Did We Just Elect A Clinton Administration?

[Better Believe It]

A Clinton Administration?
by Tom Engelhardt
The Nation
November 19, 2008

No one should be shocked to discover that, in his transition to the presidency, the "inexperienced" former senator from Chicago has turned to the last Democratic administration that had experience in Washington. It seems, however, that the Obama team is doing so big time. Looking at lists of early appointees for the transition period and the administration to come, from Rahm Emanuel on down, you might be forgiven for concluding that Hillary had been elected president in 2008. Clintonistas are just piling up in the prospective corridors of power.

You might also be forgiven for concluding that just about no one else in America had ever had any "experience." Late last week, the website Politico.com did some counting and came up with the following: "Thirty-one of the 47 people so far named to transition or staff posts have ties to the Clinton administration, including all but one of the members of his 12-person Transition Advisory Board and both of his White House staff choices." More have been appointed since then, including, as White House Counsel, Gregory Craig, the lawyer who defended Bill Clinton in impeachment hearings, and evidently as Attorney General, Eric Holder, who worked in the Clinton Justice Department. And, of course, everyone in America now knows that Hillary herself is being considered for a cabinet post.

What do Washington political and policy types do when their party is kicked out of office? If they want to stay in the Big Town, they tend to go to work for lobbyists, consultancy firms, or think tanks. They raise money. They do what's needed and make good livings until the tide turns. Now, that tide is again rushing in -- and the lobbying money is, of course, rushing in with it. As the Washington Post has described it, there is already a "mini-boom" for Democrats along that lobbying alley, K Street.

Here's how Laura Meckler and Jonathan Weisman of the Wall Street Journal described one set of 13 transition-team names released: "The group is filled with second-tier veterans of the Clinton administration and workers in the technology and financial sectors. It includes four former lobbyists, three top campaign fund-raisers and two former employees of troubled mortgage giant Fannie Mae, with some overlap among them. Four people in the group have ties to the consultant McKinsey & Co…" (In 2004, by the way, McKinsey & Co. made $19,500 in executive contributions to President Bush, and $102,000 in soft money contributions to the Republican Party. That will undoubtedly now change.)

Please read the complete article at:

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion/384908/a_clinton_administration?rel=hpbox

[Connie_Corleone]

1. The transition team members are NOT the cabinet members.

Okay. Let's have the transition team made up of people who have no fucking clue how a White House functions.

Name ALL the Clinton people that have officially been nominated for cabinet positions.

[niceypoo]

51. People go by what they hear from the pundits

Most fear and loathing is ignorance based.

[LostinVA]

2. sigh

[Armstead]

6. My feelings too, except for the opposite reason

Sigh.....And some of us were foolish to think we were turning the page on DLC Special Interest politics. Oh well. Meet the new boss., Same as the old boss.

[LostinVA]

7. I think you don't know why I sighed

And, I really don't think Obama has done anything at all surprising -- except for Daschle. He's always been pretty DLC without being in the DLC.

[Armstead]

11. I kind of assumed it was "Sigh...More useless Clinton griping on DU"

If I was mistaken, my apologies.

[LostinVA]

13. "Sigh... more cart before the horse griping on DU"

[Armstead]

19. Okay, but the buckles are certainly being tightened on the harness

[cali]

3. no. and it takes a special kind of stupid to think so.

[Armstead]

4. Just when we thought it was over....They pull us back in

A reasonable ratio of Clintonistas to fresh blood would be okay.

But this is getting dangerously close to a restoration of the Clinton/DLC Dynasty.

[Better Believe It]

9. Clinton Has Obama By The Throat Now

This is a disaster.

I hope Obama can find a way to step back from the brink.

Hillary doesn't take orders from anyone, including Obama.

She will work behind Obama's back to weaken his foreign policy which she expects to disagree with.

And those disagreements will be leaked out by her staff, just as they are doing now.

Like Bill Clinton said a few days ago "It's her turn".

We didn't vote for a Clinton administration 3rd term.

We voted for Obama.

And we voted for change.

Appointing Clinton retreads to so many key positions in the government isn't change we can believe in.

[cali]

15. LOL!!! And you know this all from personal experience, of course.

what fucking nonsense. and don't speak for others. you don't have any right to claim why "we" voted for Obama.

