Political malpractice

As Paul Krugman makes clear, yet again, citing a post by Greg Sargent, Obama's failure on the economy was as mistaken politically as it was on policy.

But, then, speaking of political malpractice, it seems this David Corn book from which Sargent grabs a damning passage is, in fact, a big wet kiss for the Big O. Given Corn's performance in the primaries, that's no surprise. Now, he seems to have been chosen as the apostle and chronicler of The One's mid-term conversion experience. Here's a taste from the Amazon blurb:

"Corn captures the dilemmas faced by a president assailed by disappointed progressives and defiantly obstructionist Republicans determined to see his defeat. Here is a chief executive trying to balance the cross-cutting demands of governance and politics while handling unending challenges at home and abroad. The book reveals a thoughtful leader with a cool head who is unafraid to take risks and make tough choices, a steely battler who successfully turned his enemies' obstinacy to his advantage. Obama has often frustrated supporters, but Corn shows how the president, who often puts pragmatism ahead of partisan demands, has craftily operated within a hostile conservative political climate, looking to win the long game, achieve progressive goals, and, ultimately, win reelection."

Oy. Eleven-dimensional chess is back in season.