Obama's smart move # 1: Taping Emanuel as chief-of-staff. Obama's smart move # 2: Giving his blessings to Lieberman retain key chairmanship.

So far he is two for two.

First came his selection of Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., to be his White House chief of staff, the subject of a 11-05-08 post entitled "A good first move: Emanuel accepts job as White House chief of staff."

Although not as significant a move as his selection of Emanuel, this second step is important. Without Obama's blessings (or as The Washington Post put it, "Obama endorsed reaching a compromise that would keep the independent in the caucus"), the Senate Democrats would not have voted as they did, and Lieberman would have been driven across the aisle to caucus with Republicans.

This is leadership, and I hope recognized as such.