dagblog - Comments for "Daley Emerges as Possible Obama Chief"

"Principally, he thinks like

SleepinJeezus — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 17:02:08 +0000

In reply to More from Dean on Daley from

"Principally, he thinks like an outside-the-beltway guy. It is true that he‘s business-oriented. I don‘t think that that‘s any great sin."

Business oriented? As in taking a quite lucrative position with JP Morgan Chase as part of the revolving door inside-the-beltway kind of perq that is offered someone who served as Commerce Secretary?

And as regards his vaunted "outside-the-beltway" credentials, I assume he didn't perform the Secretary of Commerce duties from home, but rather in close proximity (at the very least) to the Beltway?

And so now, the revolving door has spun him right back into the CoS job? This favors the liberals agenda in opposition to the Wall Street/Corporate oligarchy how?

Dean tells us - with great excitement and verve! - that it's all pretty neat, because he's a really nice guy who won't kick us in the arse when we show up on the doorstep of the WH with our hat in hand. Granted, Dean implies, we will probably not gain entrance or any consideration of the concerns that compel us to try to gain some access, but isn't it wonderful that we won't be given the back of his hand?

Call me unimpressed. This hardly sounds like a ringing endorsement, despite the way in which Dean tries to divert attention from the fact that this is more of the same old oligarch's-in-charge kind of move. It certainly has NOTHING to do with "changing the way we do business in Washington." Indeed, it reinforces the hold the oligarchs have on all of Washington, including even the WH and the Dem Congress who are supposed to provide an alternative to the sorry-ass direction we are headed in this country.

More from Dean on Daley from

artappraiser — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 16:36:26 +0000

In reply to Daley Emerges as Possible Obama Chief

More from Dean on Daley from The Ed Show for Thursday, Jan. 6th, 2011

....Governor Dean, great to you have with us tonight. Thanks so much for joining us on THE ED SHOW.

HOWARD DEAN, FMR. CHAIRMAN, DNC: Thanks for having me back, Ed.

SCHULTZ: You bet.

All right. William Daley—the critics on the left are out and about tonight saying that this is a corporate boardroom hire. What‘s your take now on Bill Daley now being the chief of staff?

DEAN: I think that it‘s a good move. It is true that he‘s more conservative. Nobody would ever excuse Bill of being a progressive. But he‘s a thoughtful guy, he‘s an adult.

He treats people respectfully. I don‘t think you‘ll see snide comments. I think you‘ll see a lot of organization, a lot of forward looking in terms of planning.

So I don‘t think it matters so much what somebody‘s ideology is in that office. I think it does matter that they can relate to other parts of the party well.

You know, I don‘t know him very well, but I have met with him a lot over the last 10 or 15 years. I like him a lot. I think he‘s a good guy and I think he‘s going to do a good job.

SCHULTZ: Do you think that he will represent the base to the p[resident? I mean, there‘s a lot of liberals in this country, progressives, who worked hard for President Obama, that felt like their voice was never heard in the White House.

Would he be the one to be that voice for the president?

DEAN: Probably not, but I think he would be willing to hear from progressives. And I think he probably would seek some out, which would be good.
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You know, I think the president‘s not going to have any trouble understanding what it is that progressive Democrats believe we ought to have in this country. What we don‘t want is to have what we‘ve had for the last two years, which is sort of a running, sniping battle going on between the progressive end of the party and the president. That‘s not necessary.

The president, I think, is as hard as a reformer. We‘ve just got to get the White House on track, and then lower the temperature. And that can be best be done with somebody who really approaches people with a sense of respect and interest, even if that interest doesn‘t necessarily coincide with what they believe.

SCHULTZ: Does it concern you that the Chamber of Commerce president, Mr. Donohue, gives a ringing endorsement? The Chamber spent millions trying to defeat Democrats in the last election cycle.

What do you make of that?

DEAN: I think the Chamber is basically a funding arm of the Republican Party, so I really think they‘re kind of irrelevant in the debate. They can spend a lot of money.

They haven‘t proved themselves to be positive contributors to the debate in any way. There are a number of chambers around the country that are not paying dues to the American Chamber of Commerce anymore, a number of corporations have withdrawn. So I don‘t really care what Tom Donohue thinks about Bill Daley, and I think it‘s irrelevant.

We‘ve got to run the White House. The Chamber has no interest in running the White House or doing anything good for the country.

SCHULTZ: Well, I mean, I think there are some that are going to interpret an endorsement by Mr. Donohue as not a good hire by the president.

DEAN: Well, I think that you‘ve got to—you know, that I would disagree with. Look, I don‘t agree with Bill Daley on a lot of issues, but I do respect him.

SCHULTZ: Yes.

DEAN: And I think that that matters a lot.

