It seems our little dustup at GMD is quite timely.
Following the withdrawal of John Brennan for consideration to any Obama Administration Chief Intelligence position and the subsequent blaming of “bloggers” (including otherwise “hands off Obama” progressive bloggers such as Glenn Greenwald) for his fall from favor, the traditional media has picked up on the notion that many progressives are feeling squirmy (or even more actively unhappy) at the sense that voices on the left are being passed over as Obama puts together his governing team.
In fact, there’s been a mini-explosion of coverage on the topic. Here’s Dean Baker on NPR, Hotline coverage, USA Today and even this from the Canadian media as some examples.
Obama himself seemed a trifle annoyed annoyed at his press conference – perhaps a sign that the concerns are indeed reaching his ears.
It will surprise few that I think this is a good thing. In fact, this is what many of us hoped to do: get his attention and say “hey, don’t forget us, we helped get you into office, remember…? Really hoping your coalition doesn’t include everybody-but-us”.
And actually, its even better than that, as progressive economic guru Paul Krugman has weighed in on the matter:
A thought I’ve had: there have been some complaints from movement progressives about the centrism/orthodoxy of Obama’s economics appointments. To some extent this was unavoidable, I think: someone like the Treasury secretary has to be an experienced hand who can deal with Wall Street, and I haven’t heard anyone proposing particular individuals with clearer progressive credentials to hold that position…
But the Obama administration’s new economics advisory board would seem like a very good place to give progressive economists a voice. There are a number of excellent people whom Obama might not want to put in line positions but would be very much worth bringing in to offer well-informed alternative views.
Notice his use of the term “movement progressive.” That’s a signal directly to folks like the Open Left crowd that they’re being heard. And by reassuring these folks that things are gonna be okay, Krugman is – willingly or not – taking on the role of media good cop to the agitated bloggers’ bad cop.
With this dynamic playing out before the President Elect, there’s a sense that the agitating-bloggers have accomplished what they wanted, and I, for one, feel better about the prospect of being at the table in something more than a tokenistic way, or only in the person of Melody Barnes (she sure sounds like a progressive, at any rate). In fact, Sargent at TPM speculates on the following scenario offered by Krugman:
For the leading progressive economic voice to be saying this is obviously good for Obama. But Krugman also has a challenge for the President-elect, pointing out that the new economics advisory board unveiled today offers him “a very good place to give progressive economists a voice.”
“Let’s see whether progressives do in fact get a seat at this particular table,” Krugman says.
Indeed. Obama did say today at his presser that “labor” would be given a seat at this table. Here’s the perfect opportunity for Obama to allay the concerns — founded or not — that some liberals have been giving voice to.
Sounds good. If it plays out that way, I, for one, will consider it yet another testament to speaking out to make sure you aren’t taken for granted or otherwise forgotten. I may be wrong, but I expect within the week we’ll hear Obama go out of his way to announce some high profile, significant positions going to more progressive thinkers. At least I hope so.
