Saturday, November 15, 2008

Keep Your Enemies Closer....

Secretary of State Clinton?
All seems to be evening out on the Democratic political playground. Surprise, surprise, the Alpha male and female are playing nice on the jungle gym. Everyone has probably heard that Senator Clinton has made a secret trip to Chicago and refuses to discuss what went on there. Hmm...

I think it's probably safe to say she has the job, in that I'd be very surprised her name would be leaked for no reason other than to embarrass her when she doesn't get the job. That wouldn't please too many of her 18 million supporters Obama is continually trying to woo. But I guess you never know.

Obama seems to be adhering to the old adage, Keep your friends close, and your enemies even closer. Unlike the the Bush Administration's policy which was, Keep your friends close and your extremely best, brown nosing friends who only tell you what you want to hear even closer.

As for me, I think she'd do well at it, and her choice might please some conservatives because her position is sometimes in contrast to his on foreign policy, i.e., during her primary campaign, she refused to discuss a timeline on withdrawal from Iraq, and let's face it, the two really don't appear to like each other much.

There's someone else who might be pleased if she gets the job. How often is the Secretary of State out of the country?



11 comments:

Bray said...

I am praying that Obama doesnt keep his friends close because then we would really be in trouble. His friends are much much scarier than brown nosers who tell you what you want to hear.

Mandy said...

Oh yes, everyone look out. I'm sure William Ayers will be the next cabinet member appointed. And don't forget we are all going to become Muslim too because Obama is really an Arab terrorist.

I guess he could be like Sarah Palin and fire everyone and then hire high school buddies into positions they aren't qualified for. Like the friend who was a real estate agent. She was appointed the head of the dept. of agriculture and sited her love of cows as a child as a qualification for the job. Hmm...

I hope Hillary gets the position. I think she would be really good at it. And like you said, I'm sure Bill would be happy too! :)

okbushmans said...

If I didn't know any better Mandy, your tone resembles a sore loser, yet your guy is the one calling the shots! And we have very few examples of who his political friends are, besides a few Chicagoans. That is what I find so interesting. With other Pres-Elects, you could guess who would be what in his administration, but with Obama you have vague guesses.

And why is Sarah Palin still part of this discussion? Wasn't it the dems who were sick of hearing from her? I guess the best defense is a scathing offense. I wouldn't be opposed to Hillary as Sect. of State based solely on the fact that she is a centrist and seems more diplomatic about Iraq and meeting with other heads of state. It will be interesting to see who fills what seat. And if he keeps Sect. Gates over defense. (Which I think he should and would be a 'unifying' gesture.)

Mandy said...

Does anyone understand sarcasm out there? Apparently sarcasm = a sore loser.

And how can you pass up a story like Palin's when it relates to the topic of appointing people, regardless if I am tired of hearing her speak to the media.

And thanks Okbushman. You always have such kind words for me. I really appreciate it.

L said...

All of us have made 'scathing' remarks. Some of us even offering up a little cuss-worded sarcasm here and there if I remember correctly. Let's try to remember that.

I'm tired of hearing about Palin, but once again she's STILL in the news so 'scrutinize away' Mandy. I'm tired of hearing Palin bring up Ayers AGAIN in a recent interview (which sounds a little sore loserish to me.) I'm hoping she returns to Alaska soon and gets back to her business of making sure we drill in caribou country.

I'm sorry if you, Bray reacted defensively to my slam of Bush, whom in my personal opinion, did more often than not, surround himself with friends that either weren't qualified, Michael Brown (Katrina), had ties to the energy industry, Rice, Cheney, (they weren't the only ones) or were so fiercely loyal that getting a straight answer might have been difficult.

But this blog leans liberal; Just like yours leans conservative. Let's try not to take it personally please.

I hope Obama chooses a more diverse administration. By all accounts he's doing that, so far. I'm tired of hearing about Ayers, and Rev. Wright, and some other rich guy in Chicago. Nothing but scapegoats they were, and still are apparently. Are these people really his FRIENDS? No. Why does anyone still care? Good question.

L said...

Didn't anyone think my picture was funny? I thought it was funny. I guess that's all that matters...

Jen said...

When did all the debate move from healthy to hostile? I will make NO personal attacks but I do want to address a few things that came up.

1. Ayers. I don't think it is right to brush Obama's association with him under the carpet. Obama lauched his political campaign at his house (there are media figures out there that discount this, but it is proven to be true). Ayers was an admitted terrorist, who YES is now a professor, but only because he got off on a technicality. Innocent until proven guilty--well the courts couldn't sentence him because of this technicality. However, he, out of his own mouth, addmitted what he had done and further said he wish he had done more. To brush this association under the carpet is foolish. It's ironic that Obama could become President, but he would not be hired into the CIA simply because of his relationships with Ayers and Wright. Futhermore, to say that Rev. Wright isn't a friend is true as of a few months ago, but that wasn't the case for more than 20 years when he sat in his congregation. He has a track record of having friends who aren't the kindest to America. This is relevant, however, he is our elected President so we need to hope for the best.

