by Mark Silva
Barack Obama has gotten a good quick start at rebuilding Bill Clinton's White House. Now, if he can only rebuild Clinton's economy.
With pick after pick, the president-elect appears to be turning toward talent that the 42nd president had identified for the establishment of the 44th administration.
Starting with Rep. Rahm Emanuel, an Illinois congressman who served on Clinton's White House staff, Obama has picked a hard-charging chief of staff to run his White House staff.
Obama also has let the story line of Hillary Clinton's potential nomination as secretary of state run long enough that he must be serious about the consideration - unless one of Bill Clinton's many questionable post-presidential business associations prove to be an insurmountable conflict of interest for the senator of New York moving to State. (Say he passes on Clinton, and settles on New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, whose own views about conciliatory diplomacy are far more in line with those of the president-elect, that's still a player from the old Clinton repertory.)
And now Obama is turning to Eric Holder, a former deputy attorney general for Janet Reno, a former federal judge and a member of a powerful Washington law firm, for his own attorney general. The only visible rap on Holder is the support he lent for Clinton's final-day pardon of Marc Rich, the fugitive financier. But that's something for critics to chew on pretty hard.
Add to the lineup the reports that Obama wants Peter Orszag, the Congressional Budget Office director, to serve as his director of the Office of Management and Budget - the entity that assembles the president's schematic for a three-trillion-dollar-plus federal budget each year and then attempts to steer congressional budget writers through the design. Orzsag served as an economist in the Clinton White House.
The operative term here is economy: Clinton left office after two terms with a surplus in the annual federal budget. President Bush quickly reversed the picture and is leaving office with a record federal deficit.
In the midst of the far-reaching bailouts of an ailing economy in which the government now is deeply involved, napkin-estimates of the first deficit that the Obama administration may face run upwards of $1 trillion - nearly a third of the overall budget. So assembling a team that can grapple with that dilemma, and more importantly the underlying weakness of the economy that is responsible for this chasm, will be Obama's first task. And that task will include shoring up the nation's health care, something which Hillary Clinton may also have a hand in should she remain in the Senate.
"It will be crucial to address the nation's looming fiscal gap -- which is driven primarily by rising health care costs -- as the economy eventually recovers from this current downturn," Orszag said in a recent statement.
Just as this town came to call the Bush's 41 and 43, perhaps Washington will come to call Clinton and Obama 42 and 44. It may matter little in the long run who said what about Marc Rich, who had what business dealings with foreign powers or who has the saltiest tongue in Washington - if Obama's reassembly of a Clinton White House has any bearing on the reassembly of a Clinton economy, people are likely to get past the personal histories and relationships of the assembled cast.
Comments
This is sad. It is not change, it is a reverse to 8 years ago. Clinton road in on Reagan's economy and it went down hill as his presidential years went on. I repeat this is not change, it is politics as usual, and in a worse direction. Shame on you B. Obama. Shame on you for lying about changing washington.. This only proves he has no Idea what he is doing.
Posted by: John | November 19, 2008 8:13 AM
Can't this guy come up with some new people that can do better than the ole Clinton cronies! This is pathetic!
I thought we were going to have change! The change that is coming is going to weaken the U.S. militarily, our borders, our rights, you name it--that's the change he has proposed! I think he is running scared as HE IS NOT EXPERIENCED ENOUGH TO BE PRESIDENT OF THIS GREAT NATION!
Posted by: Skully | November 19, 2008 9:09 AM
Sigh, all this concern-trolling about former Clinton appointees by Obama. Look, if you want to be effective in creating change, you need to, you know, have people in place who know what they're doing. As the Clinton administration was the last that gave this possibility to Democrats, it's rather natural that they would be a great source (or would you prefer Carter people who are collectively not particularly known for success and also are getting on in age?). That doesn't mean that the administration will be the same, because the guy on top will pursue a different agenda which now-*his* people will execute. There is also a big difference some people seem to forget between a Clinton-Loyalist and someone who "merely" worked for WJC.
Posted by: Candia | November 19, 2008 9:15 AM
"Change" back to the Clintons that you can believe in.
