Obama' Cabinet - Clinton 2.0?

[croat]

Obama picks Daschle to head HHS.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/19/transition.wrap/index.html

President-elect Barack Obama's top choice to lead the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, two Democratic sources confirmed to FOX News on Thursday.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,455045,00.html

Rahm Israel Emanuel to be White House Chief of Staff
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rahm_Emanuel

Obama chooses ex-rival Hilary Clinton as SoS
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-usclin025949081dec02,0,3746008.story

http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2008/11/19/why-obama%E2%80%99s-picking-fmr-clinton-admin-members/

President-elect Barack Obama won the White House on a message of change. Fifty-three percent of Americans said they wanted something new and different in Washington. Well, Obama is certainly new and different, but the same cannot be said for some of his early appointments. It’s like that song title, “Everything Old Is New Again.”

As Obama prepares to take over, he’s asking a bunch of former Clinton Administration members to come on board. John Podesta, who is overseeing the Obama transition team, is a former Clinton White House Chief of Staff. Rahm Emmanuel, who will serve as Obama’s Chief of Staff, is a former Clinton aide. The president-elect’s choice for Attorney General, Eric Holder, served in the Clinton administration as deputy attorney general under Janet Reno. And Peter Orszag, who has been picked to head Obama’s Office of Management and Budget, worked at the Clinton White House as a special assistant to the president at the National Economic Council.

And then, of course, there’s Hillary. The former first lady and current junior senator from New York has been asked about the Secretary of State position. And if she gets the job, we get Bill back by association.

More than half of those named to Obama’s transition or staff posts so far have ties to the Clinton administration

[croat]

http://abajournal.com/news/does_constitution_bar_clinton_from_secretary_of_state_job/

Does Constitution Bar Clinton from Secretary of State Job?

The authors of two law review articles on the emoluments clause say its language apparently bars Hillary Clinton from the job of secretary of state—but they doubt she will actually be ousted from the position.

The Volokh Conspiracy spoke to both authors about the impact of the clause, which bars senators from taking any U.S. civil office during their terms if it was created or its “emoluments” were increased during that time. President Bush issued an executive order earlier this year that increased the salary—an emolument—for the secretary of state.

University of St. Thomas law professor Michael Stokes Paulsen wrote on the blog that the language of the clause would appear to bar Clinton’s appointment “if the Constitution is taken seriously (which it more than occasionally isn't on these matters, of course).”

Both Paulsen and another law review author on the subject, John O’Connor, said they don’t think the problem can be fixed by a subsequent salary cut. Despite their views, Lloyd Bentsen served as treasury secretary and William Saxbe served as attorney general under a pay cut that became known as the Saxbe fix.

O’Connor says he doubts that a court would confer standing on anyone challenging Clinton, “so this is probably all just an academic exercise.” And Paulsen notes one possible “out-there argument”: The clause applies to any senator or representative "during the time for which he was elected." Perhaps female senators are exempt from the clause, he writes.

[Josh]

I"m beyond pissed and disappointed in Obama, that he's allowing Robert Rubin to even smell his ass, let alone, have such an influence on whom he has been filling his cabinet with.  this country's financial situation is fuct unless he realizes that anyone associated with Rubin, is only about personal agendas and screwing the ppl.

[croat]

Well its either Rubin (in the lead), Austan Goolsbee, or Paul Volcker as Obama's economic advisers .... pretty pathetic IMHO. I'm still honestly surprised that he chose Hillary for Sec of State. The Sec of State represents the President on foriegn trips & speaks for the President. Hillary disagreed with ALOT of Obamas foreign policy ideas .... but I guess everyone forgot about the past already since they got their change

[Josh]

I'm not sure if Obama is truly that intelligent to have thought of this on his own, but if so, I will pat him on the back for it......

to explain, at least he's filling his office with ppl that have voter support, and that aren't "yes" men/women to his ideas.  therefore, if it's actually planned to unfold the way it is, he will have tons of different views and opinions on anything he suggest on doing.  versus, having everyone go "yep, sure, great idea, yer da man boss, look up in the sky it's a plane".

but for fuk sake....get rubin and anyone he is associated with, the fuk outta the office.  that donkey fuct up the banking system when he was in the clinton administration......he destroyed citibank and took this country for over 100 million when he was their "money guy"......and now he's coming back for round 2 to kick the american public in their sore nutz again.

