TEAM PLAYERS

[wertz]

I am sick to death of hearing about Barack Obama's "team of rivals". Sure, it's good for the sale of Doris Kearns Goodwin's seriously flawed account of the Lincoln presidency, but it is otherwise devoid of meaning. While pleading on behalf of Joe the Lieberman - who should have lost his chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee not out of

Comments

[sgtred]

Well now we can't bomb Iran because Al-Qaeda kinda sorta declared war on Iran by taking an Iranian diplomat hostage while he was in Pakistan. So, I guess that event kinda sorta makes Iran our ally. But then again, Iran always was our ally.

[wertz]

Exactly. But that has hardly curbed the saber-rattling - by both parties - for the past eight years. I had just kinda hoped (if that word hasn't been too demeaned by the Obama campaign) that, were Sen. Obama elected, he might actually live up to some of his PR. Mind you, I didn't believe his "change" sloganeering, but, you know, dum spiro spero and all that.

[lalato]

I like Hilary Clinton, but I want her in the Senate... working on Universal Health Care.

As for the others... I'm with you. I haven't heard a name yet that makes me go... "Now THIS is the change I can believe in." ;)

That said, I don't think Daschle is/was ineffectual. The Republicans really were that strong back then (even though it's hard to believe right now).

--sam

[wertz]

I like Clinton as well - at least, relatively speaking - and agree that she'd be much better in the Senate (ideally replacing the cretinous Harry Reid). She is far better on domestic issues than on foreign policy (and far better on domestic issues than Barack Obama is, for what that's worth).

One wonders when buyer's remorse is going to set in on all of Obama's progressive supporters...

[lalato]

I think people have such high expectations that they're bound to be disappointed. I sincerely hope he proves us all wrong, but I'm not banking on it.

--sam

[wertz]

Disappointment, sure - but how massive will it be? And how much will his supporters acknowledge their disappointment? Will the attitude simply be "well if Barack does it, it must be right" (similar to a lot of the pro-Bush rationale - if "rationale" isn't too much of a stretch)?

By the way, my reference to "the completely ineffectual Tom Daschle " was more related to his efficacy as a politician in general. I mean, he'd been Senate Majority Leader and couldn't even hold onto his seat. And, sure, the (minority) Republicans were strong, but Daschle tended to drop trou and bend over for them - while Dick Gephardt passed around the lube. (Hey, where's his Cabinet post?)

Of course, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi have been doing much the same - hence my jellyfish icon - and all of the potential firebrands have been persistently marginalized, while DLC types (Rahm Emanuel, say) thrive. Meh - we get what we pay for.

[wertz]

Which "he" is no John Kerry - Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton?

Team of Rivals

[jerzyshore]

While not exactly expressly disavowed by O, the "team of rivals" and every other catchphrase is really repeated ad nauseum by all of the goofy unimaginative press!