Superstition almost forbids me to comment on President-elect Obama's appointments thus far. The news has been so shockingly welcome that I'm almost afraid to remark on it for fear of breaking the spell.
Such reticence has not afflicted everyone on the right, though. Here's Max Boot, conservative editorialist, author, and military historian: "I am gobsmacked by these appointments, most of which could just as easily have come from a President McCain..." Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader, declared that the Obama administration was "off to a good start." And New York Times columnist David Brooks has acknowledged that he is "tremendously impressed."
If I were a left-winger, I'd be tearing out my hair about now.
The economic team of Lawrence Summers, Timothy Geithner, and Christina Romer does not exactly send a "to the ramparts" message. Summers, treasury secretary under Bill Clinton, is known for his belief in free financial markets, free trade, and fiscal discipline. He got into terrific trouble as president of Harvard for implying that, on average, men are more mathematically talented than women (which is true but that is irrelevant in the Ivy League). They made him grovel for that one, and to his shame, he did. The whole scene at Harvard, I gather from Stephan Thernstrom, who was there, was like something out of China's Cultural Revolution where the mob makes the professor confess error and beg for punishment. Still, if you want a centrist, Summers is your man.
Geithner is a Summers protege. As president of the New York Federal Reserve Bank he has been knee-deep in bailouts over the past three months. But that datum doesn't distinguish him from the Bush administration or anyone else in the mainstream of America's economic elite.
Romer recently penned an article making the case that tax cuts can increase economic activity. Hmmm.
If the economic team is centrist, the foreign policy team (and I pinch myself as I say this) leans a little to the right. Did you notice that in introducing his choices, the President-elect used the term "defeat our enemies"?
Gen. James Jones, Obama's choice for national security adviser, is a four-star Marine general who was commandant of the Marine Corps and Supreme Allied Commander for Europe (SACEUR), among other posts.
Response to his nomination among conservatives ranged from cautious optimism to outright enthusiasm. "He is a thoroughly decent man" one conservative foreign policy analyst told me. Though his political views are not known, he has received the "Keeper of the Flame" award from the hard-line Center for Security Policy. The Foundation for the Defense of Democracy's (and National Review's) Michael Ledeen, no coddler of wimps, calls him "almost unbearably delightful" in the two or three conversations they've had. Everyone seems to agree that he has high intelligence and deep patriotism. If there is a hesitation, it arises from the fact that he is, like Colin Powell and Brent Scowcroft, a political general, and those have not always worked out so well.
As for Hillary Clinton, well, she is no Jeane Kirkpatrick. While it's true that she declined to apologize for her vote in favor of the Iraq war, she did everything but. It was only last year that she told Gen. Petraeus that his report on progress in Iraq "require(ed) a willing suspension of disbelief." She opposed the surge of troops in Iraq but then — this is chutzpah! — attempted to take credit for its success. On Meet the Press in January 2008 she said "...The point of the surge was to quickly move the Iraqi government and Iraqi people. That is only now beginning to happen, and I believe in large measure because the Iraqi government, they watch us, they listen to us. I know very well that they follow everything that I say. And my commitment to begin withdrawing our troops in January of 2009 is a big factor, as it is with Sen. Obama, Sen. Edwards, those of us on the Democratic side. It is a big factor in pushing the Iraqi government to finally do what they should have been doing all along."
She has criticized what she calls the Bush administration's "obsessive" focus on "expensive and unproven missile defense technology." On trade, she has made protectionist noises. On the other hand, she is not Carl Levin or Dennis Kucinich or Anthony Lake or Samantha Power. And that, along with the other appointments, is enough to keep some of us smiling at a time when we were expecting to be in deep anguish.
To find out more about Mona Charen and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
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Ma'am; I wouldn't pinch you with pair of pliers if you paid me; but I might watch you drown for free if you promised to keep your clothes on...Thanks...Sweeney
Comment: #1
Posted by: James A, Sweeney
Thu Dec 4, 2008 2:53 PM
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I think all of us good Taxpaying Citizens need to find us a country and rid ourselves of all politicians. Maybe we could go back to the barter system. We can all grow veggies, raise our cows, pigs, and chickens, make our own furniture, clothes, use windmills, and creeks. I know darn well we'd all be better off. I'm sure the 'old fashioned way' was the best way.
