Obama 2006 Nation Interview

In comparing Obama to Clinton, much has been made of his principled exhortations as opposed to Clinton's "calculating" strategy to gain the Presidency. This interview, conducted in 2006 before Obama announced his candidacy, takes a look at his deliberate strategizing to remain tight with the Congressional status quo.

The Nation columnist David Sirota wasn't convinced of Obama's "progressive" label, perceiving his legislative activity as a firm attempt to maintain safe standing with the good ole boys in DC. here's a taste of the interview:

Obama is telling the truth--he's not opposed to structural changes at all. However, he appears to be interested in fighting only for those changes that fit within the existing boundaries of what's considered mainstream in Washington, instead of using his platform to redefine those boundaries. This posture comes even as polls consistently show that Washington's definition of mainstream is divorced from the rest of the country's (for example, politicians' refusal to debate the war even as polls show that Americans want the troops home).

Obama's strategy worked. He got Ted Kennedy's backing, proving that he's much more the mainstream candidate than the progressive, and though his liberal politics mimic Clinton's, the difference is that his lack the courage required to climb out on that outstretched limb and breathe the rarified air of independence. He's more comfortable huddling in the nest, where boundaries are defined by others.

To me, this is an ominous tendency, especially for someone casting himself as a voice for "change." More than that, it is disingenuous, and we don't need a smoother, smarter one of those in the White House!

Click to the full interview.