Mark Leibovich in NYT makes my same point from the other day. Obama post-Hillary is stronger than Obama post-sensation-sans-struggle:Could competing against Mrs. Clinton have improved Mr. Obama as a candidate in the same way that competing against Larry Bird and Magic Johnson in the 1980s made Isiah Thomas and Michael Jordan champions in the 1990s? ... Mr. Obama’s relentless hope-hope-hope campaign put him in danger of being seen as soft, a 2008 version of the “wimp factor” that haunted George H. W. Bush 20 years ago (before Mr. Bush, then vice president, embarked on one of the most aggressive, some say dirty, presidential campaigns in recent memory). The term “Obambi” entered the lexicon late last year, but has barely been heard of late. Indeed, a candidate gains a certain political street credibility by being in a fight. Aides to the current President Bush when he was governor of Texas said…

New audio from Revenue Watch, with comments from my boss Karin Lissakers and Juanita Olaya of Transparency International on a new TI report that finds most oil and gas companies don't do very well when it comes to reporting what they pay governments, how their operations are structured or what anti-corruption measures are in place. You can play or download the audio here, or read more from Transparency International.