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Enemy of the Week
Keep the Change
Tocqueville would have understood: The more things change, the more they stay the same, if eight or nine years older. Thus the latest specimen is the Hon. Eric Holder, Janet Reno's former number two and Marc Rich's number one, now in line to dispense Justice on behalf of the Obama Administration. There is also Hillary Rodham Clinton herself, all primed to follow in the footsteps of fellow Wellesley alumna Madeleine Albright at the mysterious locale cheekily known as Foggy Bottom. Under a Machiavel like the Messiah, it could turn out to be nothing more than a ceremonial position for Madame Hillary, much as it was for William Rogers in the Nixon Administration where he proved no match for national security adviser Henry Kissinger. The question now: Who will the Big O select to be his Dr. K?
Certainly not Sandy Berger, he of the deep pockets and sturdy socks, the better in which to conceal classified documents implicating him and his boss in shoddy anti-terror work during his time as national security adviser. Yet the spirit of Sandy Berger is already wafting over the new Obama team, in the person of incoming White House deputy chief of staff Mona Sutphen. In the Clinton era, she served as Mr. Berger's special assistant, a position not unlike the one she filled as an adviser to then Ambassador Bill Richardson at the U.N., where her duties included interviewing Ms. Monica Lewinsky for a sensitive post at the U.S. Mission. As it was, Ms. Sutphen got the more exciting job, serving post-Clinton as managing director of Stonebridge International LLC, which is none other than Sandy Berger's big-bucks lobbying firm. In the midst of all this she became a member of the New Leaders Circle of the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), the Council of Foreign Relations, and, the clincher, the Ron Brown Scholarship Program advisory board.
According to a secret report published in the New York Times earlier this year, among Ms. Sutphen's prized possessions "is a caricature of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, her face an embryonic scrunch." Can we assume she does not like Dr. Rice?
That's okay. Here at Enemy Central we don't always like everyone either. But Obama world isn't making it easier with its teasing appointments and nonappointments. John Kerry, for instance, who has abandoned what dignity he still possessed to plead and beg and grovel to be named Secretary of State. Why, he's even ready to take a trip into Cambodia this Christmas to earn that missing foreign policy credential. And frankly we've missed Teresa Heinz Kerry. Having her back in the public eye would put Mrs. Obama in a whole new perspective.
White House matters bring out the heretical side in us, to be sure. The other week, the Washington Post ran a story on a White House butler who'd been serving drinks to presidents and dignitaries for more than 30 years. He's now retiring. Then no sooner did President-elect Obama drop by for a cordial one on one with President Bush than some long-time anti-Bush obsessives were recommending that Mr. Bush stay on as the departing butler's successor. Which made us think: Would it have been better for all concerned if Senator Kerry had won in 2004?
But don't expect any reciprocation from the other side. The remarkable thing about this year's winners is their determination to pile on against the losers. There's an entire school of liberal pundits who know better than even Davids Brooks and Frum how to reform the Republican Party. The group's spokesman recently declared that the GOP "is now more representative of 20th-century South Africa during apartheid than 21st-century America." Does that mean that the Democratic Party is now more representative of 21st century South Africa after apartheid than 20th-century America? It takes a special rhetorical greatness to set off a debate like that, and Frank Rich has never been one to shy away from his own brilliance. In this instance, Mr. Rich should regard his EOW prize as an achievement award. Let's just hope the Obama regime and the rest of the civilized world doesn't proceed to impose sanctions on the Republican Party. That would put its reform wing out of business.
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drudge ette obama| 11.19.08 @ 6:42AM
What comes to mind is the lack of creativity evidenced in these picks. Is there no African American male other than Eric Holder available? What this shows is his limited base of experience. He can't pick from his own backyard or else we would have Rev. Wright as White House Chaplain or Bill Ayers as Secretary of Education. So he poaches from the murder of Clinton crows. All I can hope is that he gets this process over with. I am bored already.
Speedbump| 11.19.08 @ 7:56AM
What I find amazing is the outright lack of "change" engendered by B.O.'s picks for his administration...I mean, did he not campaign on the premise "change" from the Washington same-old, same-old??? Now he produces Clinton-redux, and the morons who voted for him are mute...frankly, it confuses me...
stu.b.con| 11.19.08 @ 8:11AM
Hey you Obamunists out there!( I know you read and participate in this forum). Get up real close to the screen...YOU'VE BEEN DUPED.
