David Axelrod discusses Obama's toughness on This Week here. Here is a snippet of the National Journal story:
"Obama has created an atmosphere of no fear," says Douglas Brinkley, a history professor at Rice University and the author of several presidential biographies. "Nobody is really worried about the revenge of Barack Obama, because he is not a vengeful man. That's what we love about him -- he is so high-minded, and a conciliatory guy, and he tries to govern with a sense of consensus -- all noble goals, but they don't get you very far in this Washington knifing environment."This doesn't have anything to do with manly testosterone. Obama doesn't need to twist arms, drive screwdrivers. This isn't a little boys' game. He can beat his opponents with smarts, not immature toughness.
"He has been all carrots and no sticks so far," observed a veteran Senate Democratic aide, speaking on condition of anonymity. Obama's style "has to be more Lyndon Johnson. Half, 'I love you, but I'll stick this screwdriver right through your heart in a second if it is to my advantage.' On the fear question, I don't think he or his team is feared." NJ
Axelrod also addresses the democrats slamming of Olympia Snowe. Hello democrats. Get it together and healthcare reform wouldn't need Snowe. If they all agreed on the public option, then we'd have a public option. Democrats have a lot of nerve using Snowe as a scapegoat for their own lack of leadership. As far as I can tell, Snowe's a smart woman with a lot of good ideas who wants to do what's right for the people of Maine.
