Yesterday, I wrote about Barack Obama considering Hillary Clinton for the Cabinet Post as Secretary of State. I strongly opposed giving any consideration to Mrs. Clinton, knowing that I would draw the ire of many Clinton Supporters.
Thank you, Clintonians, for not making me look foolish with regard to that prediction.
On the more than a dozen websites which Posted the article, including our Flagship Site, www.theprogressivepolitico.com, the piece generated close to 14,000 hits. I am at least excited about the fact that something bordering on fifty percent of the responses were supportive of the article.
I was all set to shift gears on today’s Featured Post, and talk about the knockout punch which Dennis Kucinich planted on the chin of Neel Kashkari at the House Banking Committee Hearing earlier today. One more of those Hearings and I will officially refer to Congressman Kucinich as, "Pound for Pound"...a boxing reference that those who don’t understand, can easily Google in about thirty seconds.
I do promise to write about the Bailout tomorrow, answering the burning question, "When Is A Bailout...NOT A Bailout?"
If the Clintonians need to blame anyone for something of a Round 2, or sequel to yesterday’s Posting...blame Chris Matthews. While Matthews was all for Hillary becoming our new Secretary of State...it was his "Big Number," which prompted me to put the Bailout story on the shelf for 24 hours.
Mathhews, Olbermann and Rachel Maddow, among others, all spent significant time on the Hillary matter tonight. Matthews thought offering the Post to Hillary would not only be healing...but, would also keep Mrs. Clinton either as close as Obama wanted her to be, or, as far away as he wanted her to be.
Olbermann and his guest spoke of Lincoln appointing his rival William Seward, though there were certain unique circumstances associated with that time in our history which both limited Lincoln’s real choices, and also made the appointment, even of a political rival, something of a political reality, if not a necessity.
Rachel Maddow went even further in her historical tracking of the appointment of rivals to various Cabinet Posts throughout the American political experience. Aside from a brief reference to Lyndon Johnson, which did not include his famous quote involving pissing into or out of a tent...Rachel could easily be placed in the "Say it ain’t so, O" column.
It was Chris Matthews, however, that without intending to do so, not only confirmed what I had written about in more general terms, last evening...but, elevated my anxiety level to a place where I fired off a three page note to my Obama Campaign Contact Person, entitled "For what this may be worth". I also included a smattering of emails and comments generated by yesterday’s article.
For those who are not familiar with the MSNBC Show, Hardball...Host, Chris Matthews includes a short segment during each episode where he reveals his Big Number, and then tells what the number relates to. Usually, the segment is pretty hokey...and not nearly as relevant to anything, or anyone, as it obviously is to the Host. Add to this, the fact that Matthews, for all of his knowledge and experience dating back to Tip O’Neil, is about as far out of touch with the real world as a true Faux Progressive can possibly be and still keep his job at MSNBC.
Matthews may tell viewers at least three times each episode, that he is a "Philly Kid"...but, in reality, Chris hasn’t been a Philly Kid since he stepped off the bus inside the beltway 35 years ago. I strongly suspect that this is why the thought of Hillary being offered a Cabinet Post had him on the phone to Mrs. Matthews screaming, "Forget the Viagra tonight, Honey...Hillary’s the new Secretary of State". Pennsylvania voters won’t have difficulty seeing through Chris in 2010 when he makes a move on the Senate Seat currently held by Arlen Specter.
But, for now...back to the Hardball Big Number.
Tonight’s Big Number...was 31. And, for the first time in, oh...ever, the Number had real meaning. As of tonight, Barack Obama has made 43 appointments, either temporary or permanent, as part of his Transition to becoming the 44th President of the United States.
Thirty one of those appointments have gone to people who were employed by, and were a part of the Clinton Administration.
Over 72% of Barack Obama’s first series of appointments...directly from the Clinton Administration...and that was before Hillary was offered a Cabinet Post.
I wrote about Barack Obama abandoning his Change message, and perhaps being perceived as having effectively deceived 9,000,000 New Voters who thought that doing things differently...and all of the other change-related descriptions used by the President-Elect during his candidacy, before I was even aware of the extent to which the Clinton Administration and the Clinton Campaign had successfully infiltrated the Change Movement. You can at least appreciate, regardless of your opinion of the Clintons, my shock after becoming aware of the 72% figure.
There is a legitimate issue relating to whether or not Obama has simply played those who worked for him because we believed in him AND his message. Fifty percent of the responses I got yesterday clearly suggest that I am not the only Obama Volunteer, Contributor, Supporter and Defender, who feels that way.
