It is going to be interesting to see what kind of welcome he gets. One side, he has been pretty good for Georgia (and of course, in my humble opinion, the nation). The stimulus bill provided millions for broadband access across north Georgia, which could help bring in more industry and improve education for the rural poor (A move, that by the way, got Sonny Perdue and Joe Biden on the same stage). Of course, today, Obama announced the first loan guarantees for new nuclear reactors in the US since the 70′s to be built where else, but in Georgia. All in all, I’d say those are two things which would normally ingratiate Georgians to the President.

But then I remember I live in Georgia, home of the more vocal (Tom Price, Jack Kingston) and crazy (Paul Broun) conservatives politicians. Which leads me to wonder, given that there will undoubtedly be a large gathering of “teabaggers/ tea partiers/ hooligans with guns and a fifth graders understanding of the Constitution”, why choose Georgia? It is not as if this is a target state for Democrats on a national level. Granted, it will give him the opportunity to side step the national media filters and communicate more clearly to Georgians, but to what end?

Whatever that reason (and frankly, I can’t fathom what it is), I think this is a real opportunity for the DPG and other Democratic state organizations to connect with the base, do some organizing, and build the party up for November. Whether it is through hosting watch party’s, organizing some sort of trip to Savannah, or canvassing the event, there is a lot that can be done to support Democrats in Georgia through Barack Obama’s visit to the fair Peach State. It is definitely a great chance for building the party and base, both in Savannah, and to a certain extent statewide. The hope is of course, that those organizations don’t let the pitch sail by.

In understanding the Mohamed trial, what is most disturbing is how the argument has transformed. Initially, the argument was that because we will be holding a trial for a terrorist, that trial will give him a platform from which to spread hate. This has since devolved (which is difficult, because that argument is flaky as is) into a question of cost; should we be willing to pay the security costs for the trial? Should we annoy New York drivers in midtown to to transport this individual? It will cost a lot of money, and were already in debt.

This is the biggest load of baloney sausage I have ever heard, and to hear it from elected officials – who swear to uphold the constitution – makes me truly nauseous. From what research I have done, and from all precedent known to me including the Bush administration, if you set foot on American soil, your ass gets a fair trial, a jury of peers, and a sound legal defense. Hell, that is why the Bush administration set up Guantanamo – because once you touched that blessed soil that is America, no matter if you are Mother Teresa or Caligula, you get the rights which we all enjoy. To argue that for financial equity and legal expediency we should abandon this precedent – this principle of justice – because of who the lawbreaker is a betrayal of our founding documents, and our moral core. I don’t give a damn if it costs as much as the useless fighter we have pursued for twenty years or the mythical space laser missile defense shield that will never work, justice for all is why we still get to call ourselves the most free,just, and bad ass society in the millions of years of human existence (or 6,000 years, Mrs. Palin).

This leads me to the underwear bomber – the infamous mastermind who decided after Richard Reid couldn’t light his shoe on fire, maybe right under the genitalia would be better place to try and ignite. Darth Cheney will undoubtedly call his mirandizing a travesty of justice, and a failure to capitalize on intelligence. He might be right, if the premise wasn’t totally carp. Again, once you touch the US of A, you get our rights, no matter who you are.  Next, all accounts point to the fact that this guy has spewing information like a third grader with projectile vomitting thanks to FBI interrogation. Now, I don’t try to speak for others motive (ie I’m about to) but there are only two reasons I can honestly see why the Republicans are attacking the Obama administration.

1.) They smell blood on national security, and are trying to capitalize in a critical fundraising period leading up to the November elections. This one is the most obvious, and likely the ultimate factor behond much of the ballyhooing and soapboxing.

2.) If Mr. Dick Bomber (not to be confused with Dick Cheney’s personal plane) gives actionable intelligence without the use of electrodes strapped to his nearly immolated man bits, it will severely undermine the “torture saved lives” argument, and thus underscore the Republican security narrative in the run up to the next election.

So, what can be clearly seen is this: Republicans are playing to American’s fears and prejudices again, and its got some traction. But, if the administrations reply tomorrow (headed up by Vice President Folksy McTalkstoomuch) can convey a certain seriousness about returning to the American justice system traditions, and do so without a perceived naivete that has scratched at this administration from the beginning, then they have the potential to turn this fight around.

First, it is that Obama’s job approval rating is in sliding not because Barack Obama’s policies are viewed as bad, but because of his inability to accomplish them in a timely manner. Obviously healthcare is the greatest example of this, where Obama allowed the Finance Committee to serve as his primary carrier in the Senate (in the hopes of getting a “bipartisan” bill).  In so doing, he allowed Republicans to drag out the debate over such a long timeline that it has made healthcare legislation the longest single bill to exist on the floor of Congress. As FiveThirtyEight.com points out here, after each health reform passed each house of congress, there was a small bump in polls. I think the eventual analysis that Mr. Silver is right, if perhaps lacking in nuance.

The second thing I think the discrepancy shows is Obama’s ability to communicate his job performance. This is a President who averted the second coming of the Great Depression, passed equal pay for women regulations, scaled back massive intrusions of privacy to US citizens, fought the military industrial complex and won, started a highly lauded education program, has made significant breakthrough in courting the international community including and especially India, and has been able to successfully accelerate the drawdown in Iraq. But ask the common man what he has done, and I imagine the answer will be closer to some sort of distortion of socialism then these ideas.

The Obama administration needs to learn t0o communicate, and pass healthcare, and then fry the Republican party on Financial Reform. If they can do that, they will do more to protect the Democratic majority than any “batten down the hatches” strategy can.