Barack Obama will announce his national security team today to approval from the military establishment and Republicans, distant cries of dissent from liberals and head-scratching from others.
The President-elect is expected to confirm the nomination of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, ask Robert Gates to remain at the Pentagon, and make General Jim Jones his National Security Adviser.
Yep, that is certainly 'change we can believe in'.
Note: Its now been 1996 to present, 12 years, that the Republicans have controlled the Defense Dept. The Clinton administration also ceded control of 'defense' to the Republicans with Wm. Cohen as Sec of Def. If you vote Democrat, it certainly doesn't mean 'change' in the Pentagon.
10 comments:
It's amazing how much the Democrats suck. Liberal blogs like CD & OpEdNews are filled with nervous liberals falling all over themselves to defend Obama's sellouts.
The truth is that Obama could not possibly have picked a more stinking crew. Every last one of them is a Wall St shill, a war hawk, a Republican, or all of the above.
A good analysis of Obama's "team" is on the WSWS.
A good example of a liberal nitwit angrily & defensively making excuses for Obama is at this OpEdNews link. (See the post by John Sanchez Jr.)
Thanks, RichM--I have been checking out the articles--still Obama butt-kissing, it seems to me..they know this team is lousy. The just dont want to admit it..
Reading Jeremy Scahill's "BLACKWATER"really scared me to pieces...
Now I am attempting to absorb Naomi Klein's " SHOCK DOCTRINE "...
I deeply fear for our country. It is so corrupted there doesn't seem an answer for any of it's ills.
I know this doesn't look great and I understand the feeling. However, here's a reason to take heart. I don't know how many of you had witnessed the earlier days of Reagan but back in his first term, Reagan had advisors in his cabinet who were against voodoo economics of tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations but he went about passing them anyway. I don't know that Obama will turn out to be anti-war but even if he were to put up better cabinet members, he still has Congress and possibly the high courts to contend with. Back in FDR's time, the corporate interests would turn to the high courts as their last shield of defense. We're going to have to go beyond Obama. I suggest we pay attention to reforming Congress and getting better pols at the local and state levels. Besides, isn't it a shame that San Francisco chose pro-war Pelosi over anti-war Sheehan even though the city is supposed to be the most anti-war in the country?
Hey, Nannie--how is it giong? You will like those books, but, they wil make you very angry!! Just a warning, dear..
I came here (I am sick--I know I've said..) to say NO to Janet Napolitano!! Gawd! Have you read about her? We ask for more women in the Cabinet and THIS is what we get?! Nonsense!
Nebraska--I dont really understand your call for "taking heart",...what, the Congress?? They wouldnt even stand up to our worst presidend! And you KNOW they all really "like" Obama--seems everybody does...so what?" Sorry, I am just more angry and disappointed than I thought I would be=---and thats pretty bad..
if your comments dont get expunged minutes after you post them to change.gov (jeez...), then please go there and say no to her. Her involvement in the prison scandal in Arizona, which is shaping up to be US Abu Gharib, is more than questionable...
KD take care of yourself, We need you...I enjoy your post's very much.
The book is so revealing, I am surprised it isn't banned or tauted as a conspiracy theory.
Reading about Chile and Pinochet was an ~Ahaaaa ! so that is what is going on here too... The C-Boyz are dreadful.
But what does an old lady that lives in the woods know? If I know why doesn't more people know?
To me, the Democrats are in a constant state of trying to deny facts.
During the campaign, when people pointed out where Obama's money was coming from, and how this differed from what people were assuming his message of 'change' meant, we were told by the Democrats not to worry about this or pay any attention to this.
During the campaign, when people pointed out that most of Obama's closest advisors represented very different policies from what 'progressives' believed, we were told not to worry about this or pay any attention.
Now that we are seeing the people who Obama is putting into place to run key departments, and are able to see that these people are so far to the right as to basically be Republicans (except of course for the out-of-the-closet Republicans who also fill his administration), we are told not to worry about this.
At some point, isn't it possible to look at Obama, his track record, his financing, and his appointments and actually see what the man really is?
And the line about him setting the policy is laughable. Lots of items happen at the department level or below that would never rise to the attention of the President. Unless Obama intents to be the biggest micromanaging President in history, these appointments will be making a lot of decisions on their own. And that's not a good thing from the look of it.
Reading "The Shock Doctrine" will scare you badly. I also consider it the most important book I've read in years.
For me, it connected a lot of dots that I knew, but drew a frightening big picture that I only vaguely had glimpsed.
Think about the $800 billion 'bailout' while you read it and you'll shudder.
And then, go search in Google for "Obama" and "the Chicago School of Economics" and you'll really be scared to death.
The book has several examples of people who won elections promising or hinting at policies that would be popular with the people, then suddenly turning around and ruling against the best interests of the people. Think about Obama while you read that book, and try not to have nightmares.
Yes, Samson--it is one of my favorite books of all time. It made me cry---but, I would rather cry than lie to myself, like the Dems are doing...(Shock Doctrine)
Nannie--I am trying to take care, but, just yesterday, I was getting a fever from a bad kidney infection---this has been going on--my dr. had said that the antibiotic that Medicaid gave me wouldnt work. But I had to try it for a week, now it is full-blown. I finally put the $140 antibiotic on my credit card---guess I should learn how to "live within my means", right!! I am furious! How about you?
Nannie, you have plenty to share and are very bright---dont be so hard on yourself. We need you, too! And I always appreciate your acknowledging me...
Say hello to the trees for me--I miss them. We had to sell my dad's land, when I got in a motorcycle wreck and my sister got cancer. The "freedom" to die with your rights on. The worst is, the couple we had to sell to , for 1/3 of what it was evaluated as worth, is cutting down all the pines we planted carefully, from the time I was ---well, my first "ball of dirt" Xmas tree was there--huge now! But my father is gone, and it is not up to me, now.
The old growth trees were like "friends"--if anyone knows what I mean...I cant bear to drive by it anymore.
How about Janet Napolitano, folks? Gawd!! Dont meant to go on and on---I am hurt and angry now. When everyone was screaming "socialism", during the vote, I guess I got my hopes up a LITTLE that, if neo-cons were angry, maybe he was better than Clinton--now they are happy. Laughing at liberals , actually. Thanks, Obama.
KDelphi,
I am not calling for taking heart in Congress. In fact, I am for reforming it all the way. On another post, Samson correctly stated the need to push for progressive independents in 2010 and that would be a great step forward and would in fact pave the way for a Kucinich/Nader type presidency since there would be at least some support in Congress to whittle down the otherwise hostile opposition Nader would face today. Furthermore, I recommend taking on our elected offices on the state and local levels. That is where we will all build and repair the foundation for a truly progressive America that is very badly needed but unlikely to come for at least another decade. Unlike the Great Depression Era where community and labor unity were strong and people were willing to sacrifice spending to team up and overcome the Depression, the recent murder of a Walmart employee by the mafia consumers shows that despite a horrible economy, people are still hell bent on spending like there is no tomorrow and will even be foolish enough to suck up to sellouts. Obama and his gang know it. As long as consumerism keeps going on especially with gas prices too low to be true, I would be surprised to see the neocons losing anything at this point especially since they have been building their strength since the 1980s.
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