Tammy Johnson on racewire.com talks about her concerns over the use of racially coded language in President Obama’s address to Congress earlier this week.  Her post has additional comments in addition to the video.

It’s interesting to take Tammy’s analysis and compare it to George Lakoff’s pre-speech assessment of the “Obama Code,” his definition of how the President tends to “express his moral vision indirectly” – “connects with his audience using what cognitive scientists call the ‘cognitive unconscious,’ ” and utilizes “seven deep, insightful, and subtle intellectual moves.”

Mike Lux also weighs in on The Speech saying that the President’s address could not have been a clearer call for what Mike identifies as the “Big Change Moment” in his new book “The Progressive Revolution: How the Best in America Came to Be.”

UPDATE FEB. 18: The video is being revised so the embedded player doesn’t work right now. I’ll post the new one when it’s done.

Almost 75 folks braved the weather on Feb. 15 to meet Mike Lux, author of “The Progressive Revolution: How the Best in America Came To Be,” at San Francisco’s new political hotspot, Mercury Lounge. The video above was taken by Dave Johnson (thanks for putting that together, Dave!). A post of the evening is also on the Commonweal Institute’s site.

I joined EJS President Eva Paterson in co-hosting this event with Commonweal Institute, Ellee Koss, Netroots Nation, Rebecca Prozan, Matt Haney and Dexter Ligot-Gordon.

A very special thanks to Mercury Lounge for their incredible support, including hosting our event on a night that they’re usually closed, and to Commonweal Institute for underwriting this event.

Mike also appeared at Monday’s Drinking Liberally and today at a lunchtime event at Manika Jewelry co-hosted by Vida Benavides, Monica Walsh, Laura Efurd, Maria Echeveste,Yoko Nakagawa, Keith Kamisugi, Gene Benavides, Bouapha Toommally, Trina Villanueva, Hector Preciado, Emi Gusukuma, Tessie Guillermo and Daphne Kwok.

Visit http://theprogressiverevolution.com to learn more about the book and buy it online.

Ellee Koss, Eva Paterson, Netroots Nation, Keith Kamisugi, Rebecca Prozan, Matt Haney and Dexter Ligot-Gordon invite you to join us for a fun and stimulating evening to welcome to the Bay Area Mike Lux of Progressive Strategies and OpenLeft.com on Sunday, February 15, from 6-8 p.m. at Mercury Lounge, 1582 Folsom Street, San Francisco.

In Nov. 2008, Mike was named to the Obama-Biden Transition Team. In that role, he served as an advisor to the Office of Public Liaison and has helped shape the White House Office of Public Liaison.

On January 14, Mike released his first book, The Progressive Revolution: How the Best in America Came to Be (http://www.theprogressiverevolution.com). Books will be available at the event for purchase and signing.

Event is free, but please RSVP on MyBO, Facebook or through this form. You can also download a PDF flyer of the event here.

ABOUT MIKE LUX

Mike Lux is the co-founder and CEO of Progressive Strategies. Mike has launched a number of important projects, including American Family Voices, and the Progressive Donor Network.

Mike was a co-founder of Americans United for Change, Center for Progressive Leadership, Grassroots Democrats, Progressive Majority, Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, and Women’s Voices/Women Vote. He also played a role in helping launch the Center for American Progress and Air America. Mike was Senior Vice President for Political Action at People For the American Way (PFAW), and the PFAW Foundation. He oversaw lobbying and legal advocacy, field operations, state and regional offices, voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts. He helped launch the PFAW PAC and the PFAW Voters Alliance in 1997. He was also responsible for coalition building with other organizations and interest groups.

From January 1993 to mid-1995, Mike served as Special Assistant to President Clinton for Public Liaison in the White House. Prior to his service at the White House, Mike served as Constituency Director on the 1992 Clinton-Gore campaign and the presidential transition team. In the 1988 cycle, Mike was a member of the senior staff for the Biden and Simon presidential campaigns. In the 1984 cycle, he played a major volunteer role in the Iowa Mondale campaign.

In July of 2007, Mike launched OpenLeft.com with bloggers Matt Stoller and Chris Bowers. OpenLeft.com is a news, analysis and action website dedicated to building a progressive governing majority in America.