...by pegging Rahm Emanuel to be his new Chief of Staff.

http://images.huffingtonpost.com/gadgets/slideshows/619/slide_619_12695_large.jpg

weird thing is, those totally aren't Emanuel's kids. no one's sure exactly what's going on there.

Oh, this guy is a pretty fun one

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/8091986/the_enforcer/

Friends and enemies agree that the key to Emanuel's success is his legendary intensity. There's the story about the time he sent a rotting fish to a pollster who had angered him. There's the story about how his right middle finger was blown off by a Syrian tank when he was in the Israeli army. And there's the story of how, the night after Clinton was elected, Emanuel was so angry at the president's enemies that he stood up at a celebratory dinner with colleagues from the campaign, grabbed a steak knife and began rattling off a list of betrayers, shouting "Dead! . . . Dead! . . . Dead!" and plunging the knife into the table after every name. "When he was done, the table looked like a lunar landscape," one campaign veteran recalls. "It was like something out of The Godfather. But that's Rahm for you."

Of the three stories, only the second is a myth -- Emanuel lost the finger to a meat slicer as a teenager and never served in the Israeli army. But it's a measure of his considerable reputation as the enforcer in Clinton's White House that so many people believe it to be true. You don't earn the nickname "Rahmbo" being timid.

Emanuel is a great choice, when I heard his name I breathed a sigh of relief.  I think people are going overboard in their expectations of what Obama can do, and how soon he can do it.  At least with his choice of Emanuel I feel that all the can be done will be done

Rahmen Noodles for Chef-of-Staff!

:-\\

Rahmen Noodles for Chef-of-Staff!

:-\\





   ^Yep.  They're THAT good...

   
   Rahm "Take-No-Prisoners-Fugem" Emanuel.  Emanuel's appointment seriously bugs me.  However, I will give Obama the benefit of the doubt for now and wait and see what khichdi he's cooking.  He has a difficult game to play and he's done well to keep the poles balanced.  However, I haven't got the hang of his policy yet, so we'll see...

   But I was hoping for Emmanuel Lewis...

   

For his new cabinet, I would recommend mahogany.

Clinton as secretary of state?

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/13/us/politics/15clinton.html?em

Never saw that coming ::)

Clinton as secretary of state?

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/13/us/politics/15clinton.html?em

Never saw that coming ::)



I heard that on the news last night. I hope not. I REALLY want him to pick Bill Richardson as Sec. of State. I think Hillary would make a good Sec. of Labor.



Cat

Palin for Secretary of Edjamacation!
:D

I kinda had Clinton pegged for Secretary of State.  That is a much better move than VP.

I heard that on the news last night. I hope not. I REALLY want him to pick Bill Richardson as Sec. of State. I think Hillary would make a good Sec. of Labor.



Cat


I'm still holding out for Richardson.  Obama would be making a mistake if he makes Clinton Secretary of State.  Bill has WAY more experience than Hillary.

I'm still holding out for Richardson.  Obama would be making a mistake if he makes Clinton Secretary of State.  Bill has WAY more experience than Hillary.



I agree. I think Hillary is qualified for the job, but I just think Bill (Richardson that is, not Clinton lol) would be better.



Cat

Tell me when an Ohioan would be in Obama's cabinet...maybe Kucinich?

Tell me when an Ohioan would be in Obama's cabinet...maybe Kucinich?


Kucinich makes the most hardcore Progressive look like a Right-Winger.  I'll second that!!! 8)

Kucinich makes the most hardcore Progressive look like a Right-Winger.  I'll second that!!! 8)

I'd love to see Kucinich as Secretary of Defense!
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/13/icon_thumleft.gif

It was just announce that Bill Richardson will be Secretary of Commerce.  I was so hoping he would be Secretary of State.  Darn you Hillary!!!!

Oh wonderful, another Clinton in the White House.  ::) There's change you can believe in.  :P

Oh wonderful, another Clinton in the White House.  ::) There's change you can believe in.  :P


That'll drastically reduce the amount of people that Hillary will have to "whack" before she can become President :o

That'll drastically reduce the amount of people that Hillary will have to "whack" before she can become President :o


I still side with PJ O'Rourke - 'Junior Senator From New York' is quite possibly the worst phrase in the English language.

I'm not that thrilled about Clinton as SOS really because she seems hawkish on foreign policy (which is exactly why I didn't support her in the primaries) and that does not seem like change to me, I'd rather have her in a domestic cabinet position not be our top diplomat, but I'll give Barack the benefit of the doubt and see how it goes.