As I said, it takes a special kind of stupid to believe this is a third Clinton term, particularly as Obama hasn't even been sworn in yet.

And god, I'm sick of stupid.

[LostinVA]

18. Hillary is a known team player, and the man I voted for isn't an IDIOT

Nor a weak-willed schmuck.

You voted for a Dem. The only experienced policy wonks are either from the Clinton Admin or were lower tier officials then. Would you rather he appointed REpublicans or inexperienced people? You can't do that. THIS is his way of "being ready on Day One." Some appointees will cycle out and be replaced by people who have been "in training" under them. It happens all the time.

I think DEan should have gotten HHW, not Daschle, but I'm willing to give him a chance. I supported Hillary as President, but voted for Obama and am willing to give him a chance. Why aren't you?

[Better Believe It]

24. Who Do You Think Clinton Appointed In 1992? No Carter People In Sight!

He found new people who had little or nothing to do with President Carter. Wall Street types!

[LostinVA]

27. You really have to be kidding me with that

[Better Believe It]

41. No Check it out

[LostinVA]

58. No, you are frigging kidding me comparing the two Admins

Jesus Christ. You and some others are HONESTLY delusional and pathological about this. And, I can't believe how little you think of the man you all say you voted for.

[cali]

29. how did the Clinton admin do in the first few months of their tenure?

What happened in 1994? I'd suggest educating yourself, but it's not clear that you're capable of doing so.

[Better Believe It]

25. He's Not An Idiot, But He Just Made A Huge Mistake

I hope he finds a way out of it or he'll be a one-term President.

He made a perfunctory Secretary of State offer to Clinton assuming she would turn it down.

She called his bluff!

And now he's paying for that error.

[LostinVA]

28. Then I wish I could take back my vote since his judgement is so fucked up

Glad you set me straight!

:eyes:

[leftynyc]

43. Riiiiiight

Just like she would fight all the way to the convention and not campaign for him. Get over it already.

[tekisui]

45. We voted for Obama, and we got Obama.

He is the boss. He is doing exactly what he said he would. I want him to be successful at making the changes this country needs. And, to be honest, we are in the shitter right now. We need people who know how to get it done. He has built an impressive team. Call them what you will, but they will be effective and do more than a bunch of changlings that have no experience or pull.

[SaveOurDemocracy]

49. You are DELUSIONAL! ... unfreakinbelievable n/t

[niceypoo]

52. I hate to say this but,...

...your an ignorant fool

[ben_meyers]

5. Actually, maybe we are finally getting the administration

that Al Gore deserved, had his election not been stolen. I fully understand why President Gore did not run for re-election this time, but we are about to get the next best thing.

[Uzybone]

50. Great observation

Ive never thought of it this way.

Al Gore...Clinton with foresight and self discipline.

[YvonneCa]

56. Ain't it ...

...GRAND? :7

[grantcart]

8. Yeah what the hell is up with that -- we should have Democrats from the Roosevelt Administration

skip Carter and Johnson too


Kennedy is ok

too bad we only had one Democratic President in the last 28 years !!!


Kind of narrows the choices for people with a track record and real experience


Doesn't it??

[nxylas]

10. That's DemocratIC President

Huff, puff, you skipped the "ic". Pass the smelling salts! I do declah!

[grantcart]

20. got it

(BTW Overseas parties -where I lived for 20 years - that use the word Democrat for their name don't have the 'ic' at the end so sometimes I leave it off by habit)

[LostinVA]

12. What's wrong with appointing Republicans to the Cabinet???

YOU BETTER KNOW I'M KIDDING.

[Better Believe It]

21. Gotta Love That Wall Street Deregulation & NAFTA Track Record

of the Republicans and their enablers within the Democratic Party led by the Clintons.

And this is the kind of track record and experience you celebate and want more of?

Sorry.

We need a real change in economic policy, one that benefits the common people, not just the deregulation, free trade fat cats on Wall Street.

----------------------------------

The Obama Economic Team: Clinton Retreads?
By Dean Baker
Guardian Unlimited
November 13, 2008

Those following the meeting of President Obama's economic advisory committee could not have been very reassured by the presence of Robert Rubin and Larry Summers, both former Treasury secretaries in the Clinton administration. Along with former Federal Reserve Board chairman Alan Greenspan, Rubin and Summers compose the high priesthood of the bubble economy. Their policy of one-sided financial deregulation is responsible for the current economic catastrophe.

