November 23, 2008
WHILE HE DESRVES KUDOS FOR THE CENTER-RIGHT NATURE OF HIS PICKS...:
Axelrod: No 'potted plants' in Cabinet (MIKE ALLEN, 11/23/08, Politico)
David Axelrod, the incoming White House senior adviser, said Sunday that President-elect Obama is deliberately appointing a strong Cabinet, but said final decision will still rest with the Oval Office.“He is someone who invites strong opinions,” Axelrod told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “This Week” when asked about how Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) would work as secretary of State.
“He enjoys that — he thinks it's an important element of leadership. And I think that he'll have a great working relationship with ... his entire Cabinet. They are not going to be potted plants. ... They are going to be partners with him in governance, and he is going to encourage that. And I'm sure that that's the message that he's given to everyone he's spoken to about potential positions in the administration."
...and it may be unfair to compare his cabinet to the best since George Washington's, it's nonetheless embarrassing to see what lightweights they are alongside W's:
VP: former Chief of Staff and Defense Secretary vs. Senator
Secretary of State: former General, Chairman of Joint Chiefs, and National Security Advisor vs. Senator
Secretary of Defense: former Chief of Staff and Secretary of Defense vs. well, he got the double Bush holdover right
Secretary of Treasury: former CEO of Alcoa and chairman of Rand vs. well, another Bush holdover but promoted.
Attorney General: former governor, senator and US attorney vs. US attorney
Secretary of HHS: former governor vs. former senator
And the list goes on.
One of the most heartening aspects of the Obama Administration for those who hope it fails is the unlikelihood that the team he's putting together can administer effectively. Too many have never done it before. The deputy secretaries and chiefs of staff they choose are likely to be determinative.