I expect anyone who runs as a Democrat to pick Democrats

[Sarah Ibarruri]

NOT Republicans.

If a candidate says he will fill the positions with REPUBLICANS as well as Democrats, I do not vote for that person.

I did not hear any candidate say that during the campaigns.

And yet that's what I'm seeing now.

I don't understand.

[Township75]

1. Did you hear Obama say he will only pick Dems?

If not, why did you assume that meant Dems only?

Obama is doing what he thinks will make the best team. He isn't Bush, so he doesn't need people who are just like him. We brought him in for change, and he is delivering!

[Sarah Ibarruri]

3. Oh I get it! I was supposed to read BETWEEN the lines and guess he was going to have a 50-50

administration! Part Bush-part Obama. I get it now.

[Township75]

5. What lines were you supposed to read between?

If he never said he was going to only pick Dems, then why did you assume so?

[Sarah Ibarruri]

7. The assumption lines. I didn't read between those. I would expect a candidate to say openly....

I plan to have HALF-BUSH types, and half-Democrats. My mistake. I should've ASSUMED everything and anything.

[Township75]

11. If you read between the lines he didn't say, you end up in situations like this

Go back and reread those lines he didn't say....you may found out you were wrong, and he said he would keep all of Bush's picks, and what actually is going on is he is deviating from those promises and we should all be happy. Don't believe me? Go back and read those unspoken lines.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

12. I am VERY dissappointed. After nearly 4 decades of right wingers, Reaganists are in his

administration. They're back again.

[Township75]

15. Like I said, when you read between the lines he didn't say, you can get disappointed.

I'm really disappointed he didn't make me ruler of the world when he said We Need Change! The message between the lines was clear to me, but he hasn't done it yet. Now, I am sad.

[karynnj]

20. 50/50?? He has picked just 2 Republicans

Maybe 3 if Jones, who has no public record of a party is Republican.

[Tiggeroshii]

2. From an article dated 3/2/08 in the huffington post:

"Obama Plans to Pick Republicans for Cabinet"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/02/obama-plans-to-pick-repub_n_89438.html

[Sarah Ibarruri]

6. OH! I failed to read one article in England which said: "Obama is hoping...."

This is the quote from the article, not from Obama, of course:

"Obama is hoping to appoint cross-party figures to his cabinet such as Chuck Hagel, the Republican senator for Nebraska and an opponent of the Iraq war, and Richard Lugar, leader of the Republicans on the Senate foreign relations committee."

See what happens when you fail to read every article that comes out in our planet? You miss out on one article and suddenly you do not realize that Obama is actually "hoping" to have a half-Bush/half-Obama cabinet.

Man, I guess next time I'll be more careful and read ALL articles that come out everywhere guessing what Obama will do. Only then will I know what the candidate is actually thinking.

I only relied on his words. My mistake.

[Tiggeroshii]

13. The words of his staff are equally important. Which is what that article was referring to.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

30. You're right. I guess I didn't pay close attention nt

[cali]

4. you don't understajnd because you were NOT paying attention

I heard both Obama and Edwards say they'd put repubs in the cabinet. If you informed yourself, you'd know what you were voting for.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

8. Yeah, you're right. I didn't read the articles. I just saw one from the UK which did not provide

any quotes from Obama but which *assumed* he would do that. I failed to read that. I only relied on his words that he would "work with." I never assumed that would mean, "I will appoint half Bush-types, and half Democrats."

AGAIN, MY MISTAKE.

[Uben]

9. I expect the most qualified to be picked

Your opinion is just that, your opinion. I expect Obama to pick the most qualified individuals to fill positions regardless of their political ideology. We have had eight years of partisan picks, and look how they turned out. We need the best minds at the helm at this crossroads in American history. Nothing short of that will suffice.

If Obama picks people just because they are democrats and not because they are qualified, I will not vote for him again. I am convinced I am right and you are wrong. But then again, my opinion is just that, my opinion!

[Sarah Ibarruri]

10. Bushists are not qualified. We're living through the aftermath of right wing policies for almost 4

decades.

