“I think all incumbents are nervous right now. The polls are just showing that voters are unhappy with Democrats or Republicans. It takes on a life of its own. His loss will energize tea partiers and others to take on others”

“He does not want to appoint someone who will easily be attacked as a liberal ideologue (like Bork on the right) or someone without sufficient experience (like Miers).”

“Politically, this is a bad decision by Obama and one that will be hard for some of his supporters to forgive or forget. Warren has made many statements that are deeply offensive to women and homosexuals.”

“If by liberal we mean 1960s New Left, then yes liberals should be worried. Obama is a product of 1980s and 1990s America when liberalism shifted toward the center. ”

“Democrats need to bring up the issue. For many years now, Democrats have been criticizing the Bush administration for being aggressive, if not abusive, in the use of executive power. ”

“The most striking characteristic of the current lineup is how the personalities reflect the centrist vision of the Democratic Party promoted by Bill Clinton and his colleagues at the Democratic Leadership Council in the 1990s.”

“On the one hand he continues to build on the Rahm Emanuel selection by strengthening ties with Democratic Congress and building a strong team to move his legislative agenda through Congress. On the other hand, he sends a bold signal that he is going to make health care a priority issue”

“Republicans need one or two big ideas...They are a party that no longer has big ideas, a key element to the coalition that Ronald Reagan and Newt Gingrich built. Until they have a compelling argument, we will see more lethargic campaigns such as 2008.”

“...Figuring out how to bring the energy of a campaign and the power you have with the electorate, and translating it into a legislative program, is extremely difficult.”

“It’s a hard time for the party in power no matter how decisive the majority.”