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Barack Obama won the presidency, and the United States has changed forever. But after all the hard work and tears shed on behalf of Obama and his supporters, I have to wonder … what do we do now?
The nation is in its “lame duck” period, where Congress isn’t technically in session and there is a lull between the transition of presidents. Obama doesn’t want to overstep his boundaries by making too many speeches or decisions, and Bush – well, Bush is just glad to be off the hook. Meanwhile, the nation is waiting anxiously for Obama to be inaugurated and begin to make some serious changes: mind you, “anxiously” is the key word here. Most people cannot wait for Obama to become president and whip the country back into shape. I believe Obama cannot wait, either.
To make good use of this lame duck period, Obama has already begun stirring things up by choosing his cabinet members. Unlike during the Bush administration, when the members chosen were simply Bush’s friends (and many unqualified for their positions), Obama is taking the time and effort to carefully choose appropriate and effective members. He’s surrounding himself with not just those of his own party, but is rumored to be looking over the aisle and choosing people who are, above all, qualified for the positions.
So far, there have been six names confirmed by Obama’s transition team to fill cabinet positions: Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel, Council Greg Craig, Senior Advisers David Axelrod and Valerie Jarrett, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, and Vice President’s Chief of Staff Ron Klain. Many are criticizing Obama for choosing those who worked in the past with President Bill Clinton; but why would they, if they understood how well the country prospered under the Clinton administration? Obviously they don’t understand.
But it’s the rumored names that are making headlines: Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State, and Timothy Geithner as Secretary of the Treasury. Although these positions have not been finalized, sources have confirmed that the rumored names can be taken seriously.
Clinton was an obvious choice for a cabinet position, as she proved herself more than worthy during the primary race. No matter if you liked or didn’t like her, you can’t deny her intelligence and determination.
But what are her qualifications, other than her years of Washington experience as a Senator? For starters, she has an extensive global profile, making her an excellent choice for a foreign policy position. She has visited over 80 countries, has vast knowledge on foreign policy and of the intricate details that go along with it, and is also tough on the difficult issues at hand. Like President-Elect Obama, Clinton also wants to withdraw combat troops from Iraq as soon as possible.
Geithner, unlike Clinton, is not someone the public knows very well; but Wall Street and Washington know him very well indeed as the president of the New York Federal Reserve Bank. Across the board, Geithner is considered to be an excellent choice for this highly economics-centered position.
Incoming Senior Adviser David Axelrod said to Fox News, “Tim Geithner is someone who had experience in dealing with economic crises as the assistant secretary of treasury for international affairs in the ‘90s.” Although the choice is another throwback to the good old 1990s, I have to rely on the old standby statement: if it isn’t broken, why fix it?
The cabinet rumors and media analyses have been enough to keep the public interested and occupied during this lame duck period. Obama’s transition camp announced that President-Elect Obama and Vice President-Elect Biden will hold a press conference on Monday morning to announce their final economic cabinet team. From there, the duo will begin to establish the rest of their cabinet, and before we know what hit us, Obama will be inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States. Stay tuned, folks. It’s going to be an interesting ride.
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