I expected and ASSUMED excellent, brilliant Democrats would be chosen, and that he'd "WORK WITH" Republicans.

I made a mistake. I should've assumed more.

I'd have campaigned VERY differently, and so would've my family and friends.

[Somawas]

24. Yes. Exactly.

"Bi-partisanship" has been a code word for "Democrats who will act like Republicans" ever since Newt rode into the Speaker's chair. Time to ditch that crap.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

25. I agree. Repukes never feel the need to suck Dem behind when they're elected....

Why must we always sacrifice Democratic principles by sucking Repub ass?

[depakid]

16. Which, unfortunately he is NOT doing

Ray LaHood is hardly a "best mind," and certainly not the visionary people had been led to expect in the position. About all he's got going for him is that he supported Amtrak because it serves his own state of Illinois.

Likewise, his basketball buddy isn't the best and the brightest- but he is big on Bush's "no child left behind."

Daschle on the other hand knows a bit about healthcare- seeing as how his wife's an industry lobbyist- and they've both taken a TON of money from the healthcare industry.

[Johonny]

32. I agree with you

[Olney Blue]

14. Sarah, I don't like Republicans either, but I know that Obama said

that he would change the way politics was done in Washington. Looks like he is trying to bring the parties together.
I am not sure it will work, but I am hoping for the best.

[Connie_Corleone]

17. Then you weren't paying attention.

Obama has said time after time during the campaign that he would probably have some Republicans in his cabinet.

[The_Commonist]

18. He's doing pretty much what I expected so far.

I knew from the get-go that he would pick a few Republicans, reach out to all sides, including "our enemies" and be pretty centrist. I don't like the Warren thing, but I'm not shocked by it at all. I don't want to say "you weren't paying attention," but I would like to suggest that maybe you readjust your expectations.

I never thought a President Obama would usher in a Leftist Paradise, and so far I was correct.

[karynnj]

19. I think that every President I can remember appointed some member of members of the other party

Even W appointed Minetta head of Transportation. So far, Obama has picked just Gates, who does help with the transition and who will have to implement Obama's policies, and Lahood, for Secretary of transportation. The latter's confirmation I assume by the Commerce committee) is one I will watch with interest. Not because he is a Republican, but because at least in 2004, he was against high speed rail - because he said the rural areas don't like trains flying through at that speed. High speed rail could be an viable alternative to many of the shorter flights - generating less carbon than either flying or driving. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x7993412 If, his position is still the same, that is a problem and it would be a problem if he were a Democrat.

[Zynx]

21. Wow. You are shallow.

Most administrations have at least one member of the opposite party in them.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

29. He has now 3, right? And a homophobic fundy officiating at his inauguration

And he's postponed indefinitely what he promised about increasing back the taxes of the mega-rich, which have been rock-bottom for decades (since Reagan).

[wyldwolf]

22. you would not have voted for FDR or JFK

[pnwmom]

23. I remember Obama saying he'd appoint at least one Republican. Besides,

you're not the only one who voted for him. Democrats aren't the only ones who voted for him. Independents voted for him in large numbers, and even some Republicans. And that's why he won. He wouldn't have had enough votes with only liberal Democrats, so he has to represent everybody now.

[democrattotheend]

26. Obama said during the campaign he would put Republicans in the cabinet

I'm actually surprised he only picked 2.

[Captain Lance Bass]

27. There is no red state or blue state America

there is only the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

per Obama


what part of that don't you grasp?

Obama is a centerist..what we need right now,

[Hippo_Tron]

28. He put a token Republican in his cabinet in a clearly temporary capacity

Having a token member of the opposition party in the cabinet is frequent. William Cohen in Clinton's cabinet and Norm Mineta in Bush's cabinet.

[Johonny]

31. Just as long as they can do their job

I want someone that picks administrative positions that are the best to actually do the job. Civil agencies are suppose to be non-political. Bush wasted all his time worrying about how the people appointed and hire voted instead of how good they were at doing their job. Frankly that didn't work out to well.