Hey Ezra...Can't Have It Both Ways, Man

I have to throw the flag on Ezra Klein.  Last week you said in Newsweek:

The spin on Thursday's White House health-care summit is that it marks a return to politics as it should be practiced: the president leading the legislative process, the two parties talking things out, bipartisanship flowering, order restored.

The reality is rather different. The summit is the product of, not the solution to, the problems afflicting our political process. And for all the bipartisan rhetoric, it's probably going to make the partisanship worse.

For months, members of Congress and the punditocracy have complained that the president needs to step up and take a more active role in the health-care-reform process. They, and we, expect it of him. But the president of the United States is not the president of the United States Congress. He can sign or veto a bill, but that's about it. The president's powers within the legislative process are unofficial and informal. He can give a speech or invite congressional leaders over to the White House for a chat, but he has no firm power over the proceedings. Legislating is the legislature's job.

So Obama needs to back off Congress and let them decide.  Fine.  But apparently that was last week.   Today you're doing a 180 in your blog:

One other point on the public option: This has been a complete and utter failure of White House leadership. They need to give this effort their support, or they need to kill it by publicly stating their opposition. But they can't simply wait for someone else to make the decision for them, which has been their strategy until now.

Say what?

This is, however, the worst of all worlds. In refusing to disappoint the left early, they're assuring the sense of betrayal will be much more acute because the feeling of momentum will have far longer to build. And in refusing to embrace this strategy cleanly, they're making it harder to lay the groundwork for an effective communications strategy around a bill that's tougher on insurers. The problem isn't just that the White House is following, but that they're making it harder to eventually lead.

But you just told him not to lead on health care like five days ago, and now you're bitching about him not leading on health care?

And you wonder why we don't have a health care bill yet?  Damn, man.  Make up your mind first.  Then worry about Obama.  Gotta hang the Village Stupidity tag on this one.  15 yards, loss of down, and you have to wear Tom Friedman's mustache for a week.

PS:  Your post today is the one I agree with.  Your Newsweek article...what were you thinking?