Obama as economic leader

The NY Times profiles Obama as economic steward of the nation: Now Mr. Obama is building a case that an era of Republican dominance has bequeathed a set of problems that demand a more active government capable of restoring fairness to the American model of democratic capitalism.

One reason I have confidence in Obama is based on how his Presidential primary campaign was run. He appointed a strong group of people, assigned tasks and then held them accountable. Considering that his two major rivals for the Presidency, Hillary Clinton and John McCain, both had campaigns that went broke, I'm glad we have the person who actually managed to pay out bonuses post-election because he had a surplus (special note: don't expect to see that word very often) from his campaign funds.

Feingold attacks undemocratic method of selecting Senators

Sen. Russ Feingold is pushing for a Constitutional amendment that would call for special elections to replace Senators instead of gubernatorial appointments. The recent controversies in replacing Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Judd Gregg have added fuel to the fire.

“But the apparent behind-the-scenes deal-making that went on to determine who will fill Senator Gregg's vacancy is alarmingly undemocratic," Feingold said. "Once again, Americans will be represented in the Senate for nearly two years by someone they had no hand in electing."

Details at the Raw Story.