President Obama's Instructions to his Grassroots Team

Elena Kagan's poll numbers aren't so hot.

Ann Althouse:

Barack Obama shows you how to call in to radio shows to voice your support for Elena Kagan.

Complete with "calling tips":

Some hosts may challenge your views. Stay calm and firm....

And "discussion points":

Elena Kagan understands how the law affects ordinary Americans, giving a great deal of thought to legal issues which profoundly affect Americans’ everyday lives – including freedom of speech and government policy making.

If you say that, maybe the host will say: "What do you mean she's given a great deal of thought to government policy making? What does government policy making have to do with being a Supreme Court Justice and why should I care about the large amount of thought that's been given? Has she thought well and what does she think about law?" If that happens, stay calm and firm! And say what?

It's what's up at http://radio.barackobama.com/

1. Listen, then call.

If you can't get through, don't worrky! If the show you call is busy or not accepting calls at the moment you call in, simply click "Give me another show" to find another.

2. Add your voice. (in other words, use OFA discussion points).

These points are only to provide extra information and suggestions.

Throughout her career, Elena Kagan has distinguished herself as an incredible legal mind and an unwavering public servant. Democrats and Republicans alike have praised her fair-minded approach to the law and her insistence that all sides be given a fair hearing before the law, including conservatives such as former Bush Administration lawyer Jack Goldsmith, Solicitor General for President Reagan Charles Fried.

Elena Kagan has received the support of every Solicitor General from both parties from the last 25 years. At the time of her nomination as Solicitor General, they noted her "brilliant intellect" and her "candor," as well as the "high regard in which she is held by persons of a wide variety of political and social views."

Elena Kagan understands how the law affects ordinary Americans, giving a great deal of thought to legal issues which profoundly affect Americans’ everyday lives – including freedom of speech and government policy making.

She has stood up for the rights of ordinary citizens and shareholders against corporations in her work as solicitor general. And even though she knew the odds were long, Kagan chose Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission as the first case she argued before the Supreme Court, defending campaign finance reform against special interests spending unlimited money in an attempt to influence elections.

Elena Kagan has shown she is a trailblazer throughout her career. Kagan was the first woman to serve as the Dean of Harvard Law School. She was the first woman ever to serve as Solicitor General. If confirmed, Kagan will be only the fourth woman to serve on the Supreme Court.

3. Report your call.

submit your report.

From the Comments:

Be polite, respectful, and clear. Remember, you represent Organizing for America.

"To the phones. Anne from Madison, Wisconsin, you're next on The Rush Limbaugh Show. (Have I mentioned that Anne is one of my all-time top-ten female names?)"

"Hi Rush! I'm calling on behalf of Organizing For America! Dittos from Madison!"

"You mean you're admitting your part of Axelrod's astroturf op? What gives?"

"I don't know! That's just what it says for me to say!"

Heh.

On BarakObama Twitter:

The grassroots movement that accomplished so much in 2008 is back at it again today—knocking on doors, working for change http://j.mp/9k3xcj

Link takes me to a "get out the vote" meeting site in Fresno. Interesting that his Twitter page is dominated by partisan politics rather than by messages directed toward all Americans.  Doesn't exactly fit the post-partisan image on which he so successfully ran for President.  I keep his Twitter feed and the White House twitter feed up on the sidebar of my blog.

Here's a novel idea: Move the Office of Political Affairs (created by Reagan) out of the White House.

Up on the White House Blog: "Ongoing Administration-wide Response to the Deepwater BP Oil Spill: June 5 and June 6"

When you waited over a month before a significant public response and you are dependent on experts from the company you alternately praise and demonize, you have to keep up on developments day-to-day in order to try to quell the media insurgency, I guess.

On White House Twitter:

The President announces James Clapper as DNI: "Four Decades of Service" Video/ transcript/ photo http://bit.ly/cATyNE

This nomination reminds Scott at Powerline of a great old Johnny Carson/Jack Web routine.

Incidentally, in 2004, Clapper apparently supported the view that Saddam Hussein had sent Weapons of Mass Destruction to Syria.

Both Kagan and Clapper seem to have held views contrary to Obama's in the past.