Obama should stop appointing people from the Clinton administration

[grantcart]

This is not the CHANGE we were expecting

President Elect Obama's transition team should immediately stop appointing talented Democrats who gain valuable experience during the Clinton administration, the only Democratic administration in the last 28 years.

He should skip folks from Carter, Johnson and Truman as well.

He should choose only those with experience from the Roosevelt Administration - that is the kind of change we want.

[msongs]

1. forward....into the past lol nt

[anonymous171]

2. I personally think that he should only appoint cronies with no experience.

[grantcart]

3. absolutely anyone with a relevant track record has already been bought by the system

[Maru Kitteh]

106. Yeah! Like.......... well like......

Obama, and my city council members too - they're slaves of the system too. And the UPS guy that lives next to me. Same with him.






wink wink nod nod

[grantcart]

4. hic up

[Cha]

23. Exactly..that being the

mistake from previous admins he's avoiding.;)

I don't care who he appoints or what carcass he doesn't kick off the HSC..Obama's earned my trust.

[calico1]

28. Or maybe his high school buddies

like Palin did.

[tekisui]

5. People must forget how ineffective Carter and his "outsiders" Administration

was. They couldn't even get things done with a Democratic Majority.

Obama has studied the past Presidents. he is not following in Carter's mistakes of thinking he could do it without insiders.

He is not following Clinton's mistakes of not having a team well thought out an assembled before he takes the oath. He knows what he is doing. All this chicken littles don't have a clue, and will be impressed, again, when Obama succeeds.

[BootinUp]

6. Damn those Clintons for picking them first! nt

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

7. And I came here expecting to flame you

:rofl: Great post, intentionally misleading title as though it may be.

[ROakes1019]

8. change?

What kind of a change were you expecting--totally new people with no experience? He's picking the Democrats with experience and, since the only Democratic president in the past twenty years is Clinton, naturally many will come from that pool. I'm amazed at people who supported Obama after he ran a brilliant campaign who have not lost faith in his ability to put together an administration.

[Connie_Corleone]

10. Re-read the OP again.

[grantcart]

20. good point I hadn't thought of that

[AspenRose]

50. Pssst....

It's :sarcasm:

[apnu]

74. The Concern Troll is dead! Long live the Concern Troll!

I'm not suggesting your post is a concern troll post, rather that many of the people who've lost faith, as you say, are acting in the latest concern troll fad.

[grantcart]

75. were democrats were always concerned lol

[alwysdrunk]

103. change troll?

[dflprincess]

9. Some people with new ideas might be nice

Someone who belongs to the Democratic wing of the party would be even nicer. Instead, we're getting a tired bunch of DINOs.

[anonymous171]

11. Yeah, it's not like Obama has any new ideas or anything.

[dmallind]

12. Personally I wanted change from Bush

I can handle not much change from the unemployment halving, stock market tripling, budget surplus generating, international goodwill creating, poverty reducing administration before his.

No that doesn't mean I think Clinton was perfect. He chickened out way too early on healthcare (partly because he attacked it the wrong way to begin with), the DADT and DOMA crap weren't good moves, and of course it's better in the long run NOT to get blown by interns, but I think getting those kind of results back would be change enough for me. I doubt we can however. If Obama does half as well (reduces unemployment by 25%, sees the market go up 150%, has only a $125B or so budget surlpus and adds 11.5M new jobs) I'll be extremely enthusiastic about his presidency when it's over.


Heck he can even just get a handjob from an intern maybe and I'll still be enthusiastic. If I expect half Clinton's accomplishments I should be willing to accept half his problems ;)

[Catherine Vincent]

13. I listen to these idiot repuke callers from cspan and they whine about

PE Obama choosing all these Clinton people and how that isn't change. When the moderator asks them who do they suggest or how much experience, they can't really answer. Idiots.

[dmallind]

17. Why isn't the obvious answer, both to Dems and others..

....it's change from BUSH he campaigned on.

Why do we even try to rationalize the concepts of experience and political savvy from insiders when the very basic point is missed? Obama never said a damn thing about being the anti-Bill Clinton. He said a lot aboput being the anti-Bush. If he just said "fuck it I'll take Clinton's cabinet from top to bottom" would that be a change from what we have or not?

