Fourth of July Open Thread [7.4.15]

Fourth of July Open Thread [7.4.15]

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The conventional wisdom is starting to coalesce around my thought that President Obama is the best President of my lifetime. Benjy Sarlin published a piece on the Obama legacy last weekend:
“At the end of the day, we’re part of a long-running story,” Obama told the New Yorker’s David Remnick in one interview. “We just try to get our paragraph right.” Now consider what the paragraph version of Obama’s presidency looks like as of now, with the key terms for next week’s social studies midterm highlighted in bold. “The first black president, President Obama took office amid the Great Recession, stabilized the economy with a stimulus and auto bailout, passed universal health care and Wall Street reform over fierce opposition, and implemented a suite of regulations aimed at combatting climate change. The first president to embrace marriage equality, he presided over the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges decision legalizing it nationwide.”
Steve Benen thinks that's a "pretty impressive paragraph that suggets Obama will be remembered as a great and important president." Vox’s Dylan Matthews agreed last week that “there’s no longer any doubt: Barack Obama is one of the most consequential presidents in American history – and he will be a particularly towering figure in the history of American progressivism.”
Cool it on Joe Biden.

Cool it on Joe Biden.

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Vice President Joseph Biden’s team “is putting out the word that he is leaning in favor of joining the presidential race next month,” the Washington Times reports.
Said Democratic bundler Jon Cooper: “They have given increasingly strong signals that Biden is going to throw his hat in the ring. I’m as confident as I can be that he will be entering the race.”
There have been several pieces like that, in other publications, quoting one Democratic fundraiser or one staff member. And the sense I get when I read that is that, far from being a planned leak from the Biden camp or from the Vice President himself, it is an effort to nudge the Vice President into the race.

The Weekly Addresses

In this week's address, the President wished everyone a happy Fourth of July. He honored the individuals who, throughout the history of America, have struggled and sacrificed to make this country a better place, from our Founding Fathers, to the men and women in uniform serving at home and overseas. 15457615324_183ef8d1f7_o Governor Markell highlights ongoing efforts and initiatives for Delawareans to receive the skills they need to succeed in a global economy.