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Sunday, Nov 8, 2009
By saving Joe's proverbial behind, Obama now has Lieberman right where he wants him: indebted. Joe now owes him one...I'm sure Obama will eventually collect. The Chicago way.
I'm unhappy with Obama using his influence over Congress to keep Leiberman as well, but he seems to be taking Lincoln's concept of the team of rivals very much to heart. I've heard Obama described as obsessed with Lincoln, and I can't think of a better role model for a new president, especially in a country that needs healing as much as we do today.
As for Leiberman, I guess we can take comfort in knowing that he owes Obama big time.
I don't think the Lincoln "team of rivals" analogy takes you very far.
Lincoln's cabinet was stacked with heavyweight contenders, in part, because Lincoln himself was widely considered a feather weight, hackneyed compromise candidate and both the party and the establishment of the time would not have allowed him to surround himself with anyone else. Once in office, the rivalry did not save Lincoln's bacon during the Civil War. Grant and Sherman did that. Lincoln was in way over his head in 1861, spending as much time on postal patronage appointments as affairs of state; he was consumed with McClellan's misadventures in 1862; and it was not until the war showed some signs of progress in 1863 that he gained firm control over both his military leadership and his cabinet. Men like Seward were of course important to the cause, but I'm not sure what lessons the "rivalry" contains for 21st century governance. By the way, McClellan was a "rival" too, from the time he was serving as army major general, yet he ended up breaking out and running against Lincoln. Some rivalries may be more equally pendantic than others.
I suppose you could say the Hillary Clinton . . . whatever it is going on right now . . . relates to rivalry, to the extent she and Mr. Obama are once and (possibly) future rivals. But I don't see much application to Lincoln beyond that.
"I have no problem with Eric Holder as attorney general, either; I think he'd fix the Justice Department that Bush destroyed..." - joan "the babe" walsh
So, you have no problem with the federal government incinerating children at Waco, TX?
You have no problem with federal agents, acting without a court order, breaking into a home at night, wielding MP5 automatic machine guns, forcing TV cameramen to the ground, and taking a child at gun point?
They couldn't stop this photographer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Inselian.jpg
If you are "Ok" with these events, please, . . . never lecture me again about "Bush's destruction of the DOJ".
was already saved by Obama when he campaigned for his re-election over the Democratic Senate candidate who won the Connecticut primary. How did that work out for Obama? Joe still went out and campaigned against Barack and Democrats across the country. Lieberman will stab him and us in the back again.
I would like to see Clinton as Sec. of State, I hope Obama is not going to actually attempt to govern his adminstration by a biography written about a president who was alive almost 150 years ago during entirely different circumstances.
No, he's not Obambi, but he is too much of a romantic. He also overcredits the force of his own personality. I am glad that most of the people he has chosen thus far seem to be experienced, practical, grounded types.
As for Holy Joe, if ever payback was appropriate ...
Actually, the "borrow, borrow, borrow, cut taxes, and spend, spend, spend, and spend some more" is the motto of the Bush administration. You are presumptuous if you think that I am in favor of runaway spending. Indeed, I think that owing China so much money has undermined our position in the world and neutered us in the face of China's participation in the genocide in Darfur, human rights abuses in Tibet, perpetual threatening of Taiwan, dishonest estimations of the value of its currency, and flagrant pollution. Thanks to runaway spending, we go to meetings with the Chinese hat in hand as debtors. The blame for the ballooning budget deficit and national debt rests squarely on the Republican Congress (and the Democratic Congress the past two years) and the Bush administration. No bid contracts for cronies of the Bush administration have contributed to this, but no one said anything. I want to end the illegal occupation of Iraq which costs at least 10 billion dollars a month, I want to reform the Department of Defense because it cannot be allowed to run with such inefficiency so that it busts our budget every year, I want to hold to account all of those companies that have taken money from the taxpayers to rebuild our infrastructure (bridges, highways, railroads, light rail, subways, etc.) and force them to return the money with interest or hire Americans to build them. You obviously have no idea how I feel about the budget, obviously. I do not believe in runaway spending.
As for pro-choice judges, I am holding out hope. There Justices Souter, Ginsberg, Kennedy are ripe for retirement. But, there are dozens of seats on the appellate bench that need filling and I hope Obama picks the most pro-choice judges he can find. I also want judges who are in favor of civil rights for all everyone who is on American soil.
This is especially true at the Pentagon where it seems that keeping Gates as a caretaker is desired and necessary for the defense of the nation and that Admirals and Generals appear very comfortable making policy decisions reserved for elsewhere in the Executive while the new President comes of age. And of course the slave trade network from bounty or field via air routes and terminating in Guantanamo Bay must be continued cause they really don't think the Constitution, Conventions and Treaties are up to the standards equal to the cafeteria where these unelected keepers of trust feed. Gratuitous, indeed.
Change will come as a wholesale dismissal of appointees and revocation of stained commissions occurs across the Potomac as the President addresses the Nation at inauguration.
Change will be noted at the moment the torturers' brothels across the world are closed and the Gitmo's landlord, the Navy, places the Jack of the 50 United States back on the bows of US Navy's ships to note proper ownership.
Much of the initial coverage about Fort Hood turned out to be wrong. Is there anything wrong with that?
The accountability imposed by another country for the CIA's kidnapping and torture reveals much about our own.
Fox News' morning show plays to type, talking about whether Muslims in the Army should face "special debriefings"
219 Democrats and one Republican join in favor of the legislation, which passed by a narrow margin
The survivor and author is upset about comparisons some on the right are making to genocide
Salon headlines in your mailbox