[Catherine Vincent]

19. I know.

And I think some of them know that already (Repukes) but they want to whine anyway.

[grantcart]

25. or the idiot commentators including Chris Matthews

or lots of people that post idiotic comments in the Netroots.

[AspenRose]

52. We should ask that same question here on DU

since there seem to be plenty of folks here saying the exact same thing.... :think:

Let's just ask 'em, outright: Who would YOU pick?

[grantcart]

53. or better yet --- what office are you going to run for ---

[Born_A_Truman]

71. Oh I did ask that question on a thread a few days ago

Got the sounds of silence.

[Thrill]

14. Clinton was the last Democratic President. And was President for 8 yrs. So unless you want 20yr olds

doing the important positions that call for government experience. You have to expect some Clinton people.

[grantcart]

33. and that of course was the point of the OP

[goclark]

44. Exactly grantcart K and R

After 8 years of Bushthugs, that is the change that we need.

My CHANGE is not having to look at BUSH everyday.

My CHANGE is having a President that may not always serve 'my interest" but is fair and believes in justice.

Those qualities have been gone for the last eight years.

If you read the treads that pertain to Obama, you will see qualities that Obama possesses that represent CHANGE....
Just some examples

I like the way he smiles

I like the way that he is decent to even his enemies.

I like the way that he treats his family -- it is so nice to see the way that he adores his wife and children.

Let's face it -- we have been Abused Citizens for at least 8 years and we just can't believe that if someone is just "nice" and "kind" to us, that is CHANGE!

Fired Up and Ready To Be Loved and Appreciated by the 44th President of the United States of our America! :bounce:

[Alter Ego]

15. hahahaha

Oh God, I can see it now...cabinet meetings with desiccated corpses in every chair.

OBAMA: "Mr. Secretary, what is your opinion?"

"BRRRRAAAAAAAIIIINNSSSSS"

[Number23]

98. ((giggle))

[Lex]

16. Obama should appoint whoever the heck he thinks is best, in his opinion.

nt

[Marrah_G]

18. oooooo- you almost got me!

[Skwmom]

21. Where else is he going to get all those Democratic Corporatists from?

And the liberal Neocons? Give the guy a break.

[grantcart]

22. absolutely -- if a Democrat doesn't agree with me 100% I will find a clever

name to label them with, and I will never ever actually run for office myself.

Too much fun throwing the grenades.

[BzaDem]

79. +1

[stray cat]

24. The good old days of the Clinton administration - ok by me

compared to the last 8 years.

[Ken Burch]

26. It should only have been progressives from that admin, like Robert Reich

None of the right-wingers from it have anything to offer. Certainly not any of the ones who sold out to the right on welfare reform, and settled for poorbashing and surrender to right-wing propaganda rather than actually making a better system for helping the poor get out of poverty. It was REPUBLICAN to accept the idea that the poor themselves were to blame for being poor. You can't think that and have any humane views.

[grantcart]

32. and anyone who disagrees with Ken Burch is not a progressive

[Ken Burch]

41. No. I can handle disagreement. But there are some who were across the line.

Clearly, people like Begala and Summers shouldn't be involved in this new era, since all they want to do is stop change.

[PVnRT]

27. If he's not appointing people from the Cleveland administration,

then he's nothing more than a CORPORATIST STOOGE beholden to WALL STREET FAT CATS and I will yell and scream on the INTERNET about it, for I know that EVERYONE listens to me and takes into account what I think.

[grantcart]

31. see now its hard to tell when somebody is joining in the sarcasm

and others just improving upon it lol

[moriah]

29. We should stop telling Obama what to do.

We voted for him, after all... because we felt he could make those decisions.

Let him.

[grantcart]

30. and if you have a chance to actually read the OP

you will find that is the point

[moriah]

34. I realize that, but sometimes it must be said a little more bluntly.

:)

[grantcart]

35. lol and even that will not be blunt enough for some lol

[La Lioness Priyanka]

36. it was exactly the change i was expecting. nt

[SIMPLYB1980]

37. Had to read it twice. LoL!

:toast:

[EstimatedProphet]

38. Subtle...!

I had to read it twice to get the joke! Clever!

