Obama's Organizing for America campaign now hiring more campaigners to, well, campaign

With the national unemployment rate elevated and stalled at 9.7%, much higher in some places, and grumbling growing about the unstimulating stimulus spending bill with the $787-billion price tag, Organizing for America is doing its part:

It's hiring people.

The hangover organization of the perpetual Obama presidential campaign is now a well-organized wing of the Democratic National Committee. And it would like to organize even more than it already has organized during the campaigner-in-chief's first 15-plus months of campaigning for 2012.

If you thought all those "grass-roots" watch parties, support groups, e-mail and telephone campaigns were amply abundant in the effort to convince his own majority congressional Democrats to vote for the White House Democrat's healthcare bill, you ain't seen nothing yet.

The president spent another two days this week out of the Oval Office campaigning in person in Iowa, Illinois and Missouri. Also eating a cheeseburger.

Meanwhile, there's financial reform to push and immigration reform maybe and climate change and next year, new taxes. And, who knows, perhaps even a 2012 presidential re-bid, do you think?

And most important right now, of course, there are the midterm elections on Nov. 2, which at the moment look a little gloomy for incumbent Democrats who went along on healthcare at the urging of the president, who isn't facing any voters this year. So maybe a few gajillion more e-mails will change the political tide.

Here's the OFA pitch: "Email campaigners are responsible for planning, writing, and executing grassroots campaigns to advance the President's agenda for change. Campaigns will primarily be driven through email and web tools and use fundraising, citizen advocacy, and local organizing to achieve our goals."

Here's what they want: "Excellent writing and editing skills with strong attention to detail...strong organizing and campaigning instincts; you can craft messages that move people to act and you know what actions will achieve the right impact at the right time...familiarity with HTML and/or online organizing platforms...ready to work hard; this isn’t a 9-5 sort of job."

Also you must be "passionate about engaging millions of Americans in advancing President Obama's agenda and changing the country."

The bad news: There is no mention of actual pay, as in money to live on. Also, although it's supposedly all online work, you must be willing to relocate to Washington because, well, that's the place whose harsh political tone Obama promised to change.

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Americans not buying Obama's hopeful economy talk

If U.S. presidency doesn't work out for Obama, poll says he'd do well in Europe

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Photo: Organizing for America

Large Republican gains in House seats are 'inevitable' come November: Rothenberg

In a new report to be issued this morning, the respected nonpartisan political prognosticator Stuart Rothenberg will predict "inevitable" Republican gains of House seats this November, likely in excess of two dozen and possibly even above the 40 necessary to turn control of that body over to the GOP.

"Substantial Republican gains are inevitable," Rothenberg writes, "with net Democratic losses now looking to be at least two dozen. At this point, GOP gains of 25-30 seats seem likely, though considerably larger gains in excess of 40 seats certainly seem possible."

Such a long list of losses would be far beyond the historical average of 16 turnovers in the first midterm election of a new president like Barack Obama. In the first midterm election of Bill Clinton's presidency in 1994, Republicans seized control of both houses of Congress for the first time in 40 years and held them for 12 years, even through the first midterm elections of George W. Bush's presidency.

The 28 weeks until Nov. 2 is a very long time in American politics. But at the moment a decisive victory seems the Republicans' to lose. A growing barrage of public opinion polls show mounting public dissatisfaction with the economy, the stubbornly....

Tim Kaine sets 2012 Democratic National Convention somewhere. But will Joe 'BFD' Biden be there?

According to the Mayan calendar, 2012 may not be the best time to hold a national political convention, let alone the next U.S. presidential election. What with the world said to end and all.

Hitting Democrats especially hard.

Nonetheless, the diligent Tim Kaine, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, has already scheduled his party's delegates and hangers-on to gather somewhere 125 weeks from now to renominate Barack Obama and Joe Biden for a second four-year term. This early announcement has nothing to do with trying to look beyond the oncoming November iceberg.