Posted by: Amber M | November 19, 2008 9:17 AM
Mark, let me help you with a little history here. Your comment of "now, if he can only rebuild Clinton's economy," indicates you think Clinton had a good economy apparently. The reality is the first four years of Clinton's presidency, the economy was just so-so. After the economy rebounded in 1992 and early 1993, it began to tank again by 1994. It wasn't until the Republican Congress put a halt to spending and the tech boom came along that the economy soared in mid to late 1990s. But then the tech boom crashed in 2000 (NASDAQ, for instance, went from 5,000 to 3,000 by the end of 2000. Clinton handed Bush an economy that was in recession.
I pray for the day when the Tribune once again has qualified, knowledgeable people working there. Unfortunately, the trend in the past few years is one of ridiculous left wing bias, complete and utter lack of knowledge (Frank James writing that the Chicago Democratic Machine died in 1976 is but one example), and a complete inability to report fairly or accurately.
Posted by: John D | November 19, 2008 9:27 AM
Change comes from policy, but you have to have people who know how to implement it. I'm sure the republicans would have done much differently. Like Joe the plumber, and Joe six-pack in the cabinet. Riiiiiight!
Posted by: bill r. | November 19, 2008 9:35 AM
Arguably Clinton handed along a recession, or maybe it was a slowdown after a boom, but he also passed along a surplus. Look what the W dummy did with it.
Posted by: Joe | November 19, 2008 9:38 AM
John D.......Thats right....keep telling us how wonderful the Bush administrations economy was and how bad Clintons was. How's that 401 looking buddy? Don't worry though...it is only a loss when you sell. Hows that retirement date coming?
Posted by: bill r. | November 19, 2008 9:46 AM
From the looks of it, instead of change, we're gonnan get Clinton's third term.
Keep the change, BO.
Posted by: joe | November 19, 2008 9:53 AM
Just remember - this is the guy praised by the Trib for all his "new" ideas and the changes he would bring to the White House!! Don't look at me, I didn't vote for him! Back to the old days again. Where's the "CHANGE?" Sometimes we get what we deserve as the electorate.
Posted by: Leo | November 19, 2008 9:54 AM
George bush has brought this conuntry to it's knee'.when Clinton took office the US was inbad shape. i remmeber no one being able to find a job after the Reagan years and Clinton brought the economy back plus he left george Bush with a budget surplus which George turned into a 11 trillion dollar national debt,Obama is smart to take some of these people on board, they know how to get things done
Posted by: tim ambrose | November 19, 2008 10:00 AM
I think the real change, President-elect Obama was primarily talking about, was the change from the Bush-McCain Republicans to the Obama Democrats!! That change, of itself, was a major change and one that I am extremely happy with and celebrate. Hold your horses though, you will see plenty more change, that you will enjoy and celebrate, as well !! Be patient, it took the two, prior, incompetent administrations, 8 years to to sink our country to new depths and it will take our Commander-in-Chief-elect, that long to right America's course. So, as I said, lay back and enjoy the change and try not too be too picky, change is change, even if you don' t agree with it !! The People have spoken !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, Chicago | November 19, 2008 10:01 AM
The election is over. Mature people recognize the heat of campaigning and let go after the final vote is counted. Barack Obama has been the mature focal point of post-election sanity. ..............
http://thefiresidepost.com/2008/11/19/obama-focal-point-of-mature-stability/
Posted by: Ohg Rea Tone | November 19, 2008 10:27 AM
Change we can believe in? Please. The irony is laughable. Rather than Obama's campaign mantra of the "Bush-McCain Third Term" he serves up the Clinton Third Term.
Posted by: Rebecca | November 19, 2008 10:36 AM
Candia, there are more possibilities other than those from the Carter and Clinton eras. Richardson is nothing more than an opportunistic ladder climber, who will do anything to get ahead even to the point of jumping from one candidate to another if it could mean one more rung. As he did during the primaries. "Change you can depend on." Ha, Ha!
Posted by: Ruth | November 19, 2008 10:44 AM
Whatever happens it is too late and those of us that voted against Obama can just sit back and have a good laugh at all those that voted for him. We can just hope that he doesn't complete the job of destroying this country that Bush started.
Posted by: Ruth | November 19, 2008 11:01 AM
The economy was successful under Clinton because Republicans ran the Congress and cleaned up all of the wasteful spending. Barack Obama's policies are the antithesis of lower taxes and reduced spending. So, it does not matter who he brings with him - they will still fail. This is not change... more of the same.
