I’m only partly kidding, and Begala has enough sense not to want the job. But the subset of Democratic operatives who understand that politics is hand-to-hand combat is exceedingly small. Paul Begala is not just one of them, he’s a charter member of the group. Unfortunately in the nearly 20 years (hard to believe) since Begala emerged on the national stage for helping to get Bill Clinton elected President, the number of Democrats who understand the rules of the game hasn’t grown that much and is still largely made up of Clinton-era types.
Here’s Begala on CNN last evening, lamenting Obama’s unilateral concession on a pay freeze for federal workers:
You can be on the side of angels without having to be cautious, indecisive, and paranoid all the time. The angels actually want you to be scrappy and assertive.
