Pajama-Baiting: 1) You have to wonder if the unnamed Obama aide's "take off the pajamas" jibe was not a self-pitying expression of frustration but rather an intentional attempt to goad the liberal blogosphere, giving Obama some anger on the left to push back against, translating into a rise in the polls . Insta-Triangulation whenever he needs it--is that what the left bloggers do for Obama now? ... 2) The worst thing they could do, from this point of view, is to calm down. Don't cut him slack! Go wild .  ... 3) This pajama-baiting, near-gaslighting strategy--bloglighting!--would fit the Obama White House pattern of attempting to set up superheated fringe figures as opponents--e.g. establishing Limbaugh, and Beck, and the Birthers as GOP leaders; ... 4) Don't assume it's Rahm! Early in the Clinton administration an inflammatory blind quote from an administration official predicted that  the White House would "roll right over" Sen. Moynihan if necessary. It inflamed Moynihan, anyway. Many in the press assumed the quote came from foul-mouthed Clinton aide Rahm Emanuel. My understanding is it didn't. [ Update: Moynihan apparently  thought it was Rahm --his diaries indicate reporter Michael Kramer told him as much. I'd heard Bentsen. Update II: Kramer has said it was Bentsen, in print. ]... Given point (3), I'd suspect Axelrod of the anti-pajamatism.. ... 11:27 A.M.

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GM Bailout II Watch: Signs are just so darn "good" for New! GM that the company is backing off its commitment to the 2010 IPO  that might get the government back some of its money before the midterms, says TTAC . ... Robert Farago suggests a get-past-the-election solution that might hold some appeal for Dems desperate to show progress:

Sure, as mid-term elections approach, the feds may try to game the system, offering some kind of IPO-enabling investor "protection."

Do you think that will fly--i.e. politically be worth the controversy that making it happen would engender (as opposed to simply delaying the IPO until 2011 and issuing an updated round of optimistic projections )? Me neither. ... :8:12 P.M.

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