New Clarity, Old Hates

I'm glad Tom Daschle removed his name from consideration for the HHS Secretary post. If President Obama really meant business, then Senator Daschle should have been removed from consideration long before this. The President screwed up by fully backing the Senator; Mr. Obama should have reserved such public support for this, and indeed, any candidates. After all, if they're candidates, aren't they, de facto, desired by the President?

That Bill Richardson had similar issues was worrisome, but because he backed out in a timely manner, I see that as a plus, both for the governor, whom I respect, and the Obama administration.

Tim Geithner, the new Treasury Secretary, also had tax issues but, in fairness, they were of at least an understandably murky variety. Statements by commentators regarding this being a problem, given that he is heading up the national tax system I find specious: it takes teams of tax lawyers to cover the breadth, depth and complexity that is our current, and broken, system of taxation.

All the above said, it's amusing that Republicans, after engaging in twelve years of congressional hardball and absolute partisanship, now claim that the Obama administration somehow "owes" the American people an equal share with the GOP in governmental decision-making. (America's favorite personal attack dog, Limbaugh, actually wants proportional division of the stimulus package according to "popular voting" lines. Idiot.)

I agree that President Obama, and the entire Democratic Congress, must be held to significantly higher standards of transparency and operation. It's a great idea. And yes, the reality is that no one is pure, and asking public figures to be even better than everyday Joes -- who are not subject to investigative and journalistic scrutiny -- is unreasonable. That said, Obama staff should shine in the transparent light of public behavior anyway.

But the bottom line is that the GOP lost control of both of the elected branches of government, and the consequence is that they, for so long as power remains in this configuration, must work in a spirit of support, not spite, to ensure that the United States gets the best possible leadership. Gutter sniping, party line antics and other sore loser actions are not in the interests of neither their remaining political constituents nor the people they represent.

Before Republicans engage in their next salvo of complaints about how things haven't changed, perhaps they should look again at the appointment of Senator Judd Gregg who not only would be the third Cabinet-level Republican appointee but, more importantly, will be replaced, by agreement between President Obama, Governor Lynch of New Hampshire, and the GOP with a non-Democratic replacement, something they did not need to do and, in fact, crimps the attempt at filibuster-proof control of the Senate. Would junior do that? One thinks not.