There is a great deal of back-and-forth in the blogosphere today on the subject of a Financial Times piece
(subscription required) that lays the blame for Obama's floundering
first year in office on an advisory staff geared for campaigning, not
governing.
Based on extensive anonymous interviews with people around the Obama White House, the Financial Times's Edward
Luce paints a picture of an administration run almost entirely from
within the president's political machine — with
campaign-managers-turned-advisers David Axelrod, Valerie Jarrett, and
Robert Gibbs, along with Chicagoan legislative tactician Rahm Emanuel,
in the room for every major decision.
Many of Obama's highest-profile cabinet members are, by contrast,
largely disconnected from both policy creation and messaging decisions: More>>>>>>>>>>>>>