This 'illegitimate' population, social and welfare programs would not be in our 'little country' and guess what, we'd have no crime, little or no debt, and no government stealing us blind! WHAT A CONCEPT!
This United Way, the BIG 3, Citigroups, Freddie, Fannie, AIG and their big fat salaries, but yet, 'we're the leaders' - YEAH RIGHT! LEADERS OF WHAT! THEIR THIEVES IN DARK SUITS! I'm sick of them!
Oh well, can't you tell I'm disgusted from their hype!
================================================================================
The following is from a friend of mine.
SUBJECT: THE COUNTRY OF TEXAS
Please note that Texas is the only state with a legal right to secede from
the Union . (Reference the Texas-American Annexation Treaty of 1848.)
We Texans love y'all, but we'll probably have to
Take action since B. Hussein Obama won the election. We'll miss you too.
Here is what can happen:
#1: Barack Hussein Obama becomes President of the United States ,
Texas immediately secedes from the Union .
#2: George W. Bush will become the President of the Republic of Texas .
So what does Texas have to do to survive as a Republic?
1. NASA is just south of Houston, Texas . We will control the space
industry.
2. We refine over 85% of the gasoline in the United States.
3. Defense Industry--we have over 65% of it. The term "Don't mess with
Texas," will take on a whole New meaning.
4. Oil - we can supply all the oil that the Republic of Texas will need for
the next 300 years. Yankee states? Sorry about that.
5. Natural Gas - again we have all we need and it's too bad about those
Northern States. John Kerry will have to figure out a way to keep them
warm....
6. Computer Industry - we currently lead the nation in producing computer
chips and communications--small companies like Texas Instruments, Dell
Computer, EDS, Raytheon, National Semiconductor, Motorola, Intel, AMD,
Atmel, Applied Materials, Ball Miconductor, Dallas Semiconductor, Delphi,
Nortel, Alcatel, etc, etc.
The list goes on and on.
7. Medical Care - We have the largest research centers for cancer research,
the best burn centers and the top trauma units in the world, as well as
other large health centers. Dallas has some of the best hospitals in the
United States .
8. We have enough colleges to keep us going: University of Texas , Texas
A&M, Texas Tech, Rice, SMU, University of Houston , Baylor, UNT (University
of North Texas ), Texas Women's University, etc. Ivy grows better in the South anyway.
9. We have a ready supply of workers. We could just open the border when
we need some more.
10. We have essential control of the paper industry, plastics, insurance,etc.
11. In case of a foreign invasion, we have the Texas National Guard and the Texas Air National Guard. We don't have an Army, but since everybody down here has at least
six rifles and a pile of ammo, we can raise an Army in 24 hours if we need one. If the situation really gets bad, We can always call the Department of Public Safety and ask them to send over Chuck Norris and a couple of Texas Rangers.
12. We are totally self-sufficient in beef, poultry, hogs, and several types of grain, fruit and vegetables, and let's not forget seafood from the Gulf. Also, everybody down here knows how to cook them so that they taste good. Don't need any food.
This just names a few of the items that will keep the Republic of Texas in
good shape. There isn't a thing out there that we need and don't have.
Now to the rest of the United States under President Obama:
Since you won't have the refineries to get gas for your cars, only President Obama will be able to drive around in his big 9 mpg SUV. The rest of the United States will have to walk or ride bikes.
You won't have any TV as the Space Center in Houston will cut off satellite
communications.
You won't have any natural gas to heat your homes, but since Mr. Obama has
predicted global warming, you will not need the gas as long as you survive
the 2000 years it will take to get enough heat from Global Warming.
Signed, The People of Texas
P.S.. This is not a threatening letter - just a note to give you something
to think about!
SLEEP WELL TONIGHT THE EYES OF TEXAS ARE UPON YOU!!
One Nation Under God
Comment: #2
Posted by: Shirley deLong
Tue Dec 2, 2008 3:55 PM
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