BARONE ON DEAR LEADER'S PRIORITIES – AT 8:06 A.M. ET:  Michael Barone, astute as always, turns his attention to the pivot shot being employed by Barack Obama.  From the Washington Examiner:

In his first 14 months in office, Barack Obama worked to change public policy, with partial success...

...But he paid curiously little attention to the substance of the legislation. One-third of the stimulus money went to state and local governments -- i.e., to public employee unions -- which helped ensure that the bill would not hold down unemployment to the promised 8 percent. And the health care bill, we now learn from Health and Human Services Department actuaries, is going to increase spending rather than hold it down.

Now Obama seems to be pivoting toward legislative priorities chosen not for policy but for political reasons.

The pivot is apparent from how he has depicted the financial regulation bill before the Senate...

...Democrats need Republican votes to pass a bill, but have refused to make compromises so they can provoke roll call votes that they can use during campaign season to argue that Republicans are soft on Wall Street. Politics over policy.

And...

The Democratic National Committee has released a video in which Barack Obama calls for "reconnecting" with the coalition that elected him in 2008. He appeals to "young people, African-Americans, Latinos and women who powered our victory" to "stand together once again." Others evidently need not apply.

That video was demeaning and insulting to the groups mentioned – as if the only value they have is to help keep Obama in power. 

The policy achievements of the first 14 months of the Obama administration clearly have not energized these voters...

...So if policy doesn't work, try politics. Gallup reports that "very enthusiastic" voters favor Republicans 57 percent to 37 percent in congressional elections.  Will attacks on Wall Street, deep-sixing the cap-and-trade bill and getting beaten on immigration change that? The Obama Democrats hope so. But I wouldn't bet heavily on it.

COMMENT:  I'm not as sure as Barone is, although I'll gladly yield to his expertise.  But Republicans have yet to come up with a positive, optimistic winning strategy.  Dem scare tactics have worked before and they can work again.  Don't want to lose your health care or your Social Security, do you?

And those Republican hawks.  You know, they could bring back the draft.  Have a son?

Don't put it past the Dems.  We're talking Chicago politics here.

April 28