I look forward to the day when the light comes on behind your vacuous Stepford wife smiles.
TennesseeVolunteer| 11.19.08 @ 8:19AM
Here's the libs problem when finding capable people for the cabinet etc. All of the people they have to choose from DON'T DO ANYTHING FOR A LIVING!
They spend all of their time on how to get someone elses wealth or property. There are almost no qualified libs to take these positions because none of them really ever run, grow or start anything?
The emperor (Obama) has no clothes!
Anthony| 11.19.08 @ 9:17AM
What change do you expect from a neophyte and heretofore unknown pol out of Chicago who took the White House from under Madame Hillary? A year ago, Ted Kennedy didn't even know Obama's name. Obama is a complete unknown to the Washington Dem establishment; he wasn't in town long enough to establish any relationships, as he started his presidential quest barely a year into his first term as senator. Despite the best efforts of web sites like TAS and talk radio, we still don't know anything about Obama and his associations. The MSM have recently discovered they know nothing about the man, so what network of experienced career bureaucrats is Obama supposed to pick from? Chicago city hall and the Ill. state legislature are still 3rd tier Dem hacks, not suitable for the big leagues.
John Carpenter| 11.19.08 @ 10:23AM
Barack Obama is putting together a staff in the same way Dan Snyder has tried to bring a Super Bowl trophy home to Washington. Ask any Redskin fan how that his turned out.
Alan Brooks| 11.19.08 @ 10:46AM
I'm not an Obamaite, as I didn't vote for him, not that I don't like him, he is bourgeois and that is what I like, rednecks don't like me and I hate them like I hate low class blacks...save the forgiveness for church.
However running a 72 year old man for president was not the very smartest thing to do. I'm an ageist, not PC at all-- is it? Yeah, Reagan was 69, but that was then. How I wish it was still 1981.
But that's not PC either, is it? We must be FORWARD looking.
Tim| 11.19.08 @ 10:49AM
The scope and swiftness to which the old Clinton Administration has been re- assembled is nothing short of stunning.
But then again, perhaps this was the master plan all along.
We may recall back this past summer that Hillary was poised to create one hell of a barnstorm at the DNC Convention. Then by some sort of miracle the peace was made and Obama was crowned king.
It has become much clearer now that the price for Obama's chance to play king of the hill and live at the White House included Bill Clintons long desired third Term as President.
Actually, I must confess this was politically brilliant while ethically and morally disgusting.
Placing Obama in as President pacifying minorities while the Clintons and Daley really call all of the shots leaves one speechless.
I wonder how long it will take all of those college students and hard working minorities to figure out that they have been swindled.....again
saying nothing of the thousands of college professors and members of the press that were used like an old roll of TP?
Alan Brooks| 11.19.08 @ 10:56AM
... FUTURISTIC, like Newt! change. growth. abundance for all. Colonize Space.
(all we need are the right people in office. We're working on it. Give it time. Read My Book: HOW TO PREDICT THE FUTURE, COLONIZE SPACE AND END POVERTY, Harper and Row, $49.99
Marc Jeric| 11.19.08 @ 1:20PM
Teacher union is in power! It has produced over the last 40 years a nation of morons which voted for an empty suit full of revolutionary marxist ideas dating from 1848. Those ideas produced the massive genocides through previous "great leaders" like Hitler, Mao, and Stalin, not to mention smaller stars like Mussolini, Pol Pot, Ho Chi Min, Castro, Kim Il Sung and his son. In their wake they left terror, poverty, fear, thievery, and above all of that - lies. Obama's first appointments paint the picture of a gallery of rogues: a) White House counsel - defender of Castro, Sandinistas, Hinckley; b) Attorney General - inventor of "hate crimes", pardoner of terrorists; c) Secretary of State - possibly, famous cattle futures trader; etc. Just wait for future "surprises". Politics of meaning finally being realized.
Daphne Kenward| 11.19.08 @ 2:18PM
I was inspired by Obama, what I have to admit, is I think Obama's money came form a group of people, and Obama sold out to the idea. So in otherwords it is no different from the Bush administration just a different colour man in the seat. It's like Ms Rice has no value or content.