[jaysunb]

39. Good post

:thumbsup:

[SeaLyons]

40. K&R

[unblock]

42. sakajawea! that's not change we can believe in!

we want quarters, dimes, nickels!
that's change we can believe in!

[grantcart]

47. as a graduate of Sacajewa Jr High School I agree

[11 Bravo]

43. Whew! He was just waiting to hear from you. Now that he knows what he should do he can get to work.

[grantcart]

48. and if you actually read the OP

you will see that is exactly my point

[ComtesseDeSpair]

45. The way I see it...

is that by picking people with previous experience with the Clinton administration he's eliminating the learning curve, so that he can maximize his time in office to Get Things Done!

[grantcart]

49. and if you actually read the OP

you will see that was my point

[ComtesseDeSpair]

73. And I'm agreeing with you...

I wasn't actually responding to your Op, I was responding to other people's responses.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

46. Andrew Jackson for Sec Def!!!

[grantcart]

51. lol great

[uponit7771]

54. Obama does NOT have time to ramp up or give anyone else time to ramp up

[grantcart]

55. lol you might want to reread the OP lol

[11 Bravo]

58. I was going to PM you, but I believe I will apologize publicly instead.

I read the thread title, the first line of the post, and then skimmed the rest. After taking your advice (you know, actually READING the entire post), your words were, IMO, right on point, and I apologize for my ill-considered response.

on edit: I meant to post this upthread, under your reply to me, but the sentiment remains the same.

[grantcart]

68. no apology - I just refuse to post the sarcasm tag

[uponit7771]

60. Yeah, I only read the first lines but ...you know....great minds :-)

[berni_mccoy]

56. For a minute, you had me worried Grant. LOL :-)

[TwilightZone]

57. My goodness. Look at all the knee-jerking.

Geez, people, do you read posts beyond the headline?

[IamyourTVandIownyou]

59. Change = Re-treads?

Fck the DC insiders.

[Dr Fate]

64. For the sake of argument, it is certainly a change from Bush...

And I have to admit that I think that is what most voters were thinking when they agreed we needed "change"- they meant change from Bush...

Having said that, we might agree that it would be a mistake for Obama to ignore liberals- I don't think he will...

[MarthaMyDear]

66. Oh lord, not paranoid ravings about "DC Insiders"...

...I've never quite understood exactly how much experience in Washington automatically makes you an insider.

1 year, 2 years, 10 years experience? All that matters is that whoever is appointed does a good job and reverses the horror that 8 years of the Bush administration have wrought on the American people!

[grantcart]

78. we want people who are completely uninformed about DC

and can't even find the bathrooms

[stillcool]

90. Change = Competent Government...

seems like there are lots of people who have not listened to a single Obama speech during the last two years.

[Dr Fate]

61. As long as they can do a good job, I could care less. I'll trust Obama. n/t

n/t

[WI_DEM]

62. If he can find a good person still around from the Wilson administration he should go with him, too.

[grantcart]

70. hell make him head of Social Security

[MadBadger]

63. You got a problem with the Kennedys????? Ive heard enuf of you!

:P

[grantcart]

69. lol

[alwysdrunk]

65. People act they expect him to appoint bloggers and campaign volunteers

No, not Democrats with some idea what they are doing, anything but that.

[Hippo_Tron]

67. Well John McCain worked in the Teddy Roosevelt Administration, maybe he should appoint him

[grantcart]

77. Hes too busy helping to lead the Republicans into a civil war

[CreekDog]

72. he should also exclude anyone NOT chosen to be in the Clinton administration

because they weren't even good enough to get into the group you recommend excluding! :rofl: :hug:

[grantcart]

76. he should pick only from the people at DU

and he should exclude anyone who posts here.

[Lilith Velkor]

80. Win!

:rofl: :thumbsup:

[BlooInBloo]

81. Not really sure what the alternative is. An team of mostly rookies? From the bush administration?

[Barack_America]

82. Counter-argument(?): If we don't appoint progressives to positions where they can get "experience"

How will we ever get progressives with experience?

