The Wake

Obama’s cabinet appointments are going to be very important. After running on a platform of change of leadership, integrity, and political reconciliation between warring factions, Obama needs to be very careful that his cabinet picks represent these values. This is why Obama’s first round of probable picks worries me: two of three are firm, long-time Obama backers, all three are democrats, all three are long term Washington insiders, and is not quite a lobbyist, but not quite free of the appearance of being one. Not exactly a recipe for change.

Obama’s man for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Former Senator Tom Daschle, served as Senator for South Dakota for 26 years, was the Democratic senate leader for 10, and, as far as I can tell, has very little in his resume that is specifically relevant …

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After the election, my good Democrat demographic-mates, who were out “Barackin’ it for Obama” and drank “Jag-Obamas” upon his victory, are flush with happiness, hope, and idealism. For a week, I myself almost felt that our troubles were behind us and the best was yet to come.

Cut to Dateline - Washington. When I heard today Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson say on the radio today that there is still a very real danger of “systemic failures in the economy,” the peak-oil survivalist mentality that occasionally grips me like a fever took hold. My god, I thought. It’s going to happen here. This man was just handed a bag of money and carte blanche by Congress. He has all the resources of the United States Government at his disposal, and he is still saying …

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