He probably wants to appease the anti-Obama Democrats by having a link to the old school.

That'll drastically reduce the amount of people that Hillary will have to "whack" before she can become President :o


I have to agree with, blecccch, Dick Morris on this one (excuse me while I christen the barf bag),
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/14/sad4.gif

if HRC accepts the cabinet appointment, that'll put her out of the running for 2012.  A sitting secretary of state is not going to do so well running against her own president.  Good thinking, Barack! 

Otherwise, BHO's administration is shaping up to be radically middle-of-the-road!
:-\\

It was just announce that Bill Richardson will be Secretary of Commerce.  I was so hoping he would be Secretary of State.  Darn you Hillary!!!!



Me too.



Cat

Not sure I like the Geither pick, but I LOVE the Summers pick.  Go Harvard intellectual go!

I have to agree with, blecccch, Dick Morris on this one (excuse me while I christen the barf bag),
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/14/sad4.gif

if HRC accepts the cabinet appointment, that'll put her out of the running for 2012.  A sitting secretary of state is not going to do so well running against her own president.  Good thinking, Barack! 

Otherwise, BHO's administration is shaping up to be radically middle-of-the-road!
:-\\

Exactly.

With Hillary in the set position as SOS, there is no way the threats of retaliation from hardcore Clinton supporters to come back at Barack come 2012! It puts Hillarys designs for the Presidency off till 2016 at best. Changes the entire political climate for the future.
Checkmate from Obama, but at what cost?

But one has to wonder, just what surprises has HRC in store for Barack? She isn't going to sit idle and follow his orders to the letter, its just not her game, so whats in store for US and the middle east now she has it in her hands? :-\\

I think Hilary is, if nothing else, pragmatic when it comes to the use of her power.  She knows the position she is in, knows that the Presidency is a dream that has flown, and will now hunker down to making her name as SOS.  Say what you will(and I say this as an un fan) she is smart, she is tough, she knows the players and what it takes to move the pieces across the chessboard, and she doesn't take crap.  I think Obama did the right thing.

I think Hilary is, if nothing else, pragmatic when it comes to the use of her power.  She knows the position she is in, knows that the Presidency is a dream that has flown, and will now hunker down to making her name as SOS.  Say what you will(and I say this as an un fan) she is smart, she is tough, she knows the players and what it takes to move the pieces across the chessboard, and she doesn't take crap.  I think Obama did the right thing.


What diplomatic skills does she have that make her a better candidate for SOS than Bill Richardson?  I believe Richardson is known for negotiating prisoner releases in Iraq and North Korea.  Not to mention a ceasefire in Dufar.  Then there is the fact that he was Ambassador to the UN.  Not to mention a Congressman, Secretary of Energy under Clinton and two term Governor of New Mexico.  Hillary Clinton was First Lady and now she's a Senator.

What diplomatic skills does she have that make her a better candidate for SOS than Bill Richardson?  I believe Richardson is known for negotiating prisoner releases in Iraq and North Korea.  Not to mention a ceasefire in Dufar.  Then there is the fact that he was Ambassador to the UN.  Not to mention a Congressman, Secretary of Energy under Clinton and two term Governor of New Mexico.   Hillary Clinton was First Lady and now she's a Senator.


To say Hilary was First Lady is to downplay her role.  I would say that during the Clinton Administration she had more to do with running the country as any President before and after. 

I'm no Clinton fan. but I think Obama did the right thing with HRC.  It also looks like Wall St. likes his  economic team.

Obama knows a lot more about HRC (seeing Hillary referred to by her initials always makes me think of this chap, for some reason) than me, so I'll defer to his judgement on whether she's the right choice for SOS (another appropriate acronym, somehow - maybe there's an Abba SOS parody in there somewhere)

Slightly off-topic, ISTM that Barack is going to get a certain barracking before too long... I thought it might turn out something like this (OK, so it's a plug - but I kind of like this one)

I may have said this once before but I think Hillary is qualified for the role of Sec. of State-I just happened to like Bill Richardson better.



Cat

To say Hilary was First Lady is to downplay her role.  I would say that during the Clinton Administration she had more to do with running the country as any President before and after. 



Yes, yes, we all know Hillary was really the president during the Clinton Administration.  Hence Hillarygate and Welfare reform that made the situation worse.

Obama's been pretty centrist in the selection of his Cabinet and staff, but a few appointments worry me....

Geithner would appear to be a big fan of bailouts, while Hillary seems like a hawkish choice for Secretary of State.