusal to bow to intense pressure to include an exemption that would have undermined the order by allowing groups with religious objections doing government work to continue discriminatory practices at taxpayer expense."

TODAY'S BIG NUGGET: Looking Back on Obama's Legacy of Strenth and Judgment

How Barack Obama Saved the Obama Administration (Jonathan Chait) from New York Magazine
"On climate and health care, he bucked significant pockets of intra-party disagreement — not about policy goals themselves, which the whole Party shared, but of the prudence of accepting political risk to achieve them. And these two episodes where Obama’s own intervention proved decisive happen to be the two largest pieces of his domestic legacy."

NIXON HISTORY NUGGET!!

Yes, Nixon Scuttled the Vietnam Peace Talks from Politico Magazine 
"It’s been rumored for years. Now we have real proof."

Reflections on Harry's Reid's Nuclear Option

McConnell's Nuclear Blunder Haunts Republicans (Jonathan Bernstein) from Bloomberg
"I’m sure that some Republicans have added Reid’s nuclear action to their list of Obama-era grievances, but for most people, the change in Senate procedure is long forgotten. The same would have been true if Republicans had changed the rules in January 2017 if they had a Senate majority and the White House. If Democrats win in 2016, however, this blunder will continue to harm Republicans."

Foreign Policy and the Paradox of Public Opinion

Is Attacking Obama’s Foreign Policy a Winning Strategy? (Andrew Kohut) from Politico
"Most notably, the same public that criticizes Obama’s lack of assertiveness is now saying in record numbers that the United States should mind its own business and let other countries get along as best they can."

Broad Unpopularity for Politicians and Institutions

Where Have All The Popular Politicians Gone? (Chuck Todd et al.) from NBC News
"Where have all the popular politicians gone? President Obama isn’t the only American politician who’s struggling these days. In fact, unlike others, his favorable/unfavorable numbers are actually above water -- the first time for him since Oct. 2013. Consider these politicians,
institutions, and companies our most recent NBC/WSJ poll measured (from best to worst):"

EPA Victory at Supreme Court

EPA Hails Big Victory At Supreme Court from Talking Points Memo
"It's not every day that environmentalists notch up a victory in the modern Supreme Court, but that's what happened Tuesday in a 6-2 decision upholding the Environmental Protection Agency's authority to crack down on coal pollution that moves across state lines."

OBAMA WHITE HOUSE NUGGET!!

President Obama's West Wing Power Trio from Politico
'The photograph occupied one of the most prominent spots in the White House this winter, drawing double takes: President Barack Obama, papers in hand, sitting on an Oval Office couch flanked by his three top West Wing advisers on national security. The notable part: All three were women."