The Unchanged

With over 35 announced appointments for the new, incoming President's administration, things are looking a little more like a redux of the Clinton Presidency and not hardly like the real change that Barack Obama promised. Certainly, the political right is not real happy with seeing four more (new) years of a Clinton Administration. Even more so, the political left is wondering what they're getting with their votes for Mr. Obama. The icing on that cake will be the appointment of Hillary as the Secretary of State. With that, you will almost have the complete replay of the "Clinton" Administration because, as you can expect, you get Bill as part of the Hillary package. Worse yet for the political left, Bob Gates (from the current Bush Administration) will remain as Secretary of Defense. Between Hillary and Gates, you've got one nice package of pro-Iraq War pols. I suspect the Daily KOS, MoveOn.org & Code Pink are all hitting the bathrooms as they loose their lunches over all the political centrists that Obama will be nominating.

I think Mr. Obama has decided that staying warm and cozy with the Democratic past and the Clintonistas is better, politically, than taking risks with any new people. It just proves that he really isn't the risk taker that people thought they were getting when they elected this guy. It just echoes why, on so many occasions, he voted "present" in the Illinois Senate; rather than take any real stand by voting a decisive yes or no. We got a hint of that when Russia invaded Georgia. Obama's immediate decision was not to condemn Russia; but, instead, to urge restraint on the part of both countries.

I may be wrong, but, given what I am now seeing from Mr. Obama, you can expect an even longer list of reneged-on promises. Don't expect your tax cuts any time soon. Also, don't expect him to rescind the tax cuts for the rich. In one of last week's news conferences he was already dancing around that issue of taxes for the rich on the basis of the current economic crisis. However, those that voted for him thought otherwise. But that was really a lie. Obama knew that the economy was going to be in a heap of trouble all the time he was on the campaign trail; but, then he refused to back off his position on taxes. I'll bet he even stays in Iraq longer than 16 months. The only way we'll leave on time or earlier is because the solid left of the Congress will force him to do it. Also, don't even think he will try to impose a new healthcare system on business because of the economy.

Bill Clinton promised tax cuts, too, when he first ran for the Presidency. But, those cuts were never to be seen because his economic team was against them. Now, Obama's got much of the same team standing behind him, and the economic conditions are even worse. Obama may claim that he is the "vision of change" and that his same-old, same-old cabinet will get their direction from him. Maybe. Maybe not. I suspect that the input he gets will be the same input Bill Clinton got when he was in Office. With such filtered input, Barack will wind up making the changes that his team recommends. Not the other way around.