While the Bush administration must take responsibility for the current crisis (they have been in power the last 8 years), the stage was set during the Clinton years. The Clinton team set the economy on the path of one-sided financial deregulation and bubble-driven growth that brought us where we are today. (The deregulation was one-sided, because they did not take away the "too big to fail" security blanket of the Wall Street big boys.)

For this reason, it is very discouraging to see top Clinton administration officials standing center stage at President Obama's meeting on the economy. This is not change, and certainly not policies that we can believe in.

Read the complete article at:

http://www.zmag.org/znet/viewArticle/19603

[grantcart]

33. Wow the Obama administration already came out with more Wall Street Deregulation

and more NAFTA.

[Better Believe It]

35. I Haven't Seen That At All

[ProSense]

14. Craig worked for Kennedy before Clinton and Holder was appointed to a position by Reagan

Eric Holder:

After graduating law school, Holder was employed in the U.S. Justice Department functioning as a trial attorney in the Public Integrity Section during an interval lasting from 1976 to 1988. During his time there, he assisted in the prosecution of Democratic Congressman John Jenrette for bribery discovered in the Abscam sting operation.<12> In 1988, then-President Ronald Reagan appointed Holder to serve on the Bench as a Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.<1> Holder stepped down from the bench in 1993 to accept an appointment for U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia from President Bill Clinton. He was the first African-American U.S. Attorney in that office.<13> At the beginning of his tenure, he oversaw the conclusion of the corruption case against Dan Rostenkowski, part of the Congressional Post Office Scandal.<12> He was a U.S. Attorney until his elevation to Deputy Attorney General in 1997.

Greg Craig:

Craig served as Senator Edward Kennedy’s Senior Advisor on Defense, Foreign Policy and National Security issues for five years (1984-88).

In 1997 Secretary of State Madeleine Albright made Craig one of her senior advisors, and he served as Director of Policy Planning from 1997–98. In late 1997 he was appointed as a special coordinator to focus attention on China's suppression of Tibet's cultural and religious traditions.<6>

In September 1998 President Clinton appointed Craig as Assistant to the President and Special Counsel in the White House, where he directed the President’s team defending against impeachment. He was also a member of the President’s trial team in the United States Senate.

A lot of people worked for the Clinton administration so it doesn't mean much.

Most people are worried about Clinton loyalist, which someone like Craig isn't.

[Skwmom]

16. I spoke to someone who referred to it as the Obamaton Administration.

As a former Clinton supporter, they are in their glory.

Of course, there was the "Don't you feel safer knowing Hillary will be there to answer the 3 a.m. call" quip. Quite the joker.

[WI_DEM]

17. No, an Obama administration. He's the president.

[Egnever]

22. Have you quit beating your wife:?

how many of these stupid ass posts are we going to get?

Does everyone really believe Obama is going to be railroaded by the people he choses?

WTF is wrong with this place?

[Armstead]

26. No you miss the point

Obama does not have to be railroaded in order to get sucked into the same old same old that have ruined both politics and the economy over the last 35 years.

Some of us, ahem, were hoping that Obama might choose to surround his administration with a mix of old hands AND people who have not been corrupted by the phony "centrist" form of conservatism and the Washington Concensus that brought you the underlying quagmire or elitist policies and the current catastrophies.

[Egnever]

34. Get the fuck over yourself

He hasnt even taken office yet, Why don't you wait till he actually affects some sort of policy before your incessant whining.

Its beyond old at this point. He has laid out what his intentions are quite clearly on his website have you actually fucking read it or is all you do is bitch about who he is surrounding himself with?

I couldn't give a fuck who you wanted him to be surrounded by. Unless you have an issue with what his stated policy is at this point all you are is whiner.

When he deviates from that policy then you can bitch cause he said pretty fucking clearly from the outset that his admin would include people you wouldn't agree with the fact that you are crying about it now only tells me you weren't paying attention.

[Armstead]

37. I'll whine along with The Nation magazine

Perhaps if the Democrats had listened more to the "incessant whiners" over the last 10 or 15 years, we might have avoided some of the disasters wrought by so-called "centrism"

get the fuck over yourself

[BzaDem]

53. Yeah, perhaps we would have nominated McGovern in 2000 and Mondale in 2004.

[lester94111]

23. Bitch and Moan. Bitch and Moan...

Get over it. Obama is our Prez and he gets to pick and choose whomever he sees fit to work under his Presidency.

