Howard Dean wades into the healthcare battle

Former Vermont Governor, 2004 presidential candidate and most recently former Chair of the Democratic National Committee, Howard Dean has rolled up his sleeves and waded into the health care battle being waged in DC and across the country. Dean has founded an organization called "America Can't Wait" and is pushing for, "At least 218 House and 51 Senate Democrats," to pass a health care bill that includes a public option... FULL STORY

Race card getting played, but not by Obama, Congress censures Wilson

Eight months into the "historic" presidency of Barack Obama, the race card is finally getting played. But not by him. The media is suddenly turning their attention to Obama's critics, and his race, and drawing their own conclusions... FULL STORY

Chelsea Clinton To Get Married

It appears that former first daughter Chelsea Clinton will marry her boyfriend, Goldman Sachs banker, Marc Mezvinsky. The two will be married at Martha's Vineyard in the last week of August. Apparently, the Obamas will be spending their summer vacation there as well.

Hillary Lite: Michelle Taste Great, Less Filling, Part 2

Oh-oh. Now First Lady Michelle Obama is getting involved in the Health Care debate. And flexing her political muscle inside the White House, including such gems as telling David Axelrod that he needs to answer her calls "right away." Told you so. Here and here.

The bottom line here is that the First Lady is not an elected official, and has no business getting involved in policy crafting. Unfortunately, Bill Clinton made a huge bungle in allowing Hillary to get involved too early and too deeply in his Presidency and it undermined him, his administration, her own political career, and derailed health care reform for a decade. The days of Eleanor Roosevelt are long gone, and even Eleanor had the sense to make it appear that everything she did originated from the will of the president. She did get involved in the civil rights movement in a very heavy handed and political way, but at that time, in the society of the day, it was considered appropriate for affluent women to give their time to charities. And civil rights were solidly grouped with charity then. And still, Eleanor Roosevelt drew a good deal of animosity on herself and on FDR from southern politicians who deplored her for supporting African-American equality. I don't hate Michelle Obama, and I don't think she has any nefarious agenda or ambitions, I just think she is more of a liability than a help, solely because of who she is, and who has come before her.

They'll never learn.

Michelle Does Hillary, Circa 1993

Travelgate and Hillary.
AmeriCorps and Michelle.

Told you so.

Hillary Lite: Michelle Taste Great, Less Filling

In what appears to be an entirely benign and role-appropriate move, First Lady Michelle Obama yesterday gifted the Department of Agriculture with a seedling from magnolia tree on the White House lawn, planted by President Andrew Jackson. The First Lady said, "I hope that this seedling brings years of joy and beauty to the garden that will be planted here, in the same way it has brought beauty to the White House for 180 years."

This seems innocuous enough until you read a little further into the First Lady's agenda, which sounds an awful lot like something Hillary Clinton would do: she is conducting a "listening tour" through out the federal bureaucracy, with stops already made at the departments of Agriculture, Education, Interior, and Housing and Urban Development. Maybe if Bill had sent Hillary on a "listening tour" before be put her in charge of a White House committee, we'd already have Universal Health Care.

The Clinton presidency seems to be the general blueprint for the Obama presidency so far. Why should this be different? Watch for a more aggressive Michelle.