Obama left the promises fairly open, his policy statements were fairly contradictory and of course he told a lot of Democrats and lefties and unions things "they didn't want to hear" especially the UAW as I recall about cafe standards. The balancing act requires the media to pretend he hasn't contradicted himself but eventually he's going to have to come down on one side or another on every issue as he governs.  I only hope he tends to be  in favour of UHC and actually winding up the combat in Asia.

One thing that is quickly becoming apparent in the rumour mill is that Obama appears to be lobbying Bush  on behalf of Detroit--I assume he's doing it on behalf of the UAW as well (as he should because the party is founded on union strength) and car production is a core part of starting the economy again. So it's important to get cars off the lots and onto the street. But you'll see the green BS about CAfe standards dropped. If cars are not being sold the economy is probably in terminal decline and the trend needs to be reversed by any means.

  Will the press talk about that sort of reversal or will any environmentalists take note at all?  probably not... and why not?  Obama left it all magically open with his promises on the campaign trail. For any promise he made, you can find a quote that contradicts it (rather like the bible in it's own way).

This sounds like something those "facilitators" dream up in those time-wasting sessions so endemic in academe in recent years -- sort of what we used to call role-playing until "consultants" found out they could charge more by relabeling themselves as "facilitators."  

but I think being PAID to lobby can change the discussion a bit...

it's like having consensual sex without anything bent sent one way or another, or having sex with a small gift being sent one way or both ways...

could EVER lobby the White House.

WASHINGTON -- Turning to campaign promises in which he pledged sweeping ethics restrictions, President-elect Barack Obama will bar lobbyists from helping to pay the costs of his transition to power or working for it in any area in which they have represented clients in the last year, his transition team said Tuesday.

Mr. Obama's aides indicated that they expected the rules to apply to his inauguration as well as the transition, but said they had yet to make a final decision on how the inauguration would be paid for.

John D. Podesta, a co-chairman of the Obama transition, called the restraints "the strictest, the most far-reaching ethics rules of any transition team in history."

The rules have led to some grumbling that at a time of immense challenges, an Obama administration could be excluding a pool of substantial talent by stopping people from working for the White House in the areas they know best.