:shrug:

And did Bill Clinton mine the Carter administration for appointments? And was his administration successful?

[political_Dem]

83. Aren't there other qualified people out there who haven't been connected to the Clintons in any way?

Just asking.

[grantcart]

93. No not with real experience

Carter came in with his Georgia posse pissed everyone off for no good reason got nothing done and was a one term President.


I loved Carter and shivered at his Inauguration but the practice of trying to manuever the largest bureacracies in the world without people that have already been there is not possible.

Out of the Hundreds of political appointees Obama will select some of the best, he will bring in others who served in state governments and some academic types but some who have worked inside a Democratic Administration is critical.

Future Democratic administrations will have the possibility to select from the thousands of Obama appointees.

[Radical Activist]

84. Clinton had liberals working for him too.

Just because someone worked for Clinton doesn't mean they always agreed with him.

Funny post. I wouldn't mind seeing a lot of New Deal type change though.

[bridgit]

85. he-heeeee, that's what Rush Limbaugh says too!!

:spray:

[Zhade]

86. My concern isn't with the people he's choosing, so much as what they represent.

If he actually agrees with these people, then he does not represent change.

If, on the other hand, he makes these people bow to a more liberal policy line, then I'll relish fuckers like rahm having to grit their teeth and do as they're told.

It's all about what Obama does. My mantra is "we'll see".

[Willo]

87. I'm expecting to see some new things

from some of the these DC vets. Be it a new direction or new roles, it may prove liberating for some of them.
I believe I saw signs of that in the transition from the primaries to the GE.

I'm totally convinced that President-elect Obama is a good guy. Honest and sincere. That frees me to be curious about his moves rather than concerned about his motives. So while I think Lieberman should be tarred and feathered, Hillary should remain in the Senate and these bailouts should cease, I am not worried.

I do find the media both amusing and annoying as they try to apply old ways to Obama's new ones, over and over again.

DU will need a new agenda as well. Formed and driven by the negative downside, what do you do with the positive upside of being on the winning team?

[nc4bo]

88. Glad I was in time to "R" this post. nt

[Lisa0825]

89. You got me! LOL

Great post! :rofl:

[AtomicKitten]

91. If they aren't branded, maverick code says they belong to Obama.

yipeekaya mo-fos

[wisteria]

92. Maybe we misunderstood what the change was. n/t

[SwampG8r]

94. no no no

im holding out for leftovers from the jefferson admin

[grantcart]

100. lol

[Vattel]

95. All sarcasm aside, he should adopt Socks

because any other pet would lack experience.

[Jennicut]

96. I think Obama seriously needs to consider the Van Buren administration

so what if they are all dead? Dig em up and bring em back to life, Pet Cemetery Style. The late 1830's were a great time, really. Plus, Martin Van B. was our second Democrat ever as prez.

[grantcart]

97. well at the very least he should get the killer side burns

[Jennicut]

99. LOL! Look at the wikipedia list of presidents. Obama looks so cool in comparison.

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

And Taft and Cleveland, I had no idea they were that huge.

[TheKentuckian]

102. The Van B boys are up to shenanigans again!

[snake in the grass]

101. I have a suggestion.

Why don't you run in 2012? I'm sure you will do it much better!

[AmyCamus]

104. If I wanted a 3rd Clinton administration, I would've voted for a Clinton.

The OP is just blindly following the leader.

[kwenu]

109. I don't think this is blindly following the leader. It's acknowledging that Obama has the right

to put the people he feels has the talent to lead in the right positions. That is his right frankly whether anyone likes it or not and only he will decide. We get to judge the results of the management.

[stillcool]

110. Which of those appointments..

that have been made do you have an issue with? And who is it that you would like to have appointed to the various positions?

[Maru Kitteh]

105. You got me!

you evil genius. *snarf*

[cliffordu]

107. YOU''RE GODDAMMED RIGHT,

fuck a bunch of whippersnappers.

[kwenu]

108. If he came to the conclusion that a homeless person haswhat he wants in order to effect competent

leadership in the Obama administration, he should appoint him. And I would support him.