2. Sarah Palin is being ridiculed for appointing her friend who apparantly has no experience. It's easy to get swept up in media jargon and blogs. The media, as usual, are taking things out of context. Here is a quote "...Franci Havemeister, gets ridiculed for her “love of cows” as a qualification for her position at the Director of Agriculture. What the Times fails to mention is that the “love of cows” was also accompanied by years in the 4-H program and work done in several sectors of agriculture". Is it possible that there were more qualified people for the position, absolutely, there usually are, but we don't KNOW that is what is going on in this situation. So she gets slammed for hiring a friend with potentially little experience, yet President Bush gets slammed for Chenney and Rice who are EXPERTS in the area of energy. Just because they weren't the type of people the dems approved of (extreme environmentalists) doesn't make them unqualified. It's a no win situation. Also, I don't think it's such a bad thing to appoint people you trust, who you have worked with and who hold your values. The position as President is a stressfull position (DUH), so I know if I was in a stressful position I would want people who I have worked with, have sound knowledge and whom I trust to be by my side. Having said that, maybe the choice of Senator Clinton isn't the wisest choice because they don't really like eachother. BUT, if they really can put their distain for each other aside then more power to them. Republicans are never going to be fully satisfied with the choices of the Democrats and vice versa. That is just the nature of the business.

3. As for Caribou Country, I fully understand why people don't want the drilling to occur there--although I disagree. However, 87% of Americans want offshore drilling and/or drilling in ANWR--60% of whom are registered democrats. Sarah Palin obviously doesn't have the support of many of the environmentalist groups or Lula (this isn't a dig at all, just a fact), but she believes that she will be able to accomplish drilling with minimal environmental effects that will be overseen with very strict regulations--more than you can say for what is going on in the middle east. My logic, why buy from the middle east who ARE destroying their own land and who HATE us when we can drill on our own.

I think she is actually a fantastic marketer for Alaska. She is bringing the recent attention she has gotten to tell people about what she and most Alaskans want to do and how she wants to do it and how it will benefit the U.S. I think that she is using the spotlight quite well as any govenor should to bring proper attention to their state.

Bray said...

OK, I have come to see that comments can be sooo misconstrued. Lula, how did you get from my comment that I took something personally? I reread it and am I missing something? what did I take personally? I was also not meaning to be defensive, my comment had less,or really nothing to do with Bush and defending his choices and was more about Obama? I could care less what people think of Cheney, Halliburton, Cheney, Halliburton, Cheney, Halliburton, oh sorry I am so used to those two words being said over and over again in tandem I got lost for a second. Kinda like Obama, Ayers, Obama Ayers, Obama, Ayers. Both sides have their mantra.
Some of Bushes choices were not the best, not all, but some. I think every president makes cabinet choices that in retrospect were not the best. Some of Clintons were doozies.

That said I do think that Obama has either bad taste in friends or is one of the unluckiest guys to constantly be inadvertently brushing shoulders with anti-American crazies. Who knows?

Also so sad to hear that Mandy is still holding on to the belief that Obama is a Muslim. LOL

Sarcasim=sore looser...that could be me. It is still slightly stinging but the pain is less and less everyday.

L said...

Curious where you got your drilling data Jen. Perhaps it was from thin air, or perhaps Fox News, because it's not even close to what I've seen, especially regarding Democrats. ANWR and offshore drilling polling is not inclusive. ANWR drilling has always been much less statistic wise than offshore drilling. I've looked at alot of data and haven't found one as high as 80% of Americans agree on offshore drilling only, Republicans maybe but not Americans in general and I've only seen 40% of Democrats agreeing, and that was when gas was at its peak.

When Sarah Palin get her degree from ONE accredited college in say, Enviromental Biology-like me-or ecology or hydrology, then I will believe her when she says she can do it with minimal effects. Until then I will trust the professionals who do it for a living. And guess what they all say? No Dice.
(And please don't bring up your nephew here because I know he's a geologist, but he's not a biologist. His profession deals with what's below ground, not above it, and I believe that's just as important.)

So, Sarah don't go away mad. Just go away.

Maybe Obama will put a scientist in as Secretary of Interior or Director of the EPA. Now that would be a novel concept.

okbushmans said...

Tone is hard to represent accurately in typing. Does an exclamation point refer anger? Or sarcasm? Or excitement? This would be so much easier in a conversation!

My remarks about being a 'sore loser' I wrote while laughing, especially thinking about how much of the media has been on an Obama-high (Oprah especially), almost rubbing our noses in it. I should have put 'in-your-face-winners'! (Sarcasm).

And along some of the lines that we've been discussing, I'd personally like to banish a few words from my blog's dialogue and the talking heads on news shows:
1. Ayers. Who cares? I don't want to give him any more attention, because he doesn't deserve it!
2. She who must not be named, Sarah Palin. Unless it is in reference to something recent, I'm done delving into microscopic incidents in her past, which at this moment have nothing to do with me or the country. If she runs in 2012, we'll get back into the nitty gritty details then.
3. DOG! I'm so sick of hearing about the lucky pup who the Obama's will pick. What breed? Size? Gender? Color? My two cents, name it "Maverick". (Sarcasm)

And if my comments ever come off as defensive and brash, please remember I do not take politics personally. I find it interesting and humorous. (Just don't slam my blog, religion and family...in that order!)...again Sarcasm. Do I need to point it out every time? (again, sarcasm.)

Suzette Bradford said...

Wow. I'm glad I took the weekend off.