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Title: Obama's 'Change': Appointing Beltway Has-Beens
Source:
Newsmax
URL Source: http://www.newsmax.com/morris/morri ... nsition/2008/11/09/149401.html
Published: Nov 10, 2008
Author: Dick Morris & Eileen McGann
Post Date: 2008-11-10 12:44:35 by Horse
Keywords: None
Views: 189
Comments: 10
What's with Obama's choice of old-time Clinton cronies and recycled Washington insiders to run the transition to his new politics of change? Can't the anti-Washington-insiders and the president-elect find anyone who isn't a Beltway has-been? Judging by the appointments to his transition committee and leaks about possible top staff and Cabinet choices, Obama appears to be practicing the politics of status quo, not the politics of change. Obama based his innovative campaign on an emphatic and convincing commitment to change the culture of Washington and bring in new people, new ideas, and new ways of doing business. But now, Obama has definitely changed his tune. As president-elect, he's brought back the old Washington hacks, party regulars, and Clinton sycophants that he so frequently disparaged. Like Jimmy Carter, the last president who ran as an outsider, Obama has reached out to the same old folks who dominate the Democratic Party and represent the status quo. His transition committee looks like a reunion of the Clinton administration. No new ideas of how to reform the system there. The chairman, John Podesta, was Clinton's chief of staff. He presided over outrageous last-minute pardons and his style is strictly inside-the-Beltway and make-no-waves. Then there's Carol Browner, Clinton's competent former EPA administrator who became the consummate Washington insider. She's Madeline Albright's partner and recently married mega-lobbyist and former Congressman Tom Downey. During the uproar over Dubai taking over U.S. ports, Browner brought Downey to meet with Sen. Chuck Schumer to plead Dubai's case. Downey was paid half a million dollars to push Dubai's position. He's also a lobbyist for Fannie Mae, paid half a million to try to cover their rears on the subprime mortgage mess. Is this change? Federico Pena was Clinton's secretary of transportation and of energy. The president felt he was unduly soft on Air Florida after a crash and lost confidence in him. Now he's back as a transition committee member. Bill Daley, Clinton's former secretary of commerce and the brother of the mayor of Chicago, is the epitome of the old Democratic establishment. Clinton appointed him to the Fannie Mae board and his son worked as a lobbyist for the agency. Aren't these the kind of folks that Obama ran against? Larry Summers, president of Harvard and former Clinton secretary of the treasury is not exactly an outsider either. He's also alienated more than a few with his bizarre suggestion that women may be genetically inferior to men in math and science. Susan Rice, assistant secretary of state under Clinton advised John Kerry and Mike Dukakis. Does that tell you enough? Obama has named one of his big bundlers -- Michael Froman, an executive at Citigroup. Is this supposed to symbolize change? Obama's choice of a spokesperson for the transition is also surprising; she is definitely not the face of reason and new politics. Stephanie Cutter is the brash and combative former Clinton, Kerry, and Ted Kennedy mouthpiece. The liberal DailyKos.com once described Cutter as "a moron to the nth degree" when she tried unsuccessfully to force The New York Times' Adam Nagourney to treat her unsolicited e-mail criticizing Howard Dean as "background" without mentioning her name. Speaking of brash, Rahm Emanuel, the new White House chief of staff, makes Cutter look timid. Rahm is also a former Clinton White House staffer -- and a very obnoxious one. He spent his White House years leaking to The Washington Post whenever he didn't like what the president was doing. Even Bill Clinton stopped trusting him. Any hopes of Obama keeping his commitment to reach across the aisle would go right out the window with Rahm's appointment. Instead of extending a hand to the opposition, it would be like raising just one finger. And Rahm's strident demeanor laced with the 'F' word in every sentence will do little to elevate the bipartisan dialogue in Washington. Christopher Edley, another member of the transition team, is dean of the Berkeley Law School. He was a member of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission under Clinton, and his wife, Maria Echaveste was Clinton's deputy chief of staff. Transition committee staffer Christine Varney was a federal trade commissioner under Clinton and worked in the White House. Throughout the early debates, Obama criticized Hillary Clinton as part of the inside-the Beltway establishment that needed to go. But now he's reaching out to these exact same folks. Some change.
Poster Comment: I am trying to make an educated guess as to when the dollar and the economy collapse. It will definitely be in the first year of the Obama administration.
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#1. To: Horse (#0)
But... but... I thought Obama was all about "change". You mean he's just another bought and paid for politician who is going to do whatever his corporate masters and the REAL owners of the country tell him to do? Gosh, who could have seen THAT coming?
 | Gold and silver are REAL money, paper is but a promise. |
#2. To: Ferret Mike (#0)
If you believe that Obama appointed Rahm, because he thought Rahm was loyal and trustworthy and he would watch Obama's back, then Obama has shown extremely poor judgment. Consider how Bill Clinton was treated previously by his pseudo-friend, Rahmbo.
Speaking of brash, Rahm Emanuel, the new White House chief of staff, makes Cutter look timid. Rahm is also a former Clinton White House staffer -- and a very obnoxious one. He spent his White House years leaking to The Washington Post whenever he didn't like what the president was doing. Even Bill Clinton stopped trusting him.
#3. To: Horse (#0)
NAU 2010 was the illegal shadow government's goal (King Obamalamadingdong knows).
I am trying to make an educated guess as to when the dollar and the economy collapse. It will definitely be in the first year of the Obama administration.
"If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.”—Samuel Adams
#4. To: scrapper2 (#2)
Obamalamadingdong will do things that his buddy the clintonoids only wish they could have done. Jorge arbusto is envious.
If you believe that Obama appointed Rahm, because he thought Rahm was loyal and trustworthy and he would watch Obama's back, then Obama has shown extremely poor judgment. Consider how Bill Clinton was treated previously by his pseudo-friend, Rahmbo.
"If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.”—Samuel Adams
#5. To: Rotara (#3)
NAU 2010 was selected, I believe, because they knew the dollar would tank in 2009 and force Americans to take desperate measures to even put food on the table in 2010.
The Truth of 911 Shall Set You Free From The Lie
#6. To: Horse (#5)
Totally, they're following the script to a "T".
NAU 2010 was selected, I believe, because they knew the dollar would tank in 2009 and force Americans to take desperate measures to even put food on the table in 2010.
"If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.”—Samuel Adams
#7. To: Horse (#0)
empty rhetoric and promises. There. That's better.
Obama based his innovative campaign on
an emphatic and convincing commitment to change the culture of Washington and bring in new people, new ideas, and new ways of doing business.
#8. To: Rotara (#4) (Edited)
Well, appointing Rahm Emanuel is certainly not something that either W or BillyJeff envy Obama for doing. BillyJeff in particular is salivating at the thought of Rahm back-stabbing Obama just like Rahm had done to him previously. From the article under discussion: "Rahm is also a former Clinton White House staffer -- and a very obnoxious one. He spent his White House years leaking to The Washington Post whenever he didn't like what the president was doing. Even Bill Clinton stopped trusting him."
Obamalamadingdong will do things that his buddy the clintonoids only wish they could have done. Jorge arbusto is envious.
#9. To: scrapper2 (#8)
Doubt it. They're all in it together for the greater good.
BillyJeff in particular is salivating at the thought of Rahm back-stabbing Obama just like Rahm had done to him previously.
"If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.”—Samuel Adams
#10. To: Ferret Mike (#0)
All hail the Obamessiah Ping. Change has arrived. Funny that it looks just the same as "business as usual". That's quite a change.
"The difference between an honorable man and a moral man is that an honorable man regrets a discreditable act even when it has worked and he is in no danger of being caught." ~ H. L. Mencken
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