Obama Plans to Appoint Some Republicans to His Cabinet
Posted on Sat Mar 01, 2008 at 11:01:05 PM EST
Tags: Barack Obama, 2008 (all tags)
Sen. Hagel for Secretary of Defense? Sen. Luger for Secretary of State? Barack Obama believes that's one way to "neutralize John McCain."
A reporter from the Sunday Times (UK) traveled on Barack Obama's campaign plane last week. Both campaign advisors and Obama told him in interviews,
Obama is hoping to appoint cross-party figures to his cabinet such as Chuck Hagel, the Republican senator for Nebraska and an opponent of the Iraq war, and Richard Lugar, leader of the Republicans on the Senate foreign relations committee.
Senior advisers confirmed that Hagel, a highly decorated Vietnam war veteran and one of McCain’s closest friends in the Senate, was considered an ideal candidate for defence secretary.
....Asked about his choice of cabinet last week, Obama told The Sunday Times: “Chuck Hagel is a great friend of mine and I respect him very much,” although he was wary of appearing as though he was already choosing the White House curtains.
Obama made similar comments in Dallas this week:
[More....]
Earlier Obama had told the audience at a suburban high school rally in Dallas, Texas, that he intended to follow the example of his hero, President Abraham Lincoln, and appoint a cabinet of the talents, irrespective of party labels.
It's a calculated move to take votes from McCain in November:
Obama believes he will be able to neutralise McCain by drawing on the expertise of independent Republicans such as Hagel and Lugar, who is regarded by Obama as a potential secretary of state.
The reporter said Obama acted as if he were confident Hillary will be out of the race in days:
On the plane Obama walked the aisle, chatting to journalists with a confidence that came from knowing his mighty opponent might be on her way out of the race in 48 hours and a slight edge of nervousness that the nomination is now his to lose.
Obama also sounds ready to send more U.S. troops to Afghanistan. All of a sudden, that's acceptable? To whom? I wonder what his supporters who believe him to be the anti-war candidate will think.
Obama intends to pour more troops and resources into defeating the Taliban in Afghanistan.
He also seems anxious to play parent-in-chief not just commander-in-chief:
He drew the noisiest whoops and cheers of the day when he admonished parents for their failings. “Turn off the TV set, put the video game away. Buy a little desk or put that child at the kitchen table. Watch them do their homework. If they don’t know how to do it, give them help. If you don’t know how to do it, call the teacher. Make them go to bed at a reasonable time. Keep them off the streets. Give them some breakfast. Come on! And since I’m on a roll, if you’re child misbehaves in school, don’t cuss out the teacher! Do something with your child!”
Is there anything he doesn't feel qualified to lecture us on?
He's also hyping his religion:
Obama was equally at home the next day at a gathering of evangelical ministers in Brownsville, southern Texas, where he talked about his introduction to Christianity as an organiser in Chicago. He opened the meeting by referring to the prophet Jermiah, who told people “in a time of uncertainty and despair” that God had plans to “prosper” them and give them “hope”.
“The calling to apply the values of faith to our society is one that has been heard throughout the ages,” he said. “I think about the evangelicals I know who may not agree with me on every issue” - he was thinking of abortion - “but know that poverty has no place in a land of plenty.”
It's a sickening puff piece of an article, particularly at the end where the reporter seems to have bought the talking points that Hillary should drop out. But I'm writing it up because it has details we should know about.
Since Obama's experience is not an issue for the reporter, the main question I have after reading it and learning of his presidential plans is, how much about Barack Obama do we really know, other than what comes from his books, website and speeches? Are the Democrats about to buy a pig in a poke? If it happens, I'll be voting for him with my fingers crossed.
| < Rewriting Dean's Legacy | Hillary on Saturday Night Live Tonight > |
