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Is Barack Obama Picking His Cabinet Like A European?

By Kleinheider Posted on December 5, 2008 at 7:58 am

Pat Buchanan sees a parliamentary flavor to Obama’s staffing up:

Dick Morris has it right. As in a parliamentary system, where cabinet members come straight off the majority party front bench, Barack, as prime minister, is knitting together a coalition government that allocates its highest honors to its greatest stars.

As Tony Blair named rival Gordon Brown as chancellor of the exchequer, Barack made Joe Biden his vice president, Hillary his secretary of state, and Bill Richardson his secretary of commerce. Had John Edwards not fouled his nest, he, too, would be in the cabinet. Perhaps attorney general.

And while Barack has taken a risk naming Hillary, with her national following and ruthless courtiers, Hillary’s investment is even greater. Should a clash erupt, as it did between Ronald Reagan and Al Haig, Barack, though at great cost, can terminate her and her career. The idea that a cashiered secretary of state could challenge President Obama in 2012, capture the nomination, and win, after humiliating and dumping our first African-American president, is absurd.

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2 Responses to “Is Barack Obama Picking His Cabinet Like A European?”

  1. MCO writes
    December 5th, 2008 9:18 am

    This is a bit of a reach. Has the President elect included a lot of prominent names in his cabinet? Sure. Are these the Democratic parties’ “greatest stars?” Not really. Ms. Clinton would certainly be included in the top tier, but Biden and Richardson? Certainly not. The mere fact of having run unsuccessfully for President does not make one a “greatest star.”

    If it had been Clinton as VP, Kerry at State, Feinstein at Commerce, Gore at EPA — that would be parliamentary style appointments. Ted Kennedy is incapacitated by health, but we would need a Kennedy somewhere. Also, maybe Ed Rendell at HHS?

    Frankly, though, I like Obama’s appointments better.

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    December 9th, 2008 5:47 pm

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