Obama answers liberal critics on personnel choices

[Breeze54]

Obama answers liberal critics on personnel choices

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2008/11/obama_answers_l.html

Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor

November 26, 2008 07:25 PM

By Joseph Williams, Globe Staff

WASHINGTON --

President-elect Barack Obama, rejecting liberals' criticism of his emerging cabinet, today strongly defended his decision to choose more experienced, centrist aides for his inner circle, arguing that the nation needs sure hands in a time of turmoil -- and that it's his job to bring the change he promised voters.

At a press conference to introduce his economic advisory board, Obama said it would send the wrong message to the nation if he stocked his cabinet with newcomers, especially given the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the deepening economic crisis. Veterans, he said, bring the wisdom to help him shape his agenda and the know-how to execute it.

"What we are going to do is combine experience with fresh thinking," he said in his most detailed comments on the issue. "But I understand where the vision for change comes from. First and foremost, it comes from me. That's my job -- to provide a vision in terms of where we are going, and to make sure then that my team is implementing."

Seeking to reassure supporters worried that he's "recycling" appointees from President Clinton's era, Obama suggested it is unrealistic to expect him to bypass the best people available simply because of ties to the last Democratic administration.

However, liberal activists contend that Obama so far has gone too far in one direction, bringing in too many of the same Washington insiders and undermining his own message of change. Obama, they complain, hasn't given a top cabinet job to a true liberal, and grumble about the expected appointments of rival Hillary Clinton -- a centrist Democrat -- as Obama's secretary of state and of Robert M. Gates, a Republican appointed by President Bush, to stay on as defense secretary for at least a year.

"I'm not in the camp that says, 'Give him a chance, because his vision will dominate,' " said Tom Hayden cq, a high-profile liberal and antiwar activist who said he supports Obama despite misgivings over his cabinet picks. "I don't know what he's doing. This is not governing from the center. This is governing from the past."

Liberal bloggers, who helped fuel Obama's grassroots fund-raising and volunteer armies, are particularly vocal in their critique of Obama's choices so far.

Some of them argue that competence and experience aren't substitutes for the right ideology. "How can selecting only pro-war Cabinet members and advisers be justified on the grounds of 'competence' -- as though one's support for the War has nothing to do with competence?" asks blogger Glenn Greenwald, who also writes for the online journal Salon.

More......

[Dis Pater]

1. Something that I don't get

If Obama was appointing many anti abortion people in his cabinet, would the argument that policy only came from him hold water?

[Breeze54]

10. What policy? Not following your train of thought.

The point is that a lot of his picks were and still are pro war!

They voted for it, and supported bush all the way.

Why would we need them in there now?

We want the frigging war OVER!!! Not continued!!

[Dis Pater]

11. That's my point exactly.

Many say that who he appoints and what they believe don't really matter because Obama is the one making policy, he's the decider.

My analogy was a poor attempt to illustrate that.

[Breeze54]

13. No, it's probably the turkey getting to me... Welcome to DU, Dis Pater!

Obama may be making policy but they will have his ear.

No liberals so far, as I can see. That contradicts what he was saying
during the campaign about having "many different points of view."

The only thing I can surmise is that when and if it all goes to shit
again; then he can blame all the "centrists" and RWers he has appointed.

[DJ13]

2. I can understand wanting "sure hands"

But it wouldnt hurt him to have a few lesser known liberal academics sprinkled in there to reassure his liberal base that his administration isnt just a Clinton clone either.

Diverse opinions was what he campaigned on, but so far theres little liberal representation in his economic choices.

[Kalyke]

29. I agree 100 percent. n/t

[Mari333]

3. he wants to send 20,000 more kids to afghanistan

thats not change. thats just more of the same old thing.

[treestar]

4. No it's not

Afghanistan had some sense to it; Al Qaeda is hiding there.

Iraq was the unnecessary war.

[tama]

6. Al Qaeda

is hiding in the Bush ranche.

[Dis Pater]

8. Al Qaeda is in Iraq, but we're leaving there.

Why occupy another muslim country?

[w4rma]

19. Bin Laden is hiding out on the Afghanistan-Pakistani border, supposedly. (nt)

[G_j]

9. I don't agree

Both, were/are dishonest and unnecessary power games.
Afghanistan is turning out to be a deeper quagmire than Iraq.
Throwing more troops in the mix is flawed thinking.
There is a dire need to remember Vietnam, and think on Afghan history.

[Mari333]

16. afghanistan is all about securing oil pipelines

and has no sense to it at all .

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=115&topic_id=171417

[PurityOfEssence]

20. Respectfully, NO

Yes, the pipeline is a BIG part of it, and has been since before 9-11 even happened, but there are many other things at work here.