[secondwind]

30. NO! It is the Obama Administration, LET'S STOP DOING THIS TO OURSELVES!

[question everything]

31. Yeah, right, that monstrous Clinton Adminsitration

when the economy expanded across all income, when he nominated two supreme court justices that have kept the conservative wing at bay. When other countries liked us and wanted to emulate us.

Yes, really really a bad example to follow

:banghead:

[NaturalHigh]

40. Clinton-bashing is the in thing now.

I don't understand it either, but Bill Clinton has definitely fallen out of grace on DU.

[question everything]

61. Bill Clinton has fallen out of grace on DU throughout the primaries

and, I suspect, this is a precursor to bashing Obama.

After all, if DUers will not have anything to get mad about, what will they do?

[Zynx]

32. Just because people served in the Clinton Administration does not make them Clintonites.

This is a poorly written article and poorly thought out. The author should be ashamed of themselves.

[Rockholm]

36. Let's hope so. I liked the Clinton years.

Peace and prosperity. I am sure that President Obama will be not only able to MATCH, but EXCEED the greatness of the Clinton years.

[Upton]

38. Did you like 1994 too?

[Rockholm]

55. If I recall, 1994 was OK for me.

I had a great job, lots of money, no debt, great apartment, great roommate, was having lots of sex (not with the roommate). Yeah, 1994 was pretty darned good.
What was happening in 1994 that you ask?

[Upton]

57. I'm referring to Nov '94

what later came to be known as the "Republican Revolution." After that, Bill Clinton was forced to capitulate to a GOP Congress. We are only now recovering from that time and Obama is filling his cabinet full of many of the same people who let us down once before.

[Rockholm]

60. Yeah, that sucked.

[NaturalHigh]

39. The Clinton administration worked out pretty well for the country.

It wasn't perfect by any means (I hate NAFTA, as should any working American), but a lot of good things happened in Clinton's eight years. If we really do see a Clinton redux, there are worse things.

[Upton]

42. "there are worse things"

that's a great recommendation...Me, I voted for Obama not for Clinton II and I'm beginning to get concerned.

[MadBadger]

44. Concerned before he serves a day in office

Theres a word for people like you.

[NaturalHigh]

54. Have you ever gotten everything you wanted from a politician?

This will be Obama's administration, not Clinton's, no matter how many Clinton people are in his administration. If he can rely on their experience to help him through the rough patches, though, I don't see that as a bad thing.

[dflprincess]

62. If experience in the Clinton administration was so important -

I have to wonder why Hillary didn't walk away with the nomination. I recall, the Obama supporters couldn't stand the thought of a 3rd Clinton term during the primary season (neither could I - and I still don't like the idea).

[anonymous171]

46. Did we just give Congress to the GOP? Then no.

[kwenu]

47. Useless article. I'd much rather spend my time watching the Repubs eat each other.

[Cleita]

48. Considering things were better then, I suppose it's better than

a Bush or McCain administration. Lets hope he puts some liberals in there too to balance this out.

[Better Believe It]

59. " This isn't lightly flavored with Clintons. This is all Clintons, all the time."

Clinton Among Top Picks For State
By Anne E. Kornblut and Michael D. Shear
Washington Post Staff Writers
November 15, 2008

As rumors of a possible Clinton selection mounted, some Obama supporters privately expressed dismay that their hopes of bringing wholesale differences to Washington might be dashed. Clinton administration veterans are dominating some of early phases of the Obama administration, with John D. Podesta, who was Bill Clinton's chief of staff, leading the transition effort and Rep. Rahm Emanuel (Ill.), a Clinton administration official, tapped to serve as White House chief of staff.

"What happened to all this talk about change?" said a member of the Clinton foreign policy team. "This isn't lightly flavored with Clintons. This is all Clintons, all the time."

She does, however, carry the respect of her Senate colleagues, which probably would aid the confirmation process. In an interview, Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), a confidant of McCain, said Clinton would be an excellent choice for the post.

"She'll easily be confirmed if she gets chosen," Graham said. "That kinda surprised me, but she wouldn't be a bad choice at all. If she were chosen, she has the portfolio and the skills that would make her uniquely qualified for the job."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/14/AR2008111403863_pf.html