I think I like this.

My political prediction for 2012 (based on absolutely no inside information): Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden swap places. Biden becomes Secretary of State — a position he’s apparently coveted for years. And Hillary Clinton, Vice President.

So the Democratic ticket for 2012 is Obama-Clinton.

Why do I say this? Because Obama needs to stir the passions and enthusiasms of a Democratic base that’s been disillusioned with his cave-ins to regressive Republicans. Hillary Clinton on the ticket can do that.

Interesting.  An Obama-Clinton ticket is a positive on so many fronts, I can’t see a downside to it.  The economy will still be a drag come November so what better way to rev up voters than by adding some juice to the ticket.  But I doubt it’ll happen.

Clinton has already stated she plans on leaving the Secretary of State post and has no interest in the VP job.  But hey, this is the daffy world of politics where yesterday’s hard held belief is today’s easy-bake flip-flop…so you never know.

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Anthony Weiner once tweeted during an election campaign that “it takes a great man to build a barn. Any jackass can kick it down.” How ironic (and prophetic) that a brilliant political career painstakingly built over the course of fifteen years has been kicked down by the same jackass who built it – and all for the sake of a momentary titillating sensation in sending his crotch shot to women over the internet.

Weiner was somewhat of a hero for many progressives who saw in this politician what they wished they could see in all Democrats – a tough, in your face, no BS, speak-your-mind, take-no-prisoners sort of attitude so lacking in the majority of politicians of a liberal persuasion. Weiner was a rare breed – a Dem with a spine willing to stand toe to toe with Republicans and speak from the heart in an intelligent and articulate manner. Now, after a week of lies and denial, much of that spark and magic has been lost.

It’s hard to say at this point whether Weiner can rebound from his folly and carry through with his dream of becoming New York’s next mayor and a strong proponent of liberal causes. Probably so but it will take some time for him to regain the respect and trust of those who helped elect him to office seven consecutive times. For all his many talents, in the end Weiner showed himself to be but yet another man of power and influence succumbing to the same weaknesses found in mere mortals.

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Jimmy Kimmel:

“We have a new governor in California. Jerry Brown replaces Schwarzenegger.
I don’t know if I trust a governor who’s never done steroids.”

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It’s not all bad news

His party just suffered staggering losses, his no-drama West Wing is besieged and a few outlier Democrats are even demanding he surrender to fate, assume the fetal position and embrace a one-term presidency.

But when President Barack Obama meets with Speaker-to-be John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in the White House next week, he’ll walk in as the most popular politician in the room — which still counts for something.

And what trifecta of events do some view as necessary for a Democratic victory in 2012?  Strong messaging from the President, an economic turnaround and a presidential run by Sarah Palin.  I don’t believe the last one is a necessity.  If the first two get done, then a Palin run would simply be icing on the cake.

The other determining factor for 2012 is the fact that Republicans have won back control of the House.  Being the Party of No was an easier task when they held no legislative power.  Now that the dynamics have changed, justifying their obstructionist ways to a public yearning for change has just gotten a bit more difficult.

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Reason #9382 for introducing term limits.

Rep. Charles Rangel, once one of the most influential House members, was convicted Tuesday on 11 counts of breaking ethics rules and now faces punishment.An ethics panel of eight House peers deliberated over two days before delivering a jarring blow to the 20-term New York Democrat’s career. The 80-year-old Rangel was charged with 13 counts of financial and fundraising misconduct.

Someone needs to convince Charlie to resign.  He tried and lost.  Two million dollars later he’s doing little more at this point than making an ass of himself.  He broke ethic rules he helped write.  End of story.

After twenty terms in Congress, it’s time for Charlie to go.

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E.J. Dionne:

The lame-duck session of Congress that kicks off this week will test whether Democrats have spines made of Play-Doh and whether President Obama has decided to pretend that capitulation is conciliation.

What needs to get done?  DADT repeal, immigration reform, extension of unemployment insurance and the biggie, extension of the Bush tax cuts for the middle class.

Play-Doh or steel?  We’ll see.

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Eugene Robinson on the consequences stemming from Dem’s failure to be forceful.

“Why don’t they fight back?”

That’s the question I’ve been hearing from the Democratic Party’s stunned and dispirited base.

I confess that I don’t have a good answer. What I can say with confidence, however, is that the White House and Democrats in Congress ignore these grumblings at their peril. Call it polarization, call it conviction, call it whatever you like: These are not wishy-washy times. If you don’t stand for something, you get run over.

[...]

What I’m hearing is frustration, and it’s getting louder. I’m hearing the view that the Obama administration, which has done much good, can do better – by speaking clearly, standing its ground – and, when pushed by bullies, shoving back.

Yes, Republicans don’t play fair but it’s not as if this is news to anyone, especially Democrats.  Nor can it be used as the excuse for caving in on every piece of legislation between now and 2012.  The big test is going to be how Dems handle the Bush tax cuts for the rich. Giving in to Republican demands to keep the cuts for the top 2 percent in place will increase the deficit by $700 billion over the next ten years.  It will also make Democrats appear to be sniveling weaklings especially in face of the fact that polls indicate that a majority of Americans are in favor of allowing the tax cuts for the rich to expire.

So, what will it be?  Cowardice or push back?

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Virginia’s Tom Perriello’s closing remarks is what every Democrat’s should sound like.

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Tim Fernholz at American Prospect looks at the Rahm Emanuel legacy.

[Progressives] blame Emanuel for most of President Barack Obama’s governing compromises and give him little credit for the administration’s hard-won accomplishments. His mutually antagonistic relationship with progressive activists, dating back to the Democrats’ struggle to regain a majority in Congress, has come to define him, but [...] remember: For all his debatable realism, Emanuel brought mainstream Democrats a toughness and discipline that will be missed when he goes.

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Emanuel’s most significant contribution to the Democratic Party as a staffer, legislator, and operative wasn’t his pragmatism but his will to win and his organizational capacity. Some forget it now, but after years of stereotypical Democratic fecklessness, Emanuel brought a ruthless, programmatic partisanship to Democratic politics that, early in his tenure as DCCC chair, even won him begrudging respect among the netroots. He’s the only Democratic operative — aside, perhaps from Michael Whouley — who has ever made Republicans nervous.

And a word of advice for President Obama.

Emanuel was never, according to a source familiar with his thinking, able to convince the president to be a party leader as well as an officeholder, someone who had to be a partisan and a pragmatist at the same time… The president’s post-partisan emphasis hurt his clout and that of his staffers, so there’s no one to play “Rahmbo,” to knock heads together and get Democrats on the same page. It’s doubtful that Emanuel’s successors will be more effective until Obama decides he’s a politician as well as a president. While progressives may not miss his policy advice, we’ll come to miss Rahm’s politics.

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What would the Democratic Party look and sound like if they had a few more people like former DNC chairman Terry McAuliffe running the show?

“People are angry, they’re frustrated. They’re mad that they’re out of jobs. It took Bush eight years to run our economy into the ditch. Twenty-one months is not long enough to turn around this gigantic aircraft carrier of our economy around. The argument I try to make is give us two more years. Then if you’re not happy after four full years, get rid of us.”

“We as Dems clearly have to do a better job defending ourselves. I’m tired of being a human piñata.”

“On health care, get out there and defend it. To think you can’t talk about it and run from it is one of the dumbest political strategies I’ve ever heard. Get out there, start fighting, standing up for what you’ve done.”

Spread the word.

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