The Smithian

[look of the hour]

Joe Biden…must be considering a presidential run. There will be too much Obama-era unfinished business—implementing the Affordable Care Act, fighting for climate-change initiatives, for example—for Biden to throw in the towel. His strengths as a candidate are his blue-collar persona, family values, lifetime support of labor unions and farmers, foreign-policy expertise and stouthearted belief that the Obama administration’s record of accomplishment…has been historic. With Air Force Two at his disposal and his two superbright sons, Hunter and Beau, probably working as his chief advisers, Biden can give Hillary Clinton a run for her money. Although she will have an unquestioned advantage among women, it’s not inconceivable to think that labor unions, environmentalists, African-Americans, LGBT voters and small-business owners will prefer the hypercaffeinated, hard-charging vice president. Like Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, a presumed Republican candidate, Biden has learned to turn the sound-bite culture on its head by speaking from the gut. Though he’s been a major political player since the Nixon years, Biden has pulled off the trick of not seeming like politics-as-usual. It could be a mistake to underestimate his populist appeal. And it’s hard to imagine that this highly ambitious man will choose not to pursue the office he’s wanted all his life.

more, plus the talk with Vice President Biden, here.

…we get a blander, more toned-down version of the real person, with rarely a glimpse of the strong opinions or naughty humor. Michelle Obama giving a speech these days is like an Olympic gymnast doing a floor routine: she’s practiced in advance, she executes with precision but no spontaneity, and the results are generally very impressive. This is part of the contradiction of the job of first lady: no president makes it to the White House without a canny, sharp wife, but once they arrive, the women are forced to recast themselves as helpmeets, disguising some of the qualities that made them such effective partners in the first place. (One Obama friend once told me that the secret to their marriage is that “those two never let each other get away with anything.”)

more.

With Obama’s cabinet, Senate Republicans killed the nomination of Susan Rice to be Secretary of State, delayed the nomination of Chuck Hagel to be Secretary of Defense, delayed the nomination of John Brennan to be CIA Director with a filibuster, and delayed the nomination of Jacob Lew for Treasury Secretary.  Hagel was the first Defense Secretary in American history to be filibustered upon nominations. In the case of Lew, Republicans flooded the process with over 400 written questions—which was more requests received from the previous seven Treasury nominees put together. Lew was later confirmed as was Hagel. This morning the obstruction on President Obama’s nominees continued…

as

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has decided to block Tom Perez [above], President Obama’s nominee for Secretary of Labor.  This morning Senate Republicans also decided to delay voting on President Obama’s nominee for the Environmental Protection Agency, Gina McCarthy.

more. and more.

[President] Obama didn’t change the weltanschauung. He does, however, deserve credit for doing a great deal within its constraints. Climate hawks should not waste their time hoping for a Great Man (or Woman) to save the day in the next election. No one person, no matter how brave or clever, can turn the tide. The impediments to climate action in the U.S. are primarily structural and systemic; systems thinking, not Romantic tales of individual heroism, is what’s needed.

more, here. which is in response to this.

Obama can, in fact, be remarkably laid-back.

…we need more Keith Ellisons in Congress. Not just because he’s a great progressive voice, supporting the president but challenging him strongly on his questionable austerity politics, but also because he’s a patriotic American who’s also a Muslim. He’s crucial right now. On “Meet the Press” David Gregory tried to pigeonhole Ellison a little: “You’re a Muslim—this concerns you on civil libertarian grounds and other areas.” Ellison shot back: “I’m an American,” Ellison replied. “And I’m concerned about national safety—public safety—just like everyone is.”

more.