3 words for those crabbing about Obama putting Republicans in his Cabinet--Harold L. Ickes.

[Bicoastal]

No, not Harold M. Ickes, one of Hillary's top political strategists. I'm talking about his father.

Harold L. Ickes served as Secretary of the Interior for all 4 terms of FDR's administration, from 1934 to 1946. It is generally agreed that he was one of the men primarily responsible for planning and implementing much of "the New Deal"--including simultaneously serving as direct of the PWA. He was a supporter of civil rights, a critic of Japanese internment, and a well-known wit. We can thank Ickes for much of the good fortune that's happened to our party since Roosevelt took office.

Why do I bring him up? Because when FDR appointed him, he was a Republican. A liberal Republican, yes, but a Republican nonetheless. After the misery of the Great Depression, FDR realized that it was foolish to exclude good men from his cabinet simply because their views were on the wrong side of the political spectrum. And in 1933, attracting crossover support from Republican rank and file didn't hurt either.

And yes, now his son strategizes for the wife of the only Democratic President since FDR to be reelected.

I imagine there are plenty of other examples of Democratic presidents putting Republicans into their cabinet and seeing positive results, but this is the best one I can think of offhand.

[Rageneau]

1. Clinton put two Republicans in his cabinet: Cohen and Aspin

So it's nothing new for Obama to suggest it. All he is doing is the same thing Clinton did, for the same 'bipartisan' reasons.

But Obama has a bigger problem finding acceptable Republicans than Clinton did -- because Clinton-hatred has since turned most Republicans (and too many Democrats) into mindless, hateful wingnuts who are incapable of anything but destructive anger.

[nsd]

7. Les Aspin was a Democrat. He was a Democratic congressman from Wisconsin. n/t

[Dark]

2. "now his son strategizes for the HUSBAND of the only Democratic President since FDR to be reelected"

Freudian slip?

:evilgrin:

:P

[Bicoastal]

5. Good thing you caught that.

thanks. :hi:

[Dark]

9. No prob. We all need editurs.

;-)

[carlotta]

3. But Chuck Hagel is NOT a liberal Republican, quite the opposite

I posted this in another thread. Hagel is about as right-wing as you can get.

Other than his war stance, this guy is a Neanderthal

# Rated 0% by NARAL, indicating a pro-life voting record. (Dec 2003)
# Rated 100% by the NRLC, indicating a pro-life stance
# Rated 0% by the HRC, indicating an anti-gay-rights stance. (Dec 2006)
# Rated 11% by the NAACP, indicating an anti-affirmative-action stance. (Dec 2006)
Rated 36% by the NEA, indicating a mixed record on public education.
Rated 17% by the CAF, indicating opposition to energy independence. (Dec 2006)
Rated 0% by the LCV, indicating anti-environment votes. (Dec 2003)
Rated 100% by the Christian Coalition: a pro-family voting record. (Dec 2003)
Rated 92% by CATO, indicating a pro-free trade voting record. (Dec 2002)
Rated A by the NRA, indicating a pro-gun rights voting record.
Rated 12% by APHA, indicating a anti-public health voting record. (Dec 2003)
Rated 8% by the AFL-CIO, indicating an anti-union voting record. (Dec 2003)
90% conservative voting record; 95% support of Pres. Bush. (Dec 2006)

[Bicoastal]

4. Neither is Alan Greenspan.

And Clinton worked with him.

The question is--can the guy get the job he's appointed to do done?

[stillcool]

8. He is one huge contradiction...

his claim to fame is his foreign policy acumen, while everything else paints a very different picture. I am ignorant about the positions taken in a variety of issues of other Republicans serving in a Democratic Cabinet, but I agree with you, that Senator Hagel is too firm in his anti-social beliefs to be appointed to a position where those beliefs will surely cloud a policy position. There are plenty others to choose from.

[MagsDem]

6. No rethug deserves a seat in a dem administration...

in this day and age. Not a single one. It makes me sick that the idea of caving into rethugs has been brainwashed into the heads of democratic voters by the Obama campaign.

[tekisui]

10. Hillary wants Colin Powell to be set out as an abassador.

Honestly I don't want a puke anywhere near ANY position of power. Not in a Cabinet or Senate or House.

Lincoln did have his "Team of Rivals" and governed them quite effectively. I don't like it, but I can't stop it.