A small rant on "Clinton People" and that's not change

[AllentownJake]

I replied to one post earlier but have been seeing these pop up for the past 5 days since Rahmbo joined Team Obama.

If you were at all interested in the government, active in democratic politics, were smart, well educated, qualified, competent, wanted to live in DC, MD, or N. Virginia, hadn't angered the Clintons in party politics, and were 22 or older on January 20 1992 there is a pretty good chance at some point in the 8 years Bill Clinton was in office you may have worked for the White House or an executive branch department as one of the political hires. It doesn't mean you agree with every administration policy, decision, or even had to personally like Bill Clinton (not that there is anything wrong with liking Bill Clinton I think he was a good President).

In addition these people have been out of government for 8 years. They have furthered their education, went to work for states, universities, think tanks, consulting firms, lobbyist, corporations, ran for office themselves etc. They have not been frozen in stasis waiting for a democrat to return to power in the White House so they could continue Bill's Presidency. They have gotten more experience, smarter, older, wiser, etc.

The idea that because some people who used to work in a democratic White House being appointed by a democratic President isn't change is crazy. The federal government is a complex and its good to have some people who have navigated it before and made it work (yes our government worked or at least worked better under Bill Clinton). These people have been out of those agencies or the White House for 8 years. I'd like to think they learned things in exile and upon reflection which is in fact change. They aren't the same people they were when they were in the White House 8 years ago and alot of them probably supported Obama in the Primaries though that doesn't matter over competence.

So can we chill out on the Clinton people.

[JuniperLea]

1. Obama will be damned if he does and damned if he doesn't...

If he hires some Clinton folk, people will say, "How is this change?" If he hires "new blood" people will complain that they aren't experienced enough.

I trusted the man enough to vote for him; I trust him to make these decisions.

Besides, the Clinton years were very good for me... and the country! WTF??? I don't see the problem.

[AllentownJake]

2. Thankfully

Most of the time he doesn't care about what people think he should do. He gets information and tries to determine what the right thing to do is.

Why I voted for him.

[JuniperLea]

11. Yep!

He's a stickler for the high road, and he doesn't stop to argue. If we all followed his lead, DU would be gone in a flash... :rofl:

[Arkansas Granny]

19. That's pretty much the way I feel about it, too. If I think he's competent enough

to be President, then I must believe that he's competent enough to choose the people he wants around him to help.

[JuniperLea]

20. Yep. This is a much bigger deal to him than it is to us...

As hard as that is to fathom. I expect he will give it all he has to give, and that's all I ask.

[Occam Bandage]

3. K&R. I'm a bit confused by the complaints. To me, it seems like saying,

"I am outraged that Obama would hire competent, experienced technocrats to enact his policies!"

[walldude]

5. I'm with you...

Can't figure this place out anymore. 50 million what's her name threads, and a bunch of threads complaining about Obama before he even gets sworn in. Woo hoo, glad I stopped by.

[LaydeeBug]

16. except that the very same people saying he is A-OK now were the ones using him as an impetus to slam

Hill in the primaries as the dlc candidate. There is a level on which one might ask how much change you're tryna bring when you get the dlc insider as your chief.

I, personally, am not bothered by Emmanuel too much, but I might be a little more moderate than some here.

I'm just sayin'. :hi:

[Occam Bandage]

17. You are aware that Chief of Staff has nothing to do with policy, right?

And that people's complaints about the DLC have everything to do with policy, right?

[JuniperLea]

21. That's politics...

And remember, Chief of Staff is like a glorified Office Manager... you don't set policy, you follow it.

[Captain Hilts]

4. Very true. Times and people are different. AND, Clinton ran a good government. nt

[onehandle]

6. A smart President-Elect needs smart people. I have said for years, the next Democrat would hire...

...heavily from the Clinton pool. A good thing if you ask me.

I loved the '90s.

[Shoelace]

7. agreed, Clinton's people were the best ever at solving economic messes

and what we need now is the collective expertise they would bring in to Obama's administration. They figured out how to make lemonade out of lemons left to them by Reagan and Bush I. Thankyou for expressing what I've been thinking.

[Lilith Velkor]

8. It's still popular these days to pretend there was no difference between Clinton and Bush

And here I thought I was a nutter. :crazy:

I have been laughing uproariously at these fools all week. I highly recommend it; it relieves the stress of the transition period.

[PresidentObama]

9. K&R, the Clinton people were good then--and will be even better now.

[Blue_In_AK]

10. I'd rather have Rahm in the White House

than out sabotaging progressive Democratic candidates in congressional primaries.

[mvd]

12. One point

Although I don't agree with some things Clinton did (NAFTA, welfare reform, Telecom act of 1996), I think putting some Clinton people on Obama's team is understandable. There haven't exactly been other Democratic administrations lately.

[babylonsister]

13. Exactly. It's the only Dem admin left that Obama can borrow experienced

people from. I'm not having a problem with it, and there's no love lost between me and the Clintons.

[Catherine Vincent]

14. "...there's no love lost between me and the Clintons."

Really? :)

[babylonsister]

15. Hey!

I've been behaving myself. :D

[anonymous171]

18. I REFUSE TO BE HAPPY UNLESS OBAMA APPOINTS RALPH NADER

[AllentownJake]

22. Well this thread has particular reference

Now that its rumored he might tap Hillary for state :rofl: