Ever since Obama started making actual decisions, people seem less enthusiastic about him. He pledged to let only the cleanest hands touch the White House, but choices like Tom Daschle for health secretary have attracted criticism. While not a registered lobbyist (that's his wife's job), Daschle's advised healthcare companies at a Washington law and lobbying firm since leaving the senate in 2004.
And, of course, there's the thickest file of all — Hillary Clinton for secretary of state. Though no offer has been made, her vetting could be taking extra time because of Bill Clinton's financial entanglements. It was Hillary who ran a campaign saying the best way to change things is to understand how they work. Is that true now? Or, is Obama breaking his promise for a new Washington?
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Lom Bok
I never took the promise of a new Washington to mean appointing an administration of neophytes anyway. I always tended to take it as more a change in leadership philosophy, practices, and objectives, but not a rejection of experience itself.
1I would hardly call Obama 'innocent,' he seems pretty savvy to me.
I always assumed Obama's 'Change' meant a change from Bush, not politics as usual.
I think it's important to have experienced people in cabinet positions, but the quality of that experience is important. I didn't know Daschle was so close to the lobbying world... but the article doesn't give enough information to say if he was too close IMO. I'm sure we'll hear more about it in the days to come.
Gotta love the 'greater good quote,' though.
2Wait.. and who is less enthusiastic about Obama now that he is making 'actual decision'? The media? Public opinion? Posters on Citizen?
3Obama's gonna be running a tight ship. There will be no room for the lackadaisical behaviors of the past. We're trying to move forward here, who wants a team of amateur blind mice leading America?
4Exactly, indie.
5Eh. Breaking news from NYT, Hillary Clinton will accept position as Sec. of State. Cool beans.
6And New York Federal Reserve Bank President Timothy Geithner to head the Treasury.
(courtesy of Bloomberg)
7Why Hillary for SOS? I don't get that. Why not Secretary of Health and Human Services...or is that beneath her?
8If Tom Daschle's wife's work can be a negative for his appointment, what about Hillary's husband's overseas entanglements? There should be a few questions asked about who pays his speaking and consulting fees.
9>Ever since Obama started making actual decisions, people seem less enthusiastic about him.
Seriously?
10I believe that much of the Hillary drama this week has been about looking into most of Bill's dealings, Laine.
11*people seem less enthusiastic about him*
I so disagree with this statement. People are NOT less interested in Obama now that he's making decisions ahead of time. I believe that people are MORE interested because they want to see how he's setting up his whole *change* deal. I think Obama is doing very well so far. So I think that statement should be totally taken out of this posting.
12I'm still waiting on the dog decision!
13Just as interested and just as stoked. Not everyone's going to like every appointment, but I don't think it's fair to say there's any general disappointment or waning enthusiasm.
(We get it. Citizen 2.0 is conservative.)
14Well, if you think about it, how many thousands of people have filled a park on behalf of Obama LATELY??? Sure, four million SAY they're coming to Washington in January, but they'll be watching a parade as well.
15I don't think Citizen saying people are less enthusiastic means that she's conservative. But I do think the statement was a little open-ended... I just wasn't sure what she meant.
16It's time to get down to business...that's what some people don't understand. That's why statements are made about some people being 'less enthusiastic' about Obama. This is simply not true. That's just an example of an attempt to project personal feelings unto others.
17There WAS an AP article the other day that pointed out that Obama is not necessarily changing things by bringing in a lot of Clinton people... so maybe it's that people are now analyzing his decisions more?
I dunno.
18I really don't think that Citizen was projecting any feelings here.
I could be totally off base, but I do not get anti-Obama vibes from her.
indie - more people are saying stuff about others being less enthusiastic about Obama? Where? I'm in agreement with most here. I do not like Obama, but it seems to me that people are still plenty excited about him. I'm just looking for clarification because I am honestly confused.
19[Stocks rose over 8,000 due to Geithner's probably appointment... enthusiasm, maybe? Guess we'll have to wait until next week to see.]
20"No! One campaign promise is out the door, and he's not even in the White House."
I don't recall Obama promising to appoint only inexperienced people to positions in his administration.
21People were going to complain no matter who he picked for what...I think it's hilarious that conservatives who went on and on about how he didn't have enough experience for the job are now complaining that he's picking people with experience to support him (although if he picked people without experience I bet we would be hearing them say "he's filling washington with people who won't be able to get anything done because they don't know how it works). You just can't make some people happy.
22"You just can't make some people happy."
True.
23I think the people who had a problem with it had a problem with him promising change and then putting a lot of the Clinton administration/friends back in. I think they were expecting actual fresh (which doesn't mean inexperienced) blood.
24Actually, in terms of White House and Administration experience, unless he picks people who worked for Clinton, Obama would have to pick people who worked for Carter - nearly 30 years ago.
25I wouldn't want a cabinet of predominantly neophytes, nor would I want a cabinet of all insiders. There has to be some balance...
You can please some of the people all the time, all the people some of the time, but you can't please all the people all the time.
26I don't think it's about less interest. I think maybe what some people are perceiving as a lack of interest is simply the fact that now that the election season over, there isn't a daily parade of gaffes and smears to get worked up over.
27Off topic: I love the William Blake reference in the title
28One thing that I'm find very ummm humorous is that during the primaries Hillary Clinton's foreign policy was being touted as little more than having tea parties. Now that she's up for being secretary of state people are raving about her foreign policy experience...politicians, media, pundits, etc.
She'll do very well no matter what she tries to do. She is a hard worker and brilliant.
29foreign policy *experience
30I thought obama was supposed to be bringing change.
interesting.
31Obama campaigned on change. He just didn't say that the change was going to be back to the Clinton administration. I just hope we don't get another philandering President out of it.
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