And look, let me just say this—has Bill Daley worked for JPMorgan and some big banks that were involved in all the Wall Street mess? Absolutely, he has. But I don‘t think he was personally responsible for any of the decisions about the mortgages and the credit default swaps and all of those kinds of things.

I know him because he has an outside-the-belt way political career. It is also true that he was Bill Clinton‘s secretary of Commerce.

I just don‘t see this as a recycling of a Clinton person. I see this—I see Bill Daley as his own man from outside the beltway.

Principally, he thinks like an outside-the-beltway guy. It is true that he‘s business-oriented. I don‘t think that that‘s any great sin.

All I want in the White House from a progressive point of view is somebody who is willing to sit down, listen to us, talk to us, and be respectful. And if we get that, I think that‘s going to help the president and I think it‘s going to help the country. And I think that‘s what Bill Daley is.

SCHULTZ: We‘ll have more with Governor Dean at the bottom of the hour when we‘re talking about health care, the bill that the Republicans want to repeal....

I think your comparison of

Oxy Mora — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 05:06:51 +0000

In reply to What do you think about

I think your comparison of Dean and Emmanuel is very perceptive. As far as Dean's comments were concerned, I found myself agreeing with him. I just hope Daly won't contribute to the watering down of CFPB regs and such.

I think Dean just means that

Michael Maiello — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 01:57:49 +0000

In reply to What do you think about

I think Dean just means that he hates Rahm and that the feeling is mutual. But that's me speculating. I don't know what Dean was thinking. I know that Time, at least on Swampland, called Daley something of a corporate ambassador, which is just what we don't need. I would think, under the circumstances, that ties to Wall Street should be a disqualifier unless the candidate is truly exceptional. Do we really need a gatekeeper to the President who always leaves the lock undone for Jamie Dimon?

Choose any metric you wish to

SleepinJeezus — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 01:48:03 +0000

In reply to What do you think about

Choose any metric you wish to assess how the middle class has done in the last twenty years relative to Wall Street Bankers, and I think even you can begin to understand that sending Wall Street Bankers into a game they own to ostensibly fight for "our side" hasn't been overly productive. Really, I read a comment like yours and the first reaction is to assume you're kidding. I guess it's true that there are none so blind as those who will not see.

What do you think about

artappraiser — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:36:24 +0000

In reply to Another Wall Street lobbyist

What do you think about Dean's similar comments? He says he sees thing the way people outside Washiington do. And that he's a grownup, implying Emmanuel wasn't one.

Edit to add: you really think it's a good idea that someone who isn't savvy about the ways of Washington should be a president's chief of staff? That really hasn't worked out too well when tried in the past.

Wish now I hadn't looked.Hah,

artappraiser — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:32:57 +0000

In reply to Dean is so real.I really

Wish now I hadn't looked.

Hah, I didn't know that either. You know, for me it doesn't upset, it's more relevatory. Makes me think, how Dean has a similar temper as Emmanuel about political things. They disagree about poltiics but they both have this "well your're just stupid and a waste of my time" thing that they do towards opponents. You get the sense that they make it personal--i.e., "I don't like the way you do things." That doesn't mean they aren't sincere about their political opinions, quite the contrary, they just carry it further. Hence, to me, should Dean holding a grudge against Gibbs doesn't mean there's not rationality behind it, you know what I mean?

Another Wall Street lobbyist

SleepinJeezus — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 23:18:55 +0000

In reply to What a service Chris

Another Wall Street lobbyist well-placed in Washington? What could possibly go wrong?

It's child's play, really. "The wheels on the bus go round and round." And we get to see it all from street level. And I MEAN street level! Call us the "two-dimensional lefties." Chris Matthews? He can probably fill a pothole or two on his own. LOL!

Dean is so real.I really

EmmaZahn — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 22:57:00 +0000

In reply to Howard Dean seems to have a

Dean is so real.

I really think Dean would have drawn far more red state votes to Democrats in 2004 than Kerry/Edwards.

That said, just wikied Gibbs and found this:

Gibbs became spokesman for a 527 political group formed to stop the 2004 presidential campaign of Howard Dean which launched attack ads against Dean.

Wish now I hadn't looked.

Howard Dean seems to have a

artappraiser — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 22:30:16 +0000

In reply to What a service Chris

Howard Dean seems to have a similar opinion as Matthews. And Dean's opinion is given is in context of again very loudly disagreeing with past White House picks Emmanuel:

“I think if Bill Daley becomes the new chief of staff that is going to be a huge plus because he is outside of Washington. He sees things the way people outside of Washington do,” Dean said.
The atmosphere of what he called contempt “will change dramatically especially if Bill Daley comes in,” Dean said. He added that he disagrees with Daley on a “lot of stuff politically, but I do think, A, he is a grown-up and B, he gets that you don’t treat people like you know everything and they don’t.”

from

Howard Dean blasts White House for treating liberals with 'contempt, January 5 CSM.