To prove this, he has no odea of the kind of people that should be in his cabinet. It's all former Clintons advisors, the problem America is faced with today, did not just start with Bush it goes back to the Clinton eras as well, fair point is the economy was not as bad, but it is also fair to say they did not have two wars going on during the Clintons administration. So frankly its a different set of situation all togeather.
My biggest fear is this guy has 65% of all the people around him are Zionist Jews, which means we will have no peace in the Middle East, so we are back to where we were. He has no idea of balance, no ideas of change, we have the same problems we had before. If he were to end the war in Iraq, what difference does it make to the economy, if you end one war to start another. Infact it coulds result in not ending the Iraq war because of hawkish talks creating a vaccum in Iraq inflewencing the Terror Groups to move into Iraq preventing an end to the war alltogeather creating a failed government in America. Because as long as America is Bugged down in Iraq there is not much of a chance of attacking Iran. Which as a result there is the Afgan war the Iraq war and who knows what will happen.
I personally think the Obama Presidency has gone wrong by the people he selected, he needed a balance of power, what he has done is sold out his Presidency to a bunch of Zionist who don't care if America is Bankrupt or on the brink of starvation. Poor start, it will end as a poor finish.
America is in a Depression, and America needed a Government who was interested in America. What America has is an Isreali cabinet operating in America.
reads1| 11.19.08 @ 2:38PM
Is Miss, MS. , or dummy Kenyard a member of Wrights or Farrakhans "Church?"
Daphne Kenward| 11.19.08 @ 2:48PM
Reads1.
Why would I need to be a Rev Wright Church, or Farakahn. I do not live in America, is that clear to the idiots out there who think war is a way of life. It may be your way of life not mine, I am a Christian with moral values, though shall not kill, war is the actoin of last resort. I personally have no ambition of losing my life in the desert of Afganistan or Iraq, fighting for a bunch or none Christians. Like Zionist would not lose their lives fighting for Christians or Muslims. Thats is why they call Us Goyims less than PIGS.
Barry| 11.19.08 @ 3:18PM
I recommend David Duke as Secretary of State, he is probably the only one who means what he says and says what he means. This ilk oozing from these politicians is making me sick.
btenney| 11.19.08 @ 3:42PM
Obama is not going to listen to anymere Cabinet Appointees. Why waste any worthy talent on what is sure to be a Meatgrinder Administration.
Obama has no more patience than his Admirers. Any Appointee not producing instantaneous , magical results will be thrown to the Wolves.
vitadmd| 11.19.08 @ 3:51PM
All of the irrational, illogical, uninformed rantings aside, is anyone else a little bit curious about "Daphne Kenward"? Readers of TAS are intelligent enough to figure this out. He/she is probably an european leftist, an America hater, a Jew hater, without a college degree or a job, apparently (she posts all day). What is the source of the hatred and propaganda? Why put so much time and effort at TAS?
Daphne Kenward| 11.19.08 @ 4:27PM
Vidadmd and Ruth.
One of these I know is not a real name one claims I must be a leftist and have nothing to do, what I do is none of your Zionist business. What are you so worried about. If Zionist have nothing to hide, they dont meed control of the media. They don't need to keep telling America who has WMD and who don't. As a Zionist have you ever decleared the fact Israel obtained illegally 200-300 Nuclear Missiles. Not only have you done that, you continue to murder several thousand Palestinians each year, these people do not have TANKS, and they have no defence force, and yet you continue to steal land and Terrorise the Palestinians.
As for Ruth who thinks I should be afraid of Terrorist, I am more afraid of having my money stolen By Zionist than worried about people who don't have passports to leave Palestine to come and terrorise me. The people I need to be afraid of are Zionist who want to tell me what I must be afraid of. I can make up my own mind what I need to be afraid of and right now I am more afraid of Zionist liers who want to Nuclear bomb the Inanian People who have lived peacxefully with every one for over 500 years.
vitadmd| 11.19.08 @ 4:38PM
Daphne's last long post just disappeared. I hope she will not be censored. I feel a little bit sorry for her. Perhaps she is Palestinian... or someone with a psychiatric problem with a lot of time on her hands. Still, so much anger and despair in her voice, yet quite astute in some of the observations about Obama.
