We either get past our disappointments over Obama to help elect the best possible candidates between now and November, or cede even more power to the most destructive interests in America.

It looks like the fate of financial reform will get decided on Friday. There have been so many ups and downs in this effort. We’ve lost so many battles over crucial parts of the bill. It was never that tough to begin with; there are issues with capitalization requirements; there isn’t enough control of leverage; the Franken amendment reforming rating agencies should have never been removed. And the list goes on and on (though apparently we have had some recent victories as well).

Green Party candidate John Gray is running against the two corporate-owned candidates in the general election. I can think of worse things for progressives to do than support and promote his candidacy.

They may not have won, but discontented Democrats sent an important message to the Obama administration on Tuesday by mounting an unexpectedly strong primary challenge to Senator Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas. For the White House to minimize the efforts of unions and others who helped support that challenge suggests a tone-deafness to the growing restlessness in the Democratic Party.

There’s no question that Blanche Lincoln is a bad Senator, one who consistently puts the interests of big business over those of her own constituents in Arkansas. Because of that, Bill Halter’s primary challenge put her within an inch of the end of her political career. But now, after that challenge, it’s important to continue observing what effect it has on Lincoln’s behavior. In other words, in what ways will she learn her lesson?

It was a prime example of how the Villagers can’t stand the left and love their precious friends.

The Senate is debating a resolution by Senator Murkowski (R. Alaska) and the oil/coal industries that would stip EPA’s authority to regulate climate-changing greenhouse gas. Obama says he’ll veto, but Blanche Lincoln says she supports the polluters. About that $10 million . . .

It’s hard to determine who is the biggest flipping tool in the giant toolshed that is the GOP/Media Complex. But Chris Matthews is definitely up there.

I don’t have a ton more to add on to what Jane, Markos and Greg Sargent have already said about our loss last night in Arkansas. As these astute observers mention, our loss wasn’t a message problem, and it wasn’t even much of a loss.

Gray, a retired engineer and small-town mayor, supports Medicare For All, ending the wars, ending corporate personhood, eliminating trade deficit and breaking up “too big to fail” corporations.