In the eloquent style of Joe "Big Effing Deal" Biden, Kaine has taken to his party blog -- genteelly dubbed "Kicking Ass."  There, he's made the announcement in plenty of time for hotel and plane reservations, if only anyone knew where the party's party would be. That part comes later.

Suffice it to say, the opening gavel will fall on the 46th Democratic National Convention the week of Labor Day, Sept. 3, 2012.

As for the other part of Kaine's claim, that Biden will be on the ticket, that remains to be seen.

Despite the professed popularity of Joe's profane proclamation, he has made more than his fair share of BFG's (Big Effing Gaffes) since the D.C. newcomer from Illinois chose him in the summer of 2008 not for....

What does a $30,400 Obama political speech look like? Free peek here

About 150 rich Boston Democrats handed over a handy pile of dough per couple to dine and hear President Obama say these words Thursday night.

How smart are they? We have the full text here down below free of charge -- and arugula. They paid:

THIS MUCH

PLUS THIS MUCH

PLUS THIS MUCH

PLUS THIS MUCH

PLUS THIS MUCH

PLUS THIS MUCH

PLUS THIS MUCH

$30,400!

That for many American couples is a lot of money for a night out in a less than stimulated economy. Obama may have slipped badly in the polls, but a sitting -- or standing -- president can still bring in the big political money.

Yes, Massachusetts Democrats are still drowning their sorrows after a previous Obama presidential trip there did nothing to keep them from losing one of the Bay state's U.S. Senate seats in January for the first time in almost four decades. Not to mention a 60-seat Senate majority.

The money from the two Thursday Boston events totaled $2.5 million, according to the Democratic National Committee. That much cash could weatherize a bunch ofl average houses under the Obama administration's stimulus plan.

Despite a long day, the president was chipper in both places, convivial, joking over....

'Obama akbar!' The Democratic president pitches healthcare in Ohio; But for his party? Or himself?

Having postponed his Asian trip three days for the health of his healthcare legislation, President Obama goes back on the domestic road again Monday to push that agenda instead of jobs, as he has repeatedly since losing the Massachusetts Senate seat to Republicans.

Obama's Midwestern audience will surely be friendly. And someone will surely shout, "We love you!" And the president will surely respond, "I love you back!"  (UPDATE Monday 2 p.m.: It happened just that way.)

But outside the venue, touting healthcare as the country's No. 1 Top Supremo priority on this Ides of March may be a tough sell in that hard-hit region.

And elsewhere, for that matter. Despite a brief blip of support after his so-called summit with Republicans, recent national polls have shown:

That only 42% support Obama's legislation (barely 20% of them strongly) while 53% oppose (fully 41% strongly);

That 57% of Americans believe the bill will actually hurt the badly-bruised economy, 66% think the measure, if passed, will increase the federal deficit while more than eight in 10 (81%) think the legislation will cost more than its forecasts;

While 55% agree with the Republican suggestion to scrap the existing measure and start over on a new one.

In an effort to continue dominating each weekday's news cycle with talk of....

@Obama nds nu Twitter guy/gal 2 pretend they Pres, offer 140 char msgs vs. @SarahPalinUSA, @KarlRove

President Obama is looking for a replacement to stand in as his Internet persona.

The Democratic National Committee has posted a job ad seeking a "social networks manager," as the Wall Street Journal points out. The person will cover online social media duties including Twitter, Facebook and MySpace.

The Journal writes:

Mia Cambronero, who currently holds the job, “will be stepping down from my infamous role as ‘Barack Obama’s twitterer,’” she said in an email message posted to a listserv. “We’re looking for someone who is available to start immediately.

”The new hire will work closely with the rest of the new media department to execute grassroots campaigns to advance the President’s agenda for change," the listing says. Among the qualifications sought: “Ready to work hard; this isn’t a 9-5 sort of job.”

As the DNC begins to look torward the 2012 election, it seems social media will again play a role in campaigning.

