From talk radio to the Internets many on the Right and Left are howling that the avatar of "Change" is appointing well-known, high ranking Clintonites to major posts. This is seen as a rejection of his election message.
First, of all, he did not promise any personnel changes. His message was basically that he embodied "change." That change was that he was not George Bush, was a non-scary Lefty and was black. No other specific change was identified. He has kept his promise to not be George Bush and to remain black. However, were he to start appointing "Obamaites", long term academic lefties of the William Ayers, Rev. Wright persuasion he would cease to be "non-scary Lefty."
He has a lot on his plate. Does he need the added headache of Cabinet officers who do not know what they are doing? Certain appointments like Eric Holder might be opposed on the merits, but not that they were in a previous administration (widely seen as successful by the American Public).
We are learning whether or not Barack Obama has drunk his own cool aid (uhmmm.. perhaps bad terminology on the 30th anniversary of Jonestown). He apparently has not. By picking people who have been confirmed by far less Democratic Senates in the past he eliminates a lot of bumps in the road in his early administration. I don't think Hillary will take State but if she does it is greatly to be preferred to John Kerry or Bill Richardson.
Similarly, even Eric Holder who has big problems ethically, is much to be preferred to Jaime Goerelich she of the "wall" memo. Holder would, at worse, do what Gonzalez did for Bush, subordinate all interests to what the President told him to do. Goerelich would actively make her own mistakes.
People with no experience, or only Chicago or academic experience are likely to be those Obama knows and trusts. They are landmines waiting to explode in his first year were he to appoint them. Known quantities have draw backs but Obama has demonstrated the first lesson of conservative governance, no surprises.
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Now that the anti-science, superstition-based initiative presidency is coming to an end, we need several public works science Manhattan projects to make us great again and boost us out of this Grotesque Depression. First we must provide free advertising-based wireless internet to everyone. Then we must criscross the land with high speed rail. We must develop microorganisms that may be freely distributed like bread yeast and become commonplace to improve our future. Because bovine flatulence is the major source of greenhouse gases, we must develop microorganisms which can be grow in the home that will provide all of our nutrition. Then we must create microorganisms which turn our sewage and waste into fuel. Since paranoid schizophrenia is the cause of racism, bigotry, homelessness, terrorism, ignorance, exploitation and criminality, we must provide put the appropriate medications, like lithium, in the water supply. We must require dangerous wingnuts who refuse free mental health care to be implanted with drug release devices and microorganisms. Osama bin Laden and Timothy McVeigh were the ultimate superstition based initiatives. We should encourage international organizations to do likewise. In order to fund this we must nationalize the entire financial, electrical and transportation system and abolish the silly feudal notion that each industry should be regulated by its peers. Real estate and insurance, the engines of feudalism, must be brought under the Federal Reserve so we may replace all buildings with hazardous materials to provide public works. Insects, flooding and fire spread asbestos, lead and mold which prematurely disables the disadvantaged. Furthermore, as feudalism is the threat to progress everywhere, we must abolish large land holdings by farmers, foresters or religions and instead make all such large landholding part of the forest service so our trees may diminish greenhouse gases. We must abolish executive pay and make sure all employees in a company are all paid equally. We must abolish this exploitative idea of trade and make every home self sufficient through the microorganisms we invent.
So true, so true.
... I'm sorry, what were you saying?
What you done with JJV, Blogger? Next thing you know we'll be hearing about JJV having drinks with Ana Marie Cox, discussing tomorrow's blog post...
Btw, Scientists for Obama-Biden are hard at work as I type working on a solution for receding male hairline. Stay tuned. 2012 is just around the corner...
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