Progressive Democrats face a choice. Stand up to Barack Obama and his Clintonista cabinet appointments or cut him some slack. Throughout the presidential campaign many said that we wouldn't really know what Obama's politics are until he entered The White House.
Now that he's shaping his cabinet, it's clear that Obama is favoring establishment politics and a fairly conservative team of foreign policy advisors over a real departure from the neo-liberal consensus that has dominated Washington politics for the last two decades. Today on GRITtv, Jeremy Scahill, Benjamin Barber, and Faye Wattleton look at Obama's early appointments and whether they indicate a policy direction or something else.
Robert Kuttner on Obama’s emerging economic team. “Either he has disappointed us by picking a group of Clinton retreads…” or “he has very shrewdly named a team of technically competent centrists so that he can govern as a progressive in pragmatist’s clothing–as he moves the political center to the left.”
Which will it be?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…..45879.html
By GRITtv on November 24th, 2008 at 11:19 am
Why wait for the inauguration? Start impeachment proceedings now!!!!
By macaquerman on November 24th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Barack Obama, honeymoon killer?
Mike Madden at Salon:
So far, the Obama administration is shaping up to be more or less exactly what Obama always said he was, in between the “hope” and “change” rhetoric: pragmatic, consensus-oriented and interested in getting things done. That’s not necessarily what a lot of Democrats want him to be, though. Obama was bound to disappoint his supporters; think of the transition as the road map for how it’s going to happen.
http://www.salon.com/news/feat…../24/obama/
By GRITtv on November 24th, 2008 at 11:24 am
Paul Starr in the American Prospect:
Nonetheless, the view that 2008 marks a historic realignment in favor of the Democrats is also misleading — or at least premature. Obama’s victory offers no guarantee of a realignment. It is only an opportunity to bring one about.
By GRITtv on November 24th, 2008 at 11:26 am
Joe Conason on why Obama can keep Robert Gates:
http://www.truthdig.com/report…..eep_gates/
“…appointments matter less than policies—and Gates seems well suited to carry out the commands of the new commander in chief.”
By GRITtv on November 24th, 2008 at 11:31 am
this is a topic to examine…it concerns me that there are so many Clintonistas being named to the Cabinet…
to truly “realign,” clean house!!
By nightbird on November 24th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Well I must say I feel that if we forget Hillary originally voted to support the invasion and occupation of Iraq, it will not bode well for historical memory.
By nightbird on November 24th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
We’ll be back in a moment with Margaret Stevens of Iraq Veterans Against the War.
By GRITtv on November 24th, 2008 at 12:41 pm