At least as important, however...is not whether Obama simply used us by running left in the Primary Election Cycle...understandably trotting to the center during the General Election Campaign, and wanting to be everybody’s everything once in Office, in order to secure a second term and an even more significant legacy...as if that were possible. What is more important, is the fact that the Progressive Agenda, which Obama’s own resume has shown him to stand solidly for, over the course of his adult life...could only ever have come to pass during THIS particular cycle of our politics, and period of our history.
Franklin Roosevelt could not have created and installed the massive amount of programs which went as far as they did in establishing the United States as a socially responsible Nation...had we not been suffering the lingering aftermath and effect of the Great Depression.
Politicians with a liberal mindset would not have an opportunity to make even a lesser positive impact until Lyndon Johnson...and in doing so at that time, split the Democratic Party in two, created not only the modern day Republican Party, but also the Solid South...and made even a Former Democratic Governor of Arkansas feel compelled as President, to introduce Republican-crafted Free Trade Agreements (NAFTA), welfare reform, and numerous other programs into a Congress which caused more than a few Progressive Democrats to feel betrayed.
Today, we stand at an FDR-style crossroads. There is clearly motive on the part of the citizens of this country who see literally millions of jobs being lost each year, wages being depressed, bailouts for banks, tax breaks for big oil and big pharma, rising prices for staple products, to demand the change which they know will finally, actually benefit them.
There is opportunity, now...for the 57 to 60 Democratic Senators and 250+ Democratic House Members to make those changes which will benefit average Americans.
There is intent, on the part of the President-Elect to make those changes...to shake up Washington...to do things as they have not been done before...to tell the Special Interests that their days are numbered.
Or, at least there was.
This is no circular firing squad and I am not shooting at Democrats or attempting to stab in the back, the Candidate I voted for, gave money to, gave time to, and defended actively and openly against any and all attacks, from all sources.
I am a Progressive. I am a Proud Progressive. If the word Liberal were not toxic, I would be a DAMN PROUD LIBERAL! My introduction to Democratic Politics was serving as a Carter Delegate in 1976, and being elected to that position before I was old enough to vote. If I have a true Political Mentor, it is the Late Paul Wellstone. At a time when my MySpace Blog was the #1 Political Blog nearly every day of the week, I endorsed Dennis Kucinich early on in this Presidential Campaign.
There is a battle going on in the Democratic Party between those who believe this country only works if the President of the United States, regardless of Party, runs as hard to the right as he needs to in order to get ANY legislation passed. This situation has been built out of necessity, as no Democratic President since the last President TO PASS socially responsible legislation, has had the kind of majorities which would allow him to do so...without having to kiss a little pacadermic ass along the way.
I don’t know how long the current Democratic Majorities will exist. They may go away in 2010...as customarily happens in a new President’s first mid-terms. The point is WE HAVE the numbers TODAY. And, for those Progressives, Liberals, call yourselves whatever you need to in order to feel good about the situation...I, for one, am NOT willing to wait ANOTHER 40 YEARS to run the risk of MAYBE having that kind of opportunity again.
Like him or not, Bill Clinton was a Progressive...BEFORE HE BECAME PRESIDENT. As President, Bill Clinton ran hard right...and by the time he had completed his first term was as in the pocket of Wall Street as Bush 41, and taking as many meetings with Newt Gingrich, as he was with Dick Gephardt.
And the Change Candidate, Barack Obama has made 31 of his first 43 appointments...to members of the Administration which took over 1,000,000 UAW jobs to Mexico, 1,000,000 more jobs to Mexico, ended the Public assistance safety net for at least that many single mothers, indiscriminately bombed innocent civilians in multiple countries, all the while allowing Wall Street to run amuck, and resulting in NEARLY the number of Administration Officials being tried on corruption charges as during the last eight years of George W. Bush.
Some in Congress want to bailout US Automakers, because if we don’t, 1,000,000 Autoworkers, and those in related jobs, will be out of work. That already happened after NAFTA...and Bill Clinton nearly broke his arm patting himself on the back as padlocks were hitting one plant after another in states all across the Upper Midwest. Are these the Senior Advisors who should be sitting at the Obama table?
We may never have another chance to make the changes that most of us have wanted to see all of our adult lives, and which will benefit ALL Americans for decades or even centuries.
Barack Obama IS the Agent of Change which we need, and have needed. Barack Obama IS a true Progressive. Barack Obama IS what he said he was...and I BELIEVE in him and his PROGRESSIVE AGENDA...
...which is why it is UNBELIEVABLE that he would even contemplate building a center-right Cabinet, and expect a Progressive Agenda to remain intact, let alone become a reality.
Prove me wrong, Mr. President. Stand your ground, and be the person that you were when I voted for you.