Though, we are surprised they're still paying attention to Rupert Murdoch's MySpace, which is like sooo 2005.

Obama plans to continue passing off the tweeting duties to someone else, despite drawing criticism in November when he said, "I have never used Twitter." Still haven't developed any dexterity in those thumbs, huh?

We expect the new job candidate will need to strictly adhere to the high standards of the current Twitter profile. Such as this one from October when the president received the Nobel Peace Prize: "Humbled." Or this one: "Happy New Year!"

-- Mark Milian

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Photo: Associated Press

Is Obama more religion-friendly than his party? Many Americans think so, says new poll

President Obama's administration is seen as more friendly toward religion than the Democratic Party as a whole, a new Pew poll has found.

Thirty-seven percent of Americans said they view Obama as religion-friendly, while only 29% said they see the Democratic Party that way, according to the poll.

The findings aren't surprising. During his campaign for the presidency, Obama courted religious voters more aggressively than most recent Democratic presidential candidates by putting faith front and center.

In July 2008, during the height of the presidential race, then-Sen. Obama pledged to expand a controversial White House program that gives federal grants to churches and small community groups.

Later that summer, during a forum at evangelical Pastor Rick Warren's Saddleback Church in Orange County, Obama, who is Christian, spoke of "walking humbly with our God" and quoted from the Gospel of Matthew.

It paid off. 

Forty-three percent of voters who said they attend church weekly chose Obama over Republican John McCain, according to the National Election Pool exit survey, a change from recent election trends, in which religious voters overwhelmingly chose Republican candidates. Among occasional worshipers, Obama won 57% of the vote.

The Pew poll found that the Republican Party is still seen as friendlier toward religion than either Obama or the Dems. Forty-eight percent of those polled viewed the GOP as friendly toward religion.

The poll, which was conducted in August by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life and the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, also asked people about their views of the news media, scientists and Hollywood related to religion.

Fourteen percent of voters said they view the news media as friendly toward religion, and 12% said they view scientists that way. Only 11% said they see Hollywood as friendly toward religion.

-- Kate Linthicum

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Photo: Then-Sen. Obama, left, appears at a forum in August 2008 with Pastor Rick Warren at Warren's  Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif. Warren led the invocation at Obama's inauguration in January. Credit: Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times

Sarah Palin breaks with GOP to endorse Conservative Party candidate in N.Y. House race

Sarah Palin, who a few people may recall was the vice presidential candidate on last year's Republican Party ticket that crashed and burned, has broken with her party in the race for a House seat from New York and endorsed the candidate of the state's Conservative Party.

Palin announced late Thursday night that she was endorsing Doug Hoffman as, well, more conservative than the Republican Party candidate Dede Scozzafava in the race to fill New York's 23d District.

That seat was vacated by President Obama's appointment of Republican Rep. John McHugh as secretary of the Army. Hmmm.

"Doug Hoffman stands for the principles that all Republicans should share," Palin said, "smaller government, lower taxes, national defense and a commitment to individual liberty."

Palin then urged her supporters to contribute to Hoffman's third-party campaign against the establishment GOP pick that some conservatives complain is not Republican enough, a complaint sometimes also aimed at Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who thrust Palin into the political spotlight last year.

During the last two congressional elections that were so disastrous for the GOP, Republican McHugh won the 23d's House seat with ease, even as Obama beat out the Palin-what's-his-name ticket with 52% of the vote.

Palin's backing of Hoffman matches the endorsement of Hoffman by former Sen. Fred Thompson and ex-Rep. Dick Armey and puts the trio in direct conflict with former GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who  has endorsed and helped Scozzafava, and the party's Washington establishment.

The schism on the right creating a three-way race may well mean that Democrat Bill Owens squeaks to a victory in the normally GOP district, a House gain that probably never even crossed the minds of political strategists in the White House when they named McHugh to the Pentagon.