Our President-Elect has something to prove (or rather, disprove) here, and that is general a recipe for disaster. He has to prove that he's not some wimpy Democrat and he'll stand tough and really show 'em. Great. Just what we need: we're gonna try to out-macho a bunch of fundamentalist primitives. That's gonna work. He also has to show he's tough on Islamists. Great; make this a crusade.

There's no description of what "victory" will look like. If someone would come up with that, it might be worth discussing.

Not only is Afghanistan a geographical nightmare, it's a logistical one. It's landlocked and surrounded by countries who, if they don't already hate us, may very well ALL become intraversible. Iran is the west, Pakistan is the south and east (and is in the throes of SERIOUS political trouble) and the three stans to the north can all be cut off if Russia decides to say "Nyet". Okay, there's China, but look at the map.

What a mess. Don't people read history?

Sorry to be snotty; your point about the pipeline is big and shockingly little-known, but the personality and posturing issues are what REALLY worry me.

[Mari333]

30. no, no crusade, no macho, no sending our kids to war anymore

no more war, no more sending our kids to wars for crusades and posturing. if the oil companies want to secure their pipelines, let them hire security guards.
as a mother of soldiers, no more.

[PurityOfEssence]

32. You have my empathy

My children are yet to be of an "at risk" age; I can't even think what it would be like to have them on the line. I certainly can't imagine it for adventurism, imperialism or foolhardiness like what's going on.

It's a dear price we've paid to momentarily break the chokehold of the reactionaries: the eradication of secularism in the Democratic Party, reinforcement of the monied elites and ongoing overseas folly.

We shall see.

Afghanistan is sheer lunacy.

[leftchick]

33. Thank you Mari

I have to say this fucked "war on terra" shit is fucking up the world. Bring them home and let us save those DoD Billions to use on the VA and American health. Gee what a concept, eh?

[treestar]

5. the PE is right; it is a time of turmoil

Getting out of Iraq will not be easy and we can't do it with people who know nothing about how we got into it and what has gone on since we have been there. Keeping the defense secretary for a while is wise.

[Breeze54]

14. The DS has only been in that position for 2 yrs... and there are many

that would be qualified to hold that position besides a RWer.

"Getting out of Iraq will not be easy and we can't do it with people who know nothing about how we got into it"

:eyes:

Really? They didn't know what the hell they were doing when they got us in there in the first place!!
And now you think they've suddenly grown more intelligent and a brass pair to get us out of there?!

:wtf:

Sorry but you're statement above makes no sense.

[girl gone mad]

7. I'm in the camp that thinks Summers and Geithner..

have proven their incompetence. Experience is only helpful when you're willing to learn from it.

[rug]

12. "I am the changer."

Ok.

[quiet.american]

22. Er... noting your quotes, Obama didn't actually say that. nt

[tomp]

26. he as good as said it. the tone is strikingly similar to bush. nt

[quiet.american]

31. "As good as" doth not a quote make! :) nt

[tomp]

24. beautiful! nt

[unkachuck]

15. to surround....

....himself so completely with predictable recycled Washington retreads, not new outside fresh-thinking progressives, only goes to show how unsure, uncertain and conservative Obama really is....

[leftchick]

34. Bingo!

Like there is not a fucking Progressive alive with 'experience"? How very telling, he is referring to the same old corporate game type of experience.

[snot]

17. it's not just right ideology; it's being RIGHT

there is a decent-sized pool of pros who PREDICTED this mess, who spoke out against it, etc. Why not hire those whose recommendations were CORRECT before the fact, instead of those who we can only hope might have learned from their mistakes???

[Le Taz Hot]

28. THIS should be a seperate post

and absolutely says it all! :applause:

[question everything]

18. First time since last Spring, the market went up four days in a row

and in all of these four days, Obama had some news about his economic policy and players.

If this is "socialism" or "redistribution of wealth" I will take it.

Yes, I know, many here hate Wall Street and the market and investments. That's because they never stop to think that one way or the other they invest. If they are employed, if they carry any kind of insurance, if they purchase anything, the employers and the insurance companies and the merchandise invest their reserves.

[autorank]

21. Oh shit

""But I understand where the vision for change comes from. First and foremost, it comes from me."

[tomp]

23. wow, this guy is showing his true colors even quicker than i thought.

still waiting for change.

[Breeze54]

25. Sit down and rest awhile.....

:P

[The Backlash Cometh]

27. Obama would be lying if he were to say that he didn't know that the old Washington insiders

have a history. Some not so good. Some of their big campaign donors may have harmed regular people out in the real world, and it's only their political connections which keep the courts and law enforcement agencies from bearing down on them. That is the danger of keeping these insiders with their old political strings. Normal, ordinary citizens who are being treated like marks, have to deal with more oppression. For them, the promise of the American dream died a long time ago.