Obama's Cabinet appointments

[GarfieldJL]

This is an all time record, I may have been against President Clinton during his administration, but he took longer to make his first decision that I flat out disagree with. I'm staying off criticism of Obama's foreign policy stuff because he hasn't come up with appointments concerning that yet, nor has he been in a position here recently to make any judgements... Though if his first choice is any indication, he's already broken one promise, it looks like he's going to be extremely partisan to the point that if we compared it to Bush. Bush and Democrats would be getting together every morning and singing khombaya (sp?). I didn't even expect something this soon, less than 48 hours after he won the election to boot.

 

Illinois Rep. Rahm Emanuel, a former aide in the Clinton White House, has accepted Barack Obama's offer to be his chief of staff, Democratic officials say.

Fox News

 

Now who is Rahm Emanuel you might ask, CNN has painted him as a centrist-center right. However, his voting record shows that he is a hard left partisan.

 

Newsbusters which usually makes a point of going after the liberal media has been having a field day of late just on the coverage of Electionday and the following days.

Emanuel's American Conservative Union average since joining the House in 2003 is a 13, with a 4 in 2006 and a zero in 2007. The Americans for Democratic Action voting index is even more emphatic: Emanuel averages out (by my math) to a 96 percent liberal score.

 

His ADA scores: 95 percent in 2003, 100 percent liberal perfection in 2004 and 2005, 90 percent in 2006, and 95 percent in 2007.

Newsbusters

 

Corroborating sources include:

American Conservative Union on the right

and

Americans for Democratic Action on the left

 

 

Also Emanuel has a problem with paying taxes: Illinois Review

[Litofsky]

What's so wrong with choosing a liberal to be a Democrat's Chief of Staff? That's not to say that he won't choose others of an opposing party.

[Astor]

Though if his first choice is any indication, he's already broken one promise, it looks like he's going to be extremely partisan to the point that if we compared it to Bush.

 

What about the speculation that he'll be keeping Gates in Defence? does that not point to potentially 'bridging the gap'?

 

Instead of criticising every move he makes, why not actually wait and see how things pan out?

 

And before you start, I'm not interested in his past mistakes, or any 'socialist' leanings - no-one knows how Obama will be as President, and no-one's going to find out til after January 20th.

[GarfieldJL]

What about the speculation that he'll be keeping Gates in Defence? does that not point to potentially 'bridging the gap'?

 

Instead of criticising every move he makes, why not actually wait and see how things pan out?

 

And before you start, I'm not interested in his past mistakes, or any 'socialist' leanings - no-one knows how Obama will be as President, and no-one's going to find out til after January 20th.

 

Well Doing some digging, I've found that he's had a problem with paying property taxes too. Illinois Review

 

Apparently he says his property is a nonprofit charity's headquarters.

[Astor]

Well Doing some digging, I've found that he's had a problem with paying property taxes too. Illinois Review

 

Apparently he says his property is a nonprofit charity's headquarters.

 

And what does that have to do with his appointment to Obama's cabinet?

[jrrtoken]

Agreed. I think that all of Obama's critics need to calm down and wait, and when I mean wait, I mean for six to twelve months after inauguration day.

[Jae Onasi]

Emanuel's taxes are for the IRS to figure out, and we don't need to get into that here. Stick with the the experiences and qualifications (or lack thereof) of the potential cabinet staff and issues that directly apply to their abilities to do the job.

 

What's so wrong with choosing a liberal to be a Democrat's Chief of Staff? That's not to say that he won't choose others of an opposing party.

When's the last time you've seen any President appoint members of the opposing party to his cabinet? Obama is likely to appoint those whose views match his or who have supported him in some substantial way during the election process, and those folks will all be Democrats, and likely quite liberal ones like Emanuel at that.

 

Appointing Emanuel, who is apparently Jewish, may be a subtle message to Jews here in the US and to the Middle East in general. However, I think Obama has decided Emanuel will be chief of staff because he knows him and feels Emanuel will do well.

[Achilles]

When's the last time you've seen any President appoint members of the opposing party to his cabinet?

It was a junior Congressman from Illinois, was it not?

 

I, for one, will be very disappointed of Obama does not make a few Republican appointments after basically saying that he would do precisely that.

 

Obama is likely to appoint those whose views match his or who have supported him in some substantial way during the election process, and those folks will all be Democrats, and likely quite liberal ones like Emanuel at that.

I look forward to revisiting this thread later

 

Appointing Emanuel, who is apparently Jewish, may be a subtle message to Jews here in the US and to the Middle East in general.

I thought it was because he was qualified and did a good job under Clinton. You could be right though, he could be angling for the Jew vote in 2012.

 

However, I think Obama has decided Emanuel will be chief of staff because he knows him and feels Emanuel will do well.