The New York House race and the governor's races in Virginia and New Jersey will be closely watched as indicators of voter attitudes 10 months into the hectic Obama presidency and 12 months out from the congressional midterm elections. Hence, the White House and Democratic National Committee investing so much effort in helping their party's candidates.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Finally, D.C. change to believe in: DNC's mop stunt really shows Republicans

Those millions of Americans who sincerely voted last year for real change in Washington, to elect Barack Obama and Democratic legislators to end the kind of silly partisan pet tricks that both sides have been doing to get attention there for many years, will be delighted to learn that the Democratic National Committee has come up with a really clever strategy. And all apparently without adult supervision.

The committee's PR folks sent out chortling news releases for nearly 24 hours Monday detailing what some activists -- they called them "concerned Americans" -- would do and then did do in front of the RNC headquarters on Capitol Hill.

The goal, of course, was to ensure that some TV cameras got there. Because if a political activity like this happens and no camera is there to record it, did it really make a sound?

Here's what the new administration's supporters did to help change the perennial partisan tone in the nation's capitol and bring all sides together for a clean break with the past silliness, while delivering on the eloquent Illinoisan's campaign vows of real change. Si se puede. They delivered a trio of mops to the Republicans so the now minority party responsible for the last eight years of mess can help clean it up.

Get it? Clean up the Capitol's mess with mops. Wow, what a nifty visual! And on RNC Chairman Michael Steele's 51st birthday too. What an original and refreshing break from the comedic playground acts of political operatives there in recent years.

Nevermind that Democrats have controlled Congress for the last three years. We're still bashing  President Bush, who's so very gone that he's off making a fortune talking to eager audiences around the world about his experiences.

See, the cleverness of this Democratic strategy is that it keeps the focus on the past. That way no one is talking about why the unemployment numbers are so stunningly high despite $787 billion in spending that Vice President Joe Biden has talked about so often to so many people.

Or what do we seriously need to do about the deteriorating mess in Afghanistan where one American soldier is now dying every 14 hours to no apparent political or strategic gain, while, in between multimillion-dollar fundraisers across the country, the well-paid suits safely in D.C. spend weeks talking in very secure rooms? 

Or how come with the same Democratic Party today controlling every corner of the entire powerful White House apparatus, holding a whopping majority in the House of Representatives and a filibuster-proof 60-votes in the United States Senate, those same majority folks still can't seem to get a viable, affordable healthcare reform bill passed?

So, obviously today's inaction and legislative logjam must be the fault of the country-club crowd that got tossed out on its collective, but well-clad keister 50 weeks ago. So, to some DNC staffers, the mop idea, apparently inspired by a recent....

...Obama speech reference (see video above), seems like a perfect symbol of change.

How ridiculous that anyone ever worried that the wondrous ways of Washington would remain impervious to the 2007-08 campaign rhetoric about changing the tone of that one-time swamp, that a political city's culture of symbolic stupidity couldn't be changed by a simple election. Talk about silly, eh?

Next week perhaps the Democrats' secret plan could involve egging the GOP parking lot and kidnapping the Republican mascot before the big Homecoming game.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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It takes this much money to eat with Barack Obama

Didja ever hold one of these $10 G notes in your hands?

Well, it took this bill....

...plus this bill....

...plus yet another $10,000 bill....

....plus four $100 Benjamin Franklins for a couple to have dinner with Barack Obama on Thursday night in San Francisco's Westin Hotel. And hundreds of Northern Californians lined up to do so. It better be an abundant shrimp cocktail for that price.

This is a newish administration that so quickly denounces the egregious excesses and appalling financial greed of corporate America. And was someone recently saying the country faces one of the most serious economic eras since back before even Joe Biden was born?

Apparently not these San Francisco Democrats, who also got to hear Speaker Nancy Pelosi, well, speak. (VP Biden, by the by, is in Nevada Friday doing the same campaign/money thing for happy Harry Reid, the embattled Democrat Senate Majority Leader.)

You'll be surprised to know that Pelosi praised the attendees as "a great collection of....