Here's the relative tempest in a teapot that happened on Thursday:
Former Obama campaign manager David Plouffe made an unusual request for his speech today at the National Press Club: he wanted it off the record.
..... Politico editor-in-chief John Harris said that after hearing of Plouffe’s request, and decision not to reverse course, he backed out from moderating the lunch-time event.
Harris said that as a news organization, he doesn't want Politico "being in the the business of sponsoring, or co-sponsoring, an off the record talk with a newsworthy person.”
Here's a much more relevant issue: How is David Plouffe (picture above is at Media Bistro) a "former" campaign manager?
Based on this e-mail I received on Friday, I'd say he's still in that role (bold is mine):
Thomas --
Congress is preparing to vote on a final Economic Recovery bill.
President Obama is urging action in Washington because families across the country need help right now.
In the past week, thousands of you came together at house meetings to talk about how the economic crisis is affecting your communities. And thousands more shared your personal stories on our website.
Your voices were heard. Help is on the way.
Take a few minutes and read some of the stories your fellow Americans shared.
..... Ordinary people are telling the real story of the struggles and pressures families are facing right now. They drive home the importance of this recovery plan and the need to put it into action immediately.
The President's economic recovery plan is an important first step in getting our country back on track. But recovering from this downturn will require the faith, confidence, and hard work of all Americans.
Thank you for staying involved during this critical time for our country,
David
David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America
I guess these are silly assumptions, but here goes -- When somebody who was Barack Obama's campaign manager during the presidential campaign sends me an e-mail and calling himself a "campaign manager," I am inclined to believe that:
- He either wrote it, or bought off on its contents.
- He's still a "campaign manager."
I still have nine e-mails from Mr. Plouffe that arrived after the election (I received many more and have thrown them away), four of which arrived after Inauguration Day. Every one is from "David Plouffe, Campaign Manager, Obama for America," -- the same title and organization he referred to in e-mail sign-offs I saw in e-mails I received (some of which I have retained) during the presidential campaign.
So why is the press calling this guy a "former campaign manager"? Surely they get his e-mails too.
And I wonder: What the reaction would have been if Karl Rove had sent out e-mails after the 2000 or 2004 elections on policy issues immediately before Congress and had called himself "Bush campaign manager"?
—Tom Blumer is president of a training and development company in Mason, Ohio, and is a contributing editor to NewsBusters




















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Sad but true
February 15, 2009 - 23:00 ET by legacyrepublicanKarl Rove would have vilified for daring to carry on partisan politics if he carried on with the title.
You make an excellent point.
'He's still a "campaign manager." ' it's a no-brainer.
February 15, 2009 - 23:09 ET by clinging to my guns and my religionobama is still/already campaigning. there has been no attempt to hide this. just look how early he started campaigning for the 2008 election! begin the campaign now for 2012; avoid the rush (no pun intended!).
"When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle." Edmund Burke
ctmg.... Exactly! I
February 15, 2009 - 23:19 ET by bigtimerctmg....
Exactly!
I just got done posting about this constant campaigning of his non-stop for the next 2-4 years with the msm covering it with glee on another thread, they will use all the bills coming up to do this, along with the constant cramming it down the peoples throats whether you need it or not 24/7....until the next election.
If this was reversed....OMG...the vitriol from the msm/arm in arm with the congress-critters on the left.
pathetic part about it is...
February 15, 2009 - 23:29 ET by clinging to my guns and my religion...other than the fact that we are all ready to hug our toilet bowls, now he's doing it on our nickel. his sickening face, classlessness, and lack of anything resembling tact, coupled with the msm's constant slobbering is just too excruciating to bear.
"When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle." Edmund Burke
ctmg... Exactly
February 15, 2009 - 23:40 ET by bigtimerctmg...
Exactly right.
If an trillion plus bill just passed without anyone being able to read it...and the Prez was traveling all across the country to cram more down our throats on the tax-payers dime, they would be screaming bloody murder....along with the TARP bill part II coming soon...it would be a total assault from the msm.
Btw...the msm would still be reading all the pork they have found in said bill with pure venom...and congress members from the other side of the aisle on the screen.
My one hope is that this will backfire with O's face everywhere, everyday, with News Alerts or Breaking News stories that amount to nothing but the 24/7 campaign trail BS, people will tire of this...
I know I have.
Of course he's still a
February 16, 2009 - 09:52 ET by motherbeltOf course he's still a campaign manager!!
"Former" would apply if the campaign were in the past.
However, since we are now in the era of the "permanent campaign" (why else would The Obama be demanding time on the networks for the next few weeks?) the position of "campaign manager" is also permanent.
I didn't think it was physically possible, but this both sucks and blows. -Bart Simpson
These people aren't
February 15, 2009 - 23:31 ET by MidAmericaThese people aren't stupid. They know what happened to Clinton's Congress and what happened to Carter. They will have to campaign endlessly and knock down any potential rivals until obama is out of office. Just like Liberal talk radio a full democrat government is a tough thing to keep people interested in. They got in by not being Bush but that won't help them now. The best thing the Republicans can do is stay united, fight for principles and NOT have a Presidential candidate step forward until the democrats are clearly wearing out their welcome. The democrats desperately need a Republican to demonize so that they can make themselves the better of the two choices. They don't win on issues. They win by exploiting emotions.
that's an important point
February 15, 2009 - 23:40 ET by clinging to my guns and my religion"and NOT have a Presidential candidate step forward until the democrats are clearly wearing out their welcome. The democrats desperately need a Republican to demonize so that they can make themselves the better of the two choices."
this is why they are still all over sarah palin like white on rice. the dims and their msm have to continue to dumbfound the electorate by exploiting what would be ignored minutia in the life of any dimocrat.
"When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle." Edmund Burke
Plausible Deniability
February 15, 2009 - 23:40 ET by KC MulvilleThe conclusion is obvious: since they won't be penalized no matter what they do, they have no need to follow the rules. They'll use Plouffe to get their message out, and when anyone objects, they'll just say that (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) that Plouffe isn't really part of the administration. Like Carville and Begala had nothing to do with Clinton after the election, right?
This is just the Obama version of plausible deniability. They'll try anything, and float any balloon, and if anything goes wrong they'll say it wasn't them.
KC... You summed it up
February 15, 2009 - 23:52 ET by bigtimerKC...
You summed it up snug as a bug in a rug.
The question is (for me
February 16, 2009 - 00:27 ET by RR GOPThe question is (for me anyway) how much of that campaign's success was due to Plouffe, Obama, Axelrod, Saul Alinsky's Rules For Radicals, the stupidity of millions of Americans, the MSM's obvious support for Obama/denegration of Bush over the years, the current economic situation, Iraq, voter fraud/ACORN and McCain's lackluster campaign?
% of each that is. Would be interesting.
My point is, that Obama did NOT win nor would have won solely on his merits and experience.
One of the 24% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 89% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory.
Money as well...
February 16, 2009 - 16:33 ET by Hardknox503After the election, but prior to the inauguration, the Obamaniacs were also sending out requests for more donations! With $650 + million in the bank and the election already won, they had the audacity (of hope) to ask people to give them MORE money. For what purpose, who knows, but one wonders where that $650 million is now.