Lefties: Obama's Becoming Dubya

Opponents' ability to criticize with impunity hinders the president's effectiveness

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama has been praised for bringing a more conciliatory tone to the presidency after the with-us-or-against-us swagger of George W. Bush. But Obama’s preference for gentle negotiation and compromise leaves him less able to use an effective presidential tool: fear, writes Ben Smith for Politico. Obama has failed to make the impression, among conservative Democrats and Republicans alike, that openly criticizing him will have any long-term consequences. More»

Pragmatic president must reassure his supporters tonight, Tomasky writes

(NEWSER) - "The summer has been a bummer for American liberals," writes Guardian America editor Michael Tomasky; after the heady optimism of President Obama's first 100 days, "reality has set in, and with force." Not only is conservative opposition "as Leninist as ever," but liberals have descended into a funk, unable to believe that their man is floundering. That's why Obama needs to go big during tonight's address—not only to save health reform, but to save his own supporters. More»

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama is leaning towards reinstituting military commissions as a way of trying Guantanamo detainees, and could begin publicly doing so as soon as next week, officials tell the New York Times. Obama has been a staunch critic of the system, but the administration is increasingly worried about the hazards of trying the detainees in federal courts. More»

Despite new prez's gifts, Brooks worries he's moving too fast

(NEWSER) - David Brooks is not a liberal, but the New York Times columnist doesn't hesitate to call himself "a great admirer of Barack Obama and those around him." Yet as the new administration has thrown itself at a dozen staggering problems, from fixing health care and the auto industry to creating jobs and reviving banks, Brooks' conservative "alarm bells" have been ringing. "I fear that in trying to do everything at once, they will do nothing well," he writes. More»

Long arguments will require 'enormous endurance'

(NEWSER) - It's a big day in Washington as the Supreme Court prepares for the opening arguments over President Obama's health care law . Teams of lawyers on both sides have been deep in preparation, staging mock arguments that have nearly drained the city of attorneys up for playing the role of justices, the New York Times reports. The case will be an "enormous endurance challenge" for the two lawyers at the heart of the case, says a former acting solicitor general. More»