Here is one Republican insider’s take on the current political environment. He says he is more optimistic than he was a month ago, now that the filibuster fight is past: “We were perceived as catering to big business and big religion and had forgotten the rest of the country.” (This insider is not a fan of James Dobson.) He says the public thinks Republicans run the country, which is why it’s important that things get done. He thinks getting the energy bill (ugh) will be a big deal and passing a bill that gets Social Security to solvency–with some pension reform thrown in–will be a “huge accomplishment.” The best he holds out for personal accounts now is a vote that shows where people stand, and sets the table for the future debate. “Social Security is one of those issues where you need both parties.” He thinks Iraq hurts Bush and is astonished at the poor polling numbers on the economy. Some Republicans blame gas prices, but he thinks its is poor communications: “They’ve really mishandled communications on how strong the economy is. There’s an arrogance there. The communications effort is dysfunctional.” He says if Bill Clinton were in office and given the same set of facts, the polling on the economy would be through the roof. For what it’s worth…