President Obama today makes a stop in Denver – this is unusual. He is doing a Big Foot in the Democratic primary on behalf of appointed Senator Michael Bennet over State Representative Andrew Romanoff.
Bennet is a former investment manager for the Anschutz Investment Corporation. (Philip Anschutz made his fortune in oil). He was a Rahm Emanuel-inspired appointment, and has distinguished himself in the senate with the speed at which he filled his campaign coffers with Wall Street and health insurance money. He replaced Senator Ken Salazar, who was elevated to Secretary of the Interior by Obama.
Romanoff is campaigning for a public option and elimination of the antitrust exemption for the health insurance industry. Bennet strongly supports some things, and is passionate about other things. But he is realistic about what can be accomplished, and doesn’t really expect to do much if elected except to be a really good senator. At a debate last night in Auroria, he expressed a wish that they not debate, telling Romanoff that he loved him.
It’s really odd for a Democratic president to weigh in heavy in a state primary, but given Romanoff’s seeming liberal credentials, I suppose it is to be expected.
In other news, Obama has appointed former Clinton Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles to head his new commission on the Deficit. Bowles is an investment banker by trade. This is the “left” side of this balanced bipartisan commission. The “right” side, as usual, will be occupied by a true right winger, Alan Simpson, former Wyoming Senator.
This is America, where the right is right, and the left is right too, and everyone else is marginalized. But Alan Simpson is a good man, an honest man, a smart man, a witty man – at least there will be some entertainment as the commission studiously concludes that the fiscal problems in our land are the result of Social Security and Medicare. This commission will report to the president after the 2010 election, and there will be thereafter yet another attack on Social Security.
It’s scary, however, as when Democrats attack Social Security, the chances of success are better. It’s called “triangulation.”
Piece of Mindful 
Democrats give two choices, a neoliberal globalist, and an anti-government crackpot. Nice! Why not just outsource the job to the Concord Coalition?
Obama seems to have Japanese cultural instincts that ponder suicide and saving face sumultaneously.
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