[croat]

I'm still waiting to agree on just one of his picks thus far .... so far employing ex-Clinton career politicians is not doing it for me.

[Josh]

let's be honest and cut thru the bull on this one.  outside of the cattle that bought into the "change" slogan/campaign....did anyone really think there would be any separation on this?

Obama is being told who, when, and how to fill his staff by the Democrat Party.  yes, he is capable of thinking on his own and truly wants to do what he wants, but the party and it's agendas comes first and foremost.  kinda like being in a gang......your gang members come before your personal feelings, no matter how wrong they may be you have to stick with them.....otherwise you get knocked the f' out, and your life gets destroyed.

[croat]

I honestly think many intelligent people were coaxed and truly persuaded that they would see change. Not the change from a D to an R but rather that of another form - however they all currently have their mouths shut as they see who he's picking for his dream team and they will remain silent for a while with fear that they will have to insert their foot in their mouths

[Josh]

This was a dandy of a read from The New York Times, and tells a great story of Robert Rubin.  In fact, it's the type of story that should have anyone who was down with Obama's change, to be worried as hell. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/27/business/27rubin.html

[croat]

Economic record and the 2008 global financial crisis

Upon Rubin's retirement, President Clinton called him the "greatest secretary of the Treasury since Alexander Hamilton." "During his tenure as Treasury Secretary," Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) said, "Bob was an ideal public servant who put policy before politics."

Critics credit Rubin with helping create the conditions for the Financial crisis of 2007–2008, as a result of the policies he pursued as Treasury Secretary. Together with then-Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan, Rubin strongly opposed the regulation of derivatives, when such regulation was proposed by then-head of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Brooksley Born. Overexposure to credit derivatives of mortgage-backed securities was a key reason for the failure of US financial institutions Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, American International Group, and Washington Mutual in 2008.

Arthur Levitt Jr., a former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, has said in explaining Mr Rubin's strong opposition to the regulations proposed by Ms Born that Mr. Greenspan and Rubin were "joined at the hip on this." "They were certainly very fiercely opposed to this and persuaded me that this would cause chaos."

According to the New York Times, "In November 1999, senior regulators—including Mr. Greenspan and Mr. Rubin—recommended that Congress permanently strip the CFTC of regulatory authority over derivatives." This advice was accepted and derivatives were kept clear of regulation by the CFTC.

Other competent critics of Rubin's philosophy and policies include Kevin Phillips.

The government’s rescue of Citi in 2008 provided a reminder of Rubin’s attempt earlier in the decade to prop up Enron, then a Citi client, by asking a Treasury official to lean on credit rating agencies to maintain a more positive rating than Enron deserved.

[croat]

Straight from the CNN breaking news site: Barack Obama plans to announce New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson as commerce secretary nominee on Wednesday, a source says. 

[Josh]

weird....it's almost like he's taking everyone that ran against him for the dem. president nod, and placing them on his cabinet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_and_Potential_2008_United_States_presidential_election_Democratic_candidates

[pink posey]

ah... Filling the white house with failed presidential candidates.

[Josh]

well, the one person he should have appointed to his cabinet but won't, is Dennis.

[croat]

Gravel too .... would be nice to see Dennis get in, but it won't happen cause that would actually indicate some sort of change Its funny how all of the Obamites are now silent as they sit in disbelief as they see the dream team he is assembling to run the country. I cant wait till they start creating some of those nice comparison charts of all his dream team members and the negative statements they have made about him and how their new positions totally contradict how they felt a few months ago