Posted by: Lisa 2008 | November 19, 2008 11:15 AM
This criticism of Obama's cabinet appointments is laughable. I can just imagine the firestorm that would be occurring if he was choosing a bunch of unknowns. Most every President-elect in U.S. history has reached back to previous administrations to cull the best team possible. Whether you like the Clinton's or not, they surely had some competent people on their team who can provide valuable insight to a relatively inexperienced new President.
GW Bush surrounded himself with Neo-con cronies and populated the Justice department with mentally challenged law grads from Christian Universities - where did that get us?
And all these dopey Obama acolytes from the Far Left who just started following national politics in the last 12 months are in for a big surprise. They naively thought "Change" meant Obama would flood Washington with outsiders. Get real. You don't hire a carpenter to fix a leak. And you don't hire a doctor to file a lawsuit. Politicians and lobbyists will always run Washington because that is what we pay them to do.
The very substance of this blog is evidence that Obama knows exactly what he is doing. All the press and low information voters are tuned into the Clinton drama - leaving Obama to work on the transition in relative privacy.
Wake up.
Posted by: elephant hunter | November 19, 2008 12:27 PM
I love all of these well-wishers, for our new American President, President Obama !!! It makes me proud, such patriotism, such non-partisanship !!! I can only hope that they will take a day off from their name-calling and rumor-mongering and fear-mongering, but, they, being the good American's that they are, I don't expect them to stop with their petty sniping, any time, soon !! That is unfortunate, for them. It is such a destructive and narrow-minded practice. Look at what it achieved for you, in the presidential election. If you want to continue on that road to Nowhere, that is your choice. Such folly !!!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, Chicago | November 19, 2008 12:28 PM
This is certainly the CHANGE and HOPE I voted for....... 4 more years of the same Clinton crapola!
Posted by: Cynical Kinda Guy | November 19, 2008 1:27 PM
"Now, if he can only rebuild Clinton's economy." Never happen. He's not going to have the '94 congress to do it for him as they did for Clinton.
Posted by: frank w | November 19, 2008 3:10 PM
This is certainly the CHANGE and HOPE I voted for....... 4 more years of the same Clinton crapola!
Posted by: Cynical Kinda Guy | November 19, 2008 6:12 PM
gravel would not
kucinich would not
paul would not
nader would not
mckinney would not
Posted by: how great the fall can be | November 19, 2008 7:03 PM
If this whole thing was not so sad, it would be laughable. No one wanted Hillary because President-elect Obama was the "change" guy but yet he is putting all of Clinton's people in office.
Very Sad.
Posted by: Tim Q | November 19, 2008 7:14 PM
Greg Craig has been named BO's cheif counsel, let's look at his qualifications:
Advisor to Ted kennedy.
Defended Clinton from impeachment.
Represented John Hinckley Jr in his insanity plea..
Represent3ed Ted Kennedy during William Kennedy Smith's rape trial.
Represented Elian Gonzale's father in that custody case.
Represented Kofi Annan before the UN in the opil for food scandal.
This guy is just a peach
Posted by: Terry | November 19, 2008 9:35 PM
When many were concerned about a third Bush term, very few were predicting the third Clinton term. Add to the third Clinton term the Dems AND OBAMA'S fawning all over Joe Lieberman--whose rhetoric ACCORDING TO THE SECRET SERVICE--along with Palin and McCain's inciting words INCREASED SECURITY THREATS against Obama. Lieberman's inciteful words have been rewarded. That is telling the people who voted for Obama to go to hell. Many Dems already feel duped by Obama's Big Change Theory. I wish Obama well, however I believe he will lose some of the e-mail names and support--you know, the little people--who helped get him to where he is today. Detesting Bush/Cheney doesn't necessarily mean loving or even supporting a backtracking Obama. Open request to Obama: Please let the reality equal your promise.
Posted by: Vivian | November 20, 2008 9:30 AM
What Obama Thinks In Private...
Thank you people for thinking I was going to give you change.... I just changed the same people back where they were 16 years ago...
Thank you Biden, for giving people the idea I had a DC hack to fall back on... you can now go cut ribbons and go to the parties for me...
Thank you Oprah, you gave me the keys to the Book Club and well, thanks for the votes..
Thank you African American voters, your reverse racism is what helped me into the White House... (Laughter)
Thank you white libs for being so PC, now it's your turn to ride in the back of the bus... (Laughter)
Posted by: Rex Hump | November 27, 2008 2:46 AM