I agree.

[mimartin]

When's the last time you've seen any President appoint members of the opposing party to his cabinet?

Bill Clinton appointed William Cohen as United States Secretary of Defense in 1997. Bush and Clinton both had members of the other party on their staff, but Cohen is the highest profile.

[Tyrion]

It's not surprising that Obama wants a like-minded Chief of Staff to help run the cabinet. I'm just hoping he diversifies his cabinet to include both sides.

[Jae Onasi]

Bill Clinton appointed William Cohen as United States Secretary of Defense in 1997. Bush and Clinton both had members of the other party on their staff, but Cohen is the highest profile.

 

OK, so not so long ago as I thought.

[Tommycat]

No worse than Bush who said he was going to reach across the aisle and didn't.

 

Obama won by quite a bit. It's his choice. Let him choose who he feels is best for the position. I'm sure he's going to pick people who share his vision, reguardless of their party alignment.

[Corinthian]

The fact that he's a hard left partisan doesn't bother me a bit, but the fact that he's wanted by the IRS for not paying his taxes is hilarious. I find myself reminded of Al Capone.

 

I wonder if this will be the first time in a Presidency that the Chief of Staff does his work from prison.

[Tommycat]

The fact that he's a hard left partisan doesn't bother me a bit, but the fact that he's wanted by the IRS for not paying his taxes is hilarious. I find myself reminded of Al Capone.

 

I wonder if this will be the first time in a Presidency that the Chief of Staff does his work from prison.

 

Two words: Presidential pardon

[Corinthian]

Crap. And that would have been comic gold, too.

[GarfieldJL]

Emanuel's taxes are for the IRS to figure out, and we don't need to get into that here. Stick with the the experiences and qualifications (or lack thereof) of the potential cabinet staff and issues that directly apply to their abilities to do the job.

 

Jae, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess you haven't read into the requirements for members of the cabinet and other appointees to an administration. If he has a tax problem then arguably that would disqualify him. President Clinton couldn't appoint several people to his administration due to the fact they weren't paying their taxes among other things.

 

From the highly partisan New York Times:

Mr. Stephanopoulos did not say whether these candidates would automatically be disqualified if they had failed to pay Social Security taxes for household workers. But White House officials said questions about compliance with immigration and tax laws were now being routinely asked of all candidates for Cabinet and sub-Cabinet positions.

--New York Times

 

Members of the President's cabinet, the Chief of Staff, etc. all have to go through an FBI background check. That's Federal Law, due to the fact he would need Security Clearence for the position. (Which if Obama hadn't been elected he couldn't serve on a Cabinet for precisely this reason I might add)

 

If the White House is further interested in your nomination, you will be asked to fill out FBI and financial disclosure forms for subsequent review and approval. To have a better understanding of the information you will be asked to provide, you can review the security clearance form for National Security Positions (SF86) and the financial disclosure form for higher level positions (SF278). You should know that most appointees are required to file financial disclosure statements annually during their service.

--www.whitehouse.gov Appointments

 

Questionare for National Security Positions

 

When's the last time you've seen any President appoint members of the opposing party to his cabinet? Obama is likely to appoint those whose views match his or who have supported him in some substantial way during the election process, and those folks will all be Democrats, and likely quite liberal ones like Emanuel at that.

 

Ronald Reagan had Democrats in his cabinet, and that's the first President I can name off the top of my head that did so. The most recent President to appoint members of the opposing party to his cabinet is President George W. Bush, and President Bill Clinton did so as well.

Democrat Bill Clinton had Republican William Cohen serve as secretary of defense during his second term.

 

Republican George W. Bush has had Democrat Norm Mineta serving in the top spot at the U.S. Department of Transportation. Prior to that post, Mineta served as secretary of Commerce in the Clinton administration.

--Cabinet Members from Opposing Party

 

Oh and Obama promised to have a bipartisan cabinet, another broken promise? Times Online

 

Appointing Emanuel, who is apparently Jewish, may be a subtle message to Jews here in the US and to the Middle East in general. However, I think Obama has decided Emanuel will be chief of staff because he knows him and feels Emanuel will do well.

 

I thought Obama wanted to be bipartisan and a uniter. All I'm seeing thus for is a left wing wacko from Chicago. I thought Obama is supposedly a centrist judging from whom he has appointed thus far, it seems he's going to try to govern from the far left.

 

Furthermore, it just seems to me like the good old boy network from Chicago which made Washington DC look like it was made up of a bunch of saints. Politics of change alright, it's corruption to a whole new level.

 

You think our current President was divisive, well it didn't take Obama 48 hrs to top President Bush on divisiveness.

