Ari Berman: Why Progressives Worry About Jim Messina, New Campaign Manager for 2012 Obama Campaign

[democracy1st]

Run time: 09:07 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8LLqMCMKI0   Posted on YouTube: April 01, 2011 By YouTube Member: mediagrrl9 Views on YouTube: 241   Posted on DU: April 04, 2011 By DU Member: democracy1st Views on DU: 889

 
Republicans and Democrats are already gearing up for the 2012 election, projected to be the most expensive in history. Obama is expected to formally kick off his re-election bid on April 14, and his campaign could raise as much as $1 billion. In a move criticized by progressives, Obama has appointed former White House deputy chief of staff, Jim Messina, as his campaign manager. Obama's move has drawn scrutiny over Messiana's ties to corporate America, his push to drop the public option from healthcare reform, and his lack of support for gay rights.

Democracy Now! interviews journalist and author Ari Berman about his new profile of Messina in The Nation magazine. "Messina has a 'take no prisoners style,' but what he is doing is often taking Democrats and grassroots prisoner," Berman says.

For the video/audio podcast, transcript, to sign up for the daily news digest, and for today's entire show, visit http://www.democracynow.org/2011/4/1/shunning_grassroots_that_propelled_08_el...

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Meet Jim Messina, Obama's 'Enforcer' Against Progressives
He's been called "the most powerful person in Washington that you haven't heard of."

In March 2009 the Campaign for America’s Future, a top progressive group in Washington, launched a campaign called “Dog The (Blue) Dogs” to pressure conservative Blue Dog Democrats to support President Obama’s budget. When he heard about the effort, White House deputy chief of staff Jim Messina, who was regarded as the Obama administration’s designated “fixer,” called CAF’s leaders into the White House for a dressing down, according to a CAF official. If the group wanted to join the Common Purpose Project, an exclusive weekly strategy meeting between progressive groups and administration officials, CAF had to drop the campaign. We know how to handle the Blue Dogs better than you do, Messina said. Not wanting to sour its relationship with the White House at this early date, CAF complied, and the campaign quickly disappeared from its website. Despite Messina’s assurance, however, the Blue Dogs would remain a major obstacle to the realization of the president’s legislative agenda.

http://www.alternet.org/news/150467/meet_jim_messina%2C_obama%27s_%27enforcer%27_against_progressives/

[Charleston Chew]

1. Dylan Ratigan, Sam Seder, Ari Berman

Dylan Ratigan, Sam Seder, Ari Berman discuss PFC Bradley Manning 12/20/10

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x560172

[bbgrunt]

2. true colors......

[iwishiwas]

3. This is a MUST see and LISTEN video. Pass it on.

[iwishiwas]

4. Saying Messina only had a one-way relation with Progressive groups

--HE talked -telling groups what to do with no feedback from the groups.

[progressoid]

5. Yea!11! Four more years of centrist, corporate, shit on the little guy policies!

[KoKo]

6. K&R

[democracy1st]

7. all this crap from this admin has been adding up for me for quite some time now,

hopefully more people are starting to wake up.