Nate Silver, in discussing the 2010 Connecticut senate race, dubs CNBC commentator and former Reagan advisor Larry Kudlow a “populist icon” (h/t Glenn Reynolds). Populist icon? This is a guy who talks about the inverted yield curve, waxes lyrical about the M-2, and wears some mighty expensive suits and silk ties. Aren’t populists anti-intellectuals looking out for other anti-intellectuals? The Left really has to get its stereotypes straight.

Howard Fineman joins the growing chorus of non-conservative critics of the president: “But, in ways both large and small, what’s left of the American establishment is taking his measure and, with surprising swiftness, they are finding him lacking.”

The stimulus bill really isn’t going to “save” as many jobs as advertised. So naturally they need a second one.

But Obama is bringing people together — Democrats and Republicans are objecting to his spending and tax proposals.

Election law professor Bradley Smith on card check: “Let’s see… we’re going to do away with the secret ballot, so both the union and your employer – whoever prevails – will know if you voted the “wrong” way. Some questions just answer themselves.”

I don’t think this is a parody: “‘Since when is the secret ballot a basic tenet of democracy?’ [Teamster President James]Hoffa said. ‘Town meetings in New England are as democratic as they come, and they don’t use the secret ballot. Elections in the Soviet Union were by secret ballot, but those weren’t democratic.'” And you doubt this is a winning message?

Jake Tapper on Chas Freeman’s exit screed: “What’s perplexing about this that so much of what critics objected to were Freeman’s statements, in full context. His record was picked apart like that of any other controversial nominee — sometimes fairly, sometimes not so — but only in Freeman’s case does the nominee make an allegation that a foreign power was lurking nefariously somehow behind it all.What’s perplexing about this that so much of what critics objected to were Freeman’s statements, in full context. His record was picked apart like that of any other controversial nominee — sometimes fairly, sometimes not so — but only in Freeman’s case does the nominee make an allegation that a foreign power was lurking nefariously somehow behind it all.”

And, yes, the New York Times finally found the story.

Walter Pincus does a darn good job of concealing just how whacked out Freeman’s goodbye rant was. I wonder why.

Some say votes are not there for “cap and trade.” But remember that’s a tax/revenue source. So “if the cap-and-trade part is dead, where is the money going to come from to begin to cover the increased expenditures? This is going to get interesting. Remember, the bottom 98% ‘won’t pay an extra dime. Either that promise is going to get broken or the size of the budget will get smaller.”

Unions are trying to deprive banks of TARP money unless they shut up about the card check. What?? Well, it only follows that if you don’t believe in secret ballots, free speech isn’t so important either. No wonder they want to take away secret ballots — who’d vote for this sort of thuggery?

Ruth Marcus says Obama really is governing just like he promised, as  a lefty I guess. And we should have known that all that post-partisanship was bunk. So David Brooks and the other Obamacons were just deluded? I think she’s got a point.