okay what's up with Obama's hiring of this guy?

[ElsewheresDaughter]

Obama's New Chief of Staff: A Fan of the Bush Tax Cuts?

Why did he appointment Jim Messina, chief of staff for Senator Max Baucus, as his campaign's chief of staff?!?

Messina has been working for Baucus, the chairman of the Senate finance committee, on and off since 1995, serving as his campaign manager in 1996 and 2002. Baucus, a Montana Democrat, has been dubbed "one of corporate America's favorite Democrats." And according to The Missoulian, his Senate office has produced a high number of staffers-turned-corporate-lobbyists. Last year, Ari Berman of The Nation noted that Baucus, then the senior Democrat on the finance committee, in 2005 asked 50 lobbyists to raise $100,000 for his reelection campaign. In other words, Baucus is not about change in Washington.

In Washington, plenty of people work for legislators without personally agreeing with all of their boss's stances and actions. But a few years ago, Messina was interviewed for a newsletter produced by the Gallatin Group, a corporate lobbying firm specializing in issues of interest to the Northwest, and he was asked to name the "most important bipartisan accomplishment of your boss." His answer: "Senator Baucus was the chief reason bipartisan tax cut legislation was enacted in 2001."

Messina was referring to the George W. Bush tax cuts of 2001 and Baucus's instrumental role in the passage of that legislation. And Messina was right. Baucus, bucking his fellow Democrats, was a key supporter of Bush's massive, tilted-to-the-rich tax cuts. His defection helped make the tax cuts happen. At that time, Messina was managing Baucus' reelection campaign.

and this has me scratching my effing head!!!


please somebody talk me down?

edited to add link: http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archives/2008/06/8701_obamas_new_chie.html



.

[Hutzpa]

1. When.... where.... how........

did you find out <slash> know about this?

got any link?

edit: to add link question

[TwilightGardener]

2. Maybe because Obama isn't looking for this guy to formulate policy, but

to manage his staff?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

3. Geez, what's next?

Hiring a former Walmart employee as your VP?

[cliffordu]

4. well....He told me he did it to irritate you, but that sounds too easy.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

7. typical ciacada response

[crankychatter]

15. very constructive criticism

you are absolved in perpetuity

[cliffordu]

23. Crickets??

[jonnyblitz]

5. self delete

mistook the OP for somebody else so this deleted post doesn't apply. :P

[ElsewheresDaughter]

6. this was NOT from the" WSJ editorial" .................It is from MoJo

stop the BS

[jonnyblitz]

18. ooooops I made a mistake in my distraction and mistook you

for another DUer, a rabid Obama fangirl who was dissing Naomi Klein in a post yesterday because she was criticizng Obama's economic advisors and using the right wing Wall Street Journal editorial page to do it. I can't name her as it would be calling her out. Wow I need to stop smoking weed at lunch, MY mistake. :crazy: I will delete my post you responded to since it doesn't apply to you and make no mistake. I apologize profusely!

[Starbucks Anarchist]

19. "I need to stop smoking weed at lunch."

:rofl: :hi:

[ElsewheresDaughter]

28. tis okie doke and understandable

[PoliticalAmazon]

8. Doesn't make sense to me, either....

But one thing I've learned is that decisions are made in campaigns based on realities, requirements and issues about which we don't have a clue. It may seem like a bonehead move, but there may be really valid reasons for making that choice.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

13. I'm hoping it's just a sign that Obama can reach out to those with whom he disagrees,

and NOT an accommodation to the ways of Washington

[PoliticalAmazon]

31. I'm thinking: Obama wants to be well-versed on the oppositions arguments....

strengths, and weaknesses. Who can best give him that insight? Someone who worked in the belly of the beast.

[slinkerwink]

9. the chief of staff does not set policy.

Obama has a long record of being opposed to the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy.

[crankychatter]

12. yeah but if he has folks from across the spectrum working for him

doesn't that mean he secretly agrees with ALL of them?

shouldn't I be wringing my hands with progressive angst?

[last1standing]

10. I think the real question is will he be a good chief of staff for the campaign?

I'm no fan of Baucus or Messina but their political views don't really come into play here. Messina won't be creating policy, he will be enforcing it. If he can do that job effectively, without interjecting his reactionary opinions into it, then I'm fine with it.

I do wish Obama had chosen someone else, but let's give it a chance to play out before getting too upset.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

11. Remember Mark Penn's lobbying for the Colombian trade deal?

And how Hillary was against it?

The candidate and their surrogates will not agree on everything.

[Cha]

14. Good reminder,

Starbucks!

[ElsewheresDaughter]

16. thanks for talking me back from the edge....

this seriously disturbed me

[Marie26]

17. Told you so.

Sorry to be obnxious here... but oh well.

[bunnies]

20. Whats *that* supposed to mean?

Pray tell.

[Marie26]

37. Obama's a neoliberal, not a progressive. nt

[Occam Bandage]

21. Wow, he hired a staffer who worked for a moderate Democrat?

And that staffer said nice things about his boss?

Holy shit, I'm voting McCain.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

22. are you really voting for McCain?

[Occam Bandage]

32. No.

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[wyldwolf]

25. LOL!

[Starbucks Anarchist]

26. No, it's Mother Jones magazine.

Michael Moore, of all people, used to be the editor there.

[JVS]

41. Until they became NAZIS!

;-)

[last1standing]

29. WOW! I really hope that was sarcasm.

I mean it has to be....doesn't it? :shrug:

[ElsewheresDaughter]

30. "Aryan website"...you're joking right?

and try some of the pink stuff


and shove your accusation up your.......

[Occam Bandage]

34. ....

[ellacott]

38. MotherJones is an Aryan website?

What makes you say that?

[blondeatlast]

39. You are kidding, right? Have you ever read a copy of MoJo? Do you know who Mother Jones was?!

By the way, the article you linked to is a brilliant, ironic photo essay. You might want to read it.

[wvbygod]

40. Mother Jones is now a forbidden website?

I think you will find that MoJo is well liked by many Democrats.

[hendo]

45. OH NOES!!!

They are also in cahoots with mexican super heroes: http://www.motherjones.com/photos/mexican-superheroes/

Can we really trust such an alliance. What if the Mexican super villains attack!!!

[flpoljunkie]

27. Assume it's a "sign Obama can reach out to those with whom he disagrees" because Obama's firm on

letting the tax cuts expire for those making $250,000 and above.

http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archives/2008/06/8701_obamas_new_chie.html

[merh]

33. Remember that Tom Hanks movie where he was FBI

and he hunted that young kid that stole millions by forging checks?

Do you remember how the FBI ended up using that kid to teach them what to look for, how to catch bad guys and tell the forgeries?

Maybe it is something like that - often the best thieves end up being the best security guys - you want someone that knows all the tricks to be sure that all the tricks are not being used to hurt you.

[Spirochete]

35. Maybe Kenny Loggins was unavailable? n/t

[Clark2008]

42. !!!

I was going to post the same thing!

:rofl:

Your Mama don't dance and your Daddy don't rock n' roll...

[Captain Hilts]

36. Well, he'll fit right in with Sam Nunn and Jim Cooper. nt

[windbreeze]

43. What do we expect from Obama?

Do we expect him to not use anyone who ever helped anyone else out, or worked for anyone else, or that he has to hire only people WE happen to agree that he can hire??.....WE may not understand what he's doing, or why...but perhaps we could have some confidence that he does have his reasons and a purpose......wb

[K Gardner]

44. Thanks for your concern, but this was yesterday's RW Talking Point.