A better response from Obama

By Libby

Leaving aside whether Obama is really adopting centrist positions or not, he seems to finding his own center again and gave a good presser in Atlanta today.

“I am someone who is no doubt progressive,” he said, adding that he believes in universal health care and that government has a strong role to play in overseeing financial institutions and cracking down on abuses in bankruptcies and the like.

For myself, I've never really considered him much of a progressive but then again, the only real progressive we have on Capitol Hill is Dennis Kucinich and look where he is. You really can't be be a true progressive and rise very far in politics. It's a big country and barely left is as far as a candidate can go in search of the White House, even in this changing political climate. Still, outside of his reversal on FISA, I think Obama can honestly claim a progressive mantle, particularly in comparison to McCain's paleolithic conservatism.

In any event, I'm glad to see Barack is speaking more in his own voice again. The last couple weeks weren't troubling so much for what he was saying, as how he was saying it. His rhetoric sounded alarmingly canned by consultants. This sort of language on Iraq is much more clear and authentic.

“We have to be as careful getting out as we were careless getting in,” Obama said. “You’ve got to be sure our troops are safe, you have to be sure the country doesn’t collapse.”
“When I hear John McCain saying we can’t surrender, we can’t wave the white flag,” Obama said, “no one is talking about surrender.”

But, he added to loud applause, “don’t be confused: I will bring the Iraq war to a close when I am president of the United States of America.”

Much better. He's taking charge of the narrative with clear unambiguous language. Dare I say, it gives me hope.