<em>NY Times</em> Slams Obama For Being "New And Not Improved"

There has been a lot of talk lately about Barack Obama's changing positions. Arianna highlighted his "perceived move to the center" in a blog this week. A move she says is a mistake. The New York Times' op-ed page went after Obama today for looking "New and Not Improved." Read the first two lines below and the rest of the piece here.

Senator Barack Obama stirred his legions of supporters, and raised our hopes, promising to change the old order of things. He spoke with passion about breaking out of the partisan mold of bickering and catering to special pleaders, promised to end President Bush's abuses of power and subverting of the Constitution and disowned the big-money power brokers who have corrupted Washington politics.

Now there seems to be a new Barack Obama on the hustings. First, he broke his promise to try to keep both major parties within public-financing limits for the general election. His team explained that, saying he had a grass-roots-based model and that while he was forgoing public money, he also was eschewing gold-plated fund-raisers. These days he's on a high-roller hunt.