Regarding the Obama/Clinton cabinet.... does it occur to anyone that it is all a ruse?
Daphne Kenward| 11.19.08 @ 5:07PM
Vitadmd
Or what ever, I don't know or care what your name is. It's a tragedy when you want to tell people they need to be afraid, as far as I am concerned I am going to live my life, and you and such like you will not change the way I think. America has become a sencored society, telephone tapping people losing their right and now I have some idiot telling me I must be afraid. People being afraid is exactly how George W Bush got elected a 2nd time. Its Called Brain washing. I am a stong individual and don't buy the rubbish you would like to sell me. I have a mind of my own, I know the people in Palestine can't even leave the Gazza strip let alone come and terrorise me makes me mad, you can sell that to the Americans, they may buy it, they are not that smart. That is why Zionist Ashkenazi Jews call them Goyims idiots less than than Pigs. You are worried about what I say because in the Protocol of Zion that is what you call None Jews. I am not mad, I am just angry at people who are so dam evil to the point the Bible refeers to them as a satanic people. with the idea of a One world Order. I tell you what you can leave me out of it.
lainpa| 11.19.08 @ 5:25PM
Is all this cabinet, transition team stuff all so important that the man can't fly to hawaii for two days to pay his respects to the woman that raised him?
vitadmd| 11.19.08 @ 5:37PM
It's interesting what people say when they can hide behind an anonymous, faceless post as they address a faceless audience. Sometimes comments are so profound. Sometimes it's just satisfying that others share your thoughts and views. Posts like Daphne's are just....curious...
(md = M.D. = medical doctor)
Daphne Kenward| 11.19.08 @ 6:24PM
Vitadmd.
MM= Mass Murders. Mengela = DR Death who was a Zionist who killed over a Million Semetic Jews. Hitler was a Zionist too did you know have you checked it out, I am anoying, most Zionist hate the truth, that is why Murdoch brought all the news papers, and News Stations like Fox News. To pump up the Attack on Arabs. Don't like to hear about it do you? It's true though, it worries Zionist when people speak about their crimes against humanity, they think the Americans may stop supporting your war crimes.
That is exactly what I am hoping for.
Alan Brooks| 11.19.08 @ 6:32PM
I didn't vote for but I like Obama, whatever his appointees end up doing he himself is no loser, and will manipulate brilliantly. He will outflank you all.
Like Clinton, O. is a winner. I am socially conservative.
Boy are you guys underestimating Obama, more than you underestimated Clinton. It is to O's advantage you underestimate him. Will bet you each $100.00 Obama is re-elected in 2012-- but none of you will take the bet because you would all lose and you know it.
You are like the lefties who underestimated Reagan. You suckers, you chumps.
You under-estimators of Obama are the losers, not he.
Five years from now I will say "I told you so", you will all have egg on your faces.
ruth| 11.19.08 @ 7:34PM
What a nutbag thread.
Alan Brooks| 11.19.08 @ 7:35PM
Barry, you want David Duke for state?? Maybe I OUGHT to have voted for Obama. Will consider it in 2012.
Of course Duke means what he says, so did Manson.
Alan Brooks| 11.19.08 @ 7:40PM
Yes, Ruth, nutbag thread. You are absolutely correct..
That's why you are here.
ruth| 11.19.08 @ 7:40PM
Manson is a liberal.
ruth| 11.19.08 @ 7:41PM
Like you, Alan.
Daphne Kenward| 11.20.08 @ 8:44PM
I am just lestening out for when all the people in America is homeless, jobless, and all standing outside soup kitchens, standing in line for a micro chip. What we have seen in Africa for the last 30 years happening in the last Empire that has been dead for over 50 years. They spend their time listening to a group of people who tells them how great they are with their bit of plastic, and their gas gusslers. Well I did try to warn you people but you accused me of being a Racist, accused me of Nazism, accused me of supporting David Duke a man I had never heard of. One thing I can tell anyone I do not support hatred of any one, never have never would I am not rich enough to hate my fellow man.
But I strongly suggest you all tell your friends about the Secret Rulers of the world 1 -29 look it up save your selves you have a duty to your self and others save your country if you can.