I think President Obama can pick whoever the fuck he wants for SOS.

[Lil Missy]

He obviously knows what the hell he is doing. He's winning!

I've never felt this peaceful and relaxed in years. We finally have a grownup in charge.

[FrenchieCat]

1. That's got to be my feeling on this one.

We have so many problems to fix....till I can't get into each appointment to critique them all.

There's been a few things that I would have done different than how Obama would have done them...which is probably why he is President, and I'm not (not even close).

[Trajan]

2. Even though this is a violation of logic ....

I am going with it anyways .....

Obama CAN and SHOULD pick whomever he believes will work best in his administration ....

Yeah .. Its a fallacy to say this 'He is winning so he cant be wrong', but FUCK that: He is surrounding himself with smart and dynamic personalities that are going to serve US well ...

This is going to be the best administration ever ....

YIPPIE ! ....

[Lil Missy]

3. No violation of logic. He knows where the landmines and bodies are buried. Stuff we're not privy to.

He knows what he is doing.

[RoyGBiv]

4. I look at it a couple of ways ...

He's going to get enough shit from Republicans no matter who he chooses. He doesn't need it from me. And in any event, I'm not going to have much of an influence on a *cabinet* appointment. Pick your fights and all that ...

The other thing I think about is Lincoln. Now, I know these comparisons are reaching the point of being overdone, so I'll keep it toned down, and I'm not making a direct comparison. However, there are some interesting parallels. Lincoln put people in his cabinet who were flat out opposed to everything Lincoln wanted ... save one, preservation of the union. Some were even borderline incompetent and none of them had any real level of respect for Lincoln. They had this idea they were going to control his naive fool from Illinois who had no experience in DC.

Well that certainly turned out differently, didn't it?

Lincoln's basic idea was he had a lot of division to deal with, and not just North vs. South. His own party was all over the board with different, often incompatible ideas of what kinds of things needed to be done and/or how to do them. Then there were the Democrats, who hated him and everything he was about. So, he thought, I'll put representatives of all my enemies in my own cabinet, keep an eye on them, force them around to my way of thinking whether they like it or not, and get some things done.

This is why the idea of keeping on Gates doesn't even cause me pause. Gates isn't incompetent. Compared to Rummy, he's a flippin' genius. And Obama can use him, or Gates can resign.

So, yeah ... whoever he wants.

[Lil Missy]

6. Indeed! I do think your analogy with Lincoln is very relevant here.

[No Elephants]

5. Yes, he can! And I hope he will, no matter who tries to manipulate the media.

[old mark]

7. For SOS and everything else. Obama was smart enough to

get this far - I trusted him enough to vot for him in the primary and the GE, and now I will allow him to continue to do things as he sees the need. The media needs exciting materiel to get more viewers to sell more advertising.
I don't know what manu posters here get out of winding themselves up over every rumor and non-event they see, but it's a waste of human life to be so involved in this bullshit when you have absolutely no say in any of it.

mark

[K Gardner]

8. He has certainly earned that right. I'm sleeping at night again, too.

[Rowdyboy]

9. Absolutely right! Let the man assemble his administration without petty backbiting....

from his own side.

The nightmare Hillary Clinton as SOS would represent to Newt and his fellow Nasty Boys of the radical right. It makes me feel all warm and tingly inside!

K&R

[Lil Missy]

11. Ironically, it was the overreaching and the hubris of the radical Nasty Boys

that lost them the majority and the Presidency in the first place. :)

[WinkyDink]

10. I suspect he thinks so, too!

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

12. You know, I think you are right. He will pick the most

brilliant ones out there for these important positions. I'm feeling more relaxed too, Thank you.

I have a party to go to tonight, best go get ready, Have a great weekend everybody!

[Honeycombe8]

13. Of course he can. And the public decides when it's their business to express their views on it. nt

[AlCzervik]

14. Based on who he picked to run his campaign i feel pretty good about his judgment.