Do you still think Obama's cabinet appointments were great ?

[changemonger]

Some of us have endured beeing called trolls or idiots for criticizing Obama's nomination of same old Washington politicians in key positions or we were told to just trust Obama's team, since they're on top of everything. As it now seems, our scepticism was more than justified. Some thought keeping Gates at Defense was a great idea, now we're learning that Obama's 2010 "defense" budget will be just a ludicrously high as the Bush administration's one. Troops level will be increased in Afghanistan, in a war without end and quite frankly without purpose. As we found out in Tom Daschle's case, most of this people are actually connected to the very groups and organisations they're supposed to "fight", if they're serious about achieving real change. What was the case for Daschle is certainly the case for Vilsack with i.e Monsanto, Geithner and Summers with the banks and so on. Conflict of interest was the most predictable obstacle to the change the Obama administration knew it won't be able to deliver, that's if they really are on top of everything.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

1. No . . . they're excellent. A few bumps are to be expected.

[Ian David]

2. You always open a chess match with a few pawns you can sacrifice. n/t

[geek tragedy]

5. And you gotta keep your powder dry! n/t

[KittyWampus]

28. meaningless statement in context it was given.

[Connie_Corleone]

3. Ask me when Obama's been President for a year or two.

[geek tragedy]

4. The Judd Gregg appointment shows a serious lack of judgment.

Just a god-awful blunder.

[Zynx]

6. Most of them were, absolutely.

I still maintain Geithner is going to positively surprise the vast majority of people here. Clinton, Holder, Solis, etc were all great. Summers is not in the cabinet.

Gates is an able administrator. Any decisions that are made as to budget or troop deployments are Obama's call and blame him for that. All cabinet departments make outrageous requests as to their budgets. I've worked in state government, so believe me on this one.

Gregg is probably not the greatest choice.

[jobycom]

7. too soon to tell. None of his picks matter much individually

The real questions are whether Obama has the ability and strength to accomplish his goals, and how effective those goals are. The cabinet is just his tool for getting stuff done. If any of them turn out bad, he can dump them. Ultimately all that matters is what he gets done.

If we like his results, it's his credit. If not, it's his fault. The Cabinet is just one aspect of that.

[changemonger]

17. The cabinet is a good indication

As you said, it is his tool for getting stuff done.You can't accomplish anything great with an uneffective tool.

[jobycom]

22. Depends. Sometimes it's just a political arrangement.

A strong leader dominates the cabinet and forces his or her own agenda, a weak president follows the cabinet. With the wide range of ideologies and views, Obama is either completely clueless, or he's just using his appointments as handouts to keep different factions engaged. I'm not sure which. I'm hoping it's the latter, but we won't know until he's had some time to get things done.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

8. I think you like frozen pizza.

[backscatter712]

9. Holder's good.

I'll bet Karl Rove's shitting himself right now...

[changemonger]

19. Well, I'll say he's good when I see Rove in prison...

and Bush/Cheney prosecuted.

[The_Casual_Observer]

10. It isn't shaping up very well so far.

[spanone]

11. for the most part....Y E S

[FrenchieCat]

12. I think things will be fine. I have never judged a President performance based on who he

has selected for his cabinet.

I certainly didn't judge Clinton or Bush that way.

But then, I'm not looking for perfection, just competence with a leader at the top that delivers on his policy promises as made during his campaign.

[Political Tiger]

13. Good, not perfect.

Rarely, if ever, in life, do things work out perfectly.

And you are just now realizing troops levels will be increased in Afghanistan, you obviously never paid attention to Obama during the election.

Also, your assertion that "Obama's 2010 defense budget will be just a ludicrously high as the Bush administration's one" is patently FALSE!

[NYCGirl]

14. Yes. NT

[DevonRex]

15. I like most of them. I didn't care for Daschle and he's gone. nt

[Life Long Dem]

16. Yes, at the present time and situtaion it is great!

It's going to take an awful lot for me not to support Obama. That needs to be said up front.

It won't be to the extent of lying about Bushs WMD's like a bunch idiot freepers.

[Jennicut]

18. I actually like Holder better now then when he was first named as the pick for Attorney General

He has made some good statements regarding torture, etc. Overall I like them. Gregg and Gates are now spouting Obama's talking points so what is the problem?

[Starry Messenger]

20. So far so good.

It's only been a couple of weeks.

[Kalyke]

21. Um... I never thought they were all that great.

Same ole people, for the most part.

I did praise him the few times he picked out of the box, though.

[Uzybone]

23. As a whole, yes, its still a great cabinet

[JuniperLea]

24. Yes, every last one of them...

Even those who were booted in disgrace... shining a light on the difference in how rich people and poor people are treated is a very good thing.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

25. I haven't got any legitimate complaints.

And near as I can tell, neither has anybody else.

[nsd]

26. Yes, I still think they were great.

[Skwmom]

27. I refer to his economic team as Curly, Larry, and Moe.

Rubin, Summers, and Geithner are idiots. It's like you have to be a major screw up to get a job in DC. God help this country. We are really screwed.

[Zynx]

29. Rubin is not there. Volcker and Romer are an offset to Summers.

Geithner remains to be seen. Arguably, no one has been more instrumental in preventing the total collapse of the banking industry than Tim Geithner.

[Skwmom]

39. Rubin is a top adviser to Obama.

Plus, considering the damage done by the three stooges they should NOT be in the administration at all.

So let's just hire a bunch of idiots but don't worry there's other people who will counterbalance the idiots.. What a heck of a strategy. Like I said, we are screwed.

[Skwmom]

42. Volker is being ignored, It seems Summers doesn't play well with others.

Who would have thunk it? Oh yeah, that was really, really, really difficult to foresee. :rofl:

Volcker Chafes at Obama Panel Delay, Strains With Summers Rise
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aaLzJZKNcc6Y&refer=home

[Occam Bandage]

30. Yes. They've been fantastic. nt

[TeamJordan23]

31. I would like to see some more technocrats and outsiders. nm

[kingpin8399]

32. can they all get sworn in first? its been 2 WEEKS, GEEEZE

[onenote]

33. they're a damn sight better than what we'd have gotten if McCain had been elected

[jeanpalmer]

34. Gates was terrible

The whole foreign policy crew is terrible. Obama needed to do a 180 from the direction we were headed in. And yet his appointments were war on terror retreads. We need a radical readjustment away from militarism and imperialism toward a foreign policy that values peace. But we haven't gotten anything like that. We basically got more of the same. This is probably the biggest disappointment for me. How about appointing at least one peace activist somewhere. He should have appointed this person as secretary of defense, he knows how to cut through the bulls-it. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article21906.htm

[Name removed]

35. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[firedupdem]

36. why don't you see what rush has to smoke you ignorant ass?

you lost...get over it...

[asteroid2003QQ47]

37. Welcome to DU, shooter9.

If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you.
--Don Marquis

[democracy1st]

38. His advisors suck big time sorry no other way to put it

totally blown the stimulus package content and framing to the public

[SIMPLYB1980]

40. Yep. nt.

[WI_DEM]

41. Oh good grief! Some of his selections have been wonderful and a couple have not

The only people called trolls are the ones who criticize Obama for everything he's done, or think that no change has taken place when lots of positive things have already happened in the last two weeks. Then there are the people who can't understand that Obama never campaigned to be another Dennis Kucinich, who could never have been elected, let alone nominated. Then there are those posters who joined DU just after the election and have posted non-stop critical pieces on Obama. Never giving the man a chance and only seeing what they want to see.