Toby Harnden at the Telegraph says John King says that Gibbs got the boot because Daley didn’t want him around. I think I was one of the first to report on the pending White House shake-up back on December 9 on MSNBC, and again on FDL on December 20. But you didn’t have to be exceptionally wired in to see that the President had lost confidence in Gibbs.

At the beginning of Obama’s term, when he talked about governing as a pragmatist, I perhaps foolishly believed he meant not pragmatism as DC understands it–as a principle-less squishy middle–but as the Pragmatist school of philosophers would mean it–as someone fundamentally open to and respectful of the ideas and viewpoints of all. Mind you, it [...]

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs has made it official: he’s leaving the White House to become an outside political adviser. Welcome to the professional left, Mr. Gibbs.

It is with great joy that I note the Senate passage and today’s signing by President Obama of a bill that should lead to the eventual repeal of “Don’t ask, don’t tell.” The policy was pure discrimination, and has no place in a fair and equal society. But the events of the last few days would not have happened without the past two years of tireless advocacy from the grassroots. It was some of best, unrelenting political activism in recent times, for which many deserve credit.

That said, change shouldn’t be this hard.

If, as Robert Kuttner says, Obama is negotiating a a “grand bargain” with the Republicans that includes cuts to Social Security benefits, the GOP is running a successful trap for him once again. White House strategist apparently believe that this will “give Obama ‘credit’ for getting serious about deficit reduction.’”

What is the sound of one hand applauding?

Overnight, North Korea fired artillery shells at Yeonpyeong, an inhabited South Korean island, prompting a response from South Korea and the scrambling of fighter jets. At least four soldiers were wounded in the attack, and according to the BBC two marines died.

The Interior Department moved forward today with new offshore drilling rules without moving up the end of the moratorium.

MSNBC is reporting that the White House is confirming what pretty much all Washington watchrs have known for a fortnight: Rahm Emanual will resign his postion as President Obama’s Chif of Staff to run for mayor of Chicago.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I sure am sick of the Obama administration’s congenitally glass-half-empty attitude towards the progressive base. I hear these people saying we’re like radical leftists. These people ought to be drug tested. I mean, it’s crazy. They will be satisfied when we all celebrate the health care and financial reform bills as great progressive victories and donate every spare dollar and minute to the campaigns of Blue Dogs and conservadems. That’s not reality.