[mimartin]

GarfieldJL you may want to take your own advice and read up on exactly what positions there are in the President’s Cabinet and how many there are.

 

1. Secretary of State

2. Secretary of the Treasury

3. Secretary of Defense

4. Attorney General

5. Secretary of the Interior

6. Secretary of Agriculture

7. Secretary of Commerce

8. Secretary of Labor

9. Secretary of Health and Human Services

10. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

11. Secretary of Transportation

12. Secretary of Energy

13. Secretary of Education

14. Secretary of Veterans Affairs

15. Secretary of Homeland Security

 

The White House Chief of Staff is a Cabinet-Level Administrator, with a Cabinet-Level Rank, but is not really a Cabinet member.

 

Cabinet-Level Administration Offices

 

1. Vice President of the United State – Biden

2. White House Chief of Staff

3. Administrator of Environmental Protection Agency

4. Director of the Office of Management and Budget

5. Director of the National Drug Control Policy

6. United State Trade Representative.

 

How many of those has Obama actually named candidates for? Personally I’d wait before I called someone a lair until the actually lied. Unless you are saying Obama lied because he did not choice a Republican as his running mate.

[GarfieldJL]

The White House Chief of Staff is a Cabinet-Level Administrator, with a Cabinet-Level Rank, but is not really a Cabinet member.

 

mimartin, the White House Chief of Staff is extremely important.

 

The White House Chief of Staff is the highest-ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President. Some individuals who have held the position, including Sherman Adams, have been dubbed "The Second-Most Powerful Man in Washington" due to the nature of the job.

-- White House Chief of Staff

 

How many of those has Obama actually named candidates for? Personally I’d wait before I called someone a lair until the actually lied. Unless you are saying Obama lied because he did not choice a Republican as his running mate.

 

I'm not even talking about Sir Gaff-a-lot, the Chief of Staff is the highest ranking member in the Executive Office outside the President. If he was serious about not being partisan he would have chosen a moderate, instead he chose an extremely partisan individual from the far-left.

 

Edit Breaking News:

First out of the gate were revelations about Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), the Obama supporter and Congressional Democratic Caucus chairman Obama has tapped to be his Chief of Staff (please see my colleague Jeff Poor's November 6 report on this subject).

 

On Friday, ABC's Brian Ross reported that Emanuel was on the Board of Directors of the failed financial institution Freddie Mac, a nice little tidbit conservatives on radio and in the blogosphere felt was important during this campaign, but for the most part mainstream media outlets didn't care about...conveniently until now (emphasis added, photo courtesy ABCNews.com):

--Truth Leaks Begin Emanuel was Director Freddie Mac

 

ABC News

 

And that's why there are Background Checks that are supposed to be conducted before naming cabinet appointments.

[mimartin]

mimartin, the White House Chief of Staff is extremely important.

Didn't say it wasn't. And that matter why? It proves nothing, it means nothing. I would not expect a President to pick someone outside their own party to be Chief of Staff. I can't find where the Chief of Staff has ever been appointed from the opposing party.

 

Obama never said anything about making the Chief of Staff a Republican. He has a few more selection before he did not keep his campaign promise. Even then some on the right will not be satisfied because Obama is likely to pick a moderate.

 

And that's why there are Background Checks that are supposed to be conducted before naming cabinet appointments.

or running mates.

[GarfieldJL]

Didn't say it wasn't. And that matter why? It proves nothing, it means nothing. I would not expect a President to pick someone outside their own party to be Chief of Staff. I can't find where the Chief of Staff has ever been appointed from the opposing party.

 

I didn't say he had to pick someone outside his party, I am saying that picking a left-wing nut that doesn't pay his taxes, and is potentially partially responsible for the Financial Meltdown is a cause of concern.

 

Obama never said anything about making the Chief of Staff a Republican. He has a few more selection before he did not keep his campaign promise. Even then some on the right will not be satisfied because Obama is likely to pick a moderate.

 

Uh huh, well a rumor about another lower level potential appointee has came out and we can kiss free speech goodbye. The rumor is that he's Obama's choice for FCC Commisioner.

 

Obama's new FCC Transition Head Talk Radio's Executioner

 

Seriously, folks we could be looking at losing our first amendment rights, and it's another far left individual.

 

Washington -- President-elect Barack Obama is expected to name Washington, D.C. lawyer Henry Rivera, a Democrat, to head a transition team focused on the Federal Communications Commission, according to informed sources.

--http://www.multichannel.com/CA6612005.html

 

Guess Democrats like Obama are only for free speech when they agree with it.

 

Henry Rivera, a longtime radical leftist, lawyer and former FCC commissioner, is expected to lead the push to dismantle commercial talk radio that is favored by a number of Democratic Party senators. Rivera will play a pivotