Rebranding: President Obama: ‘I’m a Blue Dog Democrat.’

This excerpt from a piece by the New York Times’ Matt Bai caught my eye: (emphasis added)

The body of Mr. Obama’s writing and experiences before he became a presidential candidate would suggest that he is instinctively pragmatic, typical of an emerging generation that sees all political dogma — be it ’60s liberalism or ’80s conservatism — as anachronistic. Privately, Mr. Obama has described himself, at times, as essentially a Blue Dog Democrat, referring to the shrinking caucus of fiscally conservative members of the party.

The reason the president describes himself this way in private is because if he said it publicly, people would laugh at him — much in the way most will when they read this excerpt.

H/T Instapundit

Also at Instapundit:

December 1, 2010

HMM: Obama backtracks on plan to open more Gulf waters to offshore drilling. “It also hints at what could be a new method of governing for President Obama in the wake of last month’s midterm elections, with the president attempting to set energy policy himself rather than incorporating Congress.” [Emphasis CAJ]

From the article:

…The US offshore industry, which employs 100,000 people mostly in the southern United States, has already begun moving equipment and labor onshore or to foreign offshore operations as a result of what they call a de facto drilling moratorium still in effect in the Gulf. Meanwhile, basic technological problems of efficient wind-farming – including how to store off-peak energy – have yet to be solved.

“This preference for offshore wind is hoping on wishes and dreams,” says Mr. Bryce, the author of “Power Hungry.” “This announcement shows the Obama administration is giving priority to an unreliable and expensive form of energy, while denying the development of proven energy sources that are reliable and abundant.”