Obama, change he can believe in
Obama won the United States presidency by promising change to Americans, who overwhelmingly disliked Bush’s policies and congress’ refusal to vote against those policies. President Bush has a 19% approval rating; congress as low as 12%.
However; if Obama’s initial picks for positions in his cabinet are any indication; he cares neither about his constituents nor their opinions. He is choosing people who supported the Iraq war and other radical Bush policies such as imprisoning and torturing innocent dissenters. Obama’s claim of ‘change’ is beginning to appear as nothing more than a big joke on us.
Let’s look at a few of these Bushies that Obama is considering:
Tom Daschle (my spell check suggests ‘Schlep’): Secretary of Health and Human Services. Daschle wants the public to pay for astronomical insurance costs without additional regulation of the insurance companies who are bleeding our people’s lives away. Currently Daschle works for a major lobbying firm for the health care industry, Alston & Bird.
Rahm Emanuel: White House Chief of Staff. Emmanuel is a genuine nutcase nicknamed Rahm-bo for allegedly mailing a dead fish to an enemy and mocking the stabbing of his enemy with a steak knife. Rahm-bo fully supports the Iraq war except that Bush needed to articulate the need for war in a better way. Emmanual also believes in mandatory military draft for all young Americans, as written in his book. All of these details in Wikipedia.
Janet Napolitano: Secretary of Homeland Security. This Governor “was the first governor to call for National Guard troops to secure the U.S.-Mexico border”, according to the Washington Post. With a prison per capita population over 20% higher than any other country, America does need additional governmental people who desire more punishment.
However; Napolitano is a very likable figure, so there is some defense for her nomination. She has recovered from a mastectomy, expresses care for women and children (increasing shelters for domestic violence victims), and is a Monty Python fan.
Eric Holder: Attorney General. Noted intellectual Glenn Greenwald does support this choice, and his opinion weighs heavily – but optimistically I think this best fits into the ‘could be worse’ category. Holder has supported and worked for the revised Patriot Act that attempts to destroy rights in the name of terrorist fear.
Maybe even more importantly, Holder is a radical anti-drug crusader who thinks the prison does not have a high enough population of drug accused (quote appears in the Washington Post):
U.S. Attorney Eric H. Holder Jr. said in an interview that he is considering not only prosecuting more marijuana cases but also asking the D.C. Council to enact stiffer penalties for the sale and use of marijuana.
“We have too long taken the view that what we would term to be minor crimes are not important,” Holder said, referring to current attitudes toward marijuana use and other offenses such as panhandling.
This quote displays Holder as just another radical right-winger who treats the life destroying prison system as a way to cleanse the world of those non violent people he dislikes.
Robert Gates: Defense Secretary. This guy is such a Bushie, he was the last Defense Secretary under George W. Bush.
There are more, like Hillary Clinton, but the only good Obama choice is for the FCC, Federal Communications Commission Review team. Professor Susan Crawford seems to be able to approach issues with rationality rather than ‘corporate profitability’.
Overall Obama seems to be giving we the American people the finger. This will not stand, man – this will not stand. The Dude does not abide.
The dude does not abide
Obama change cartoon via Activote.
The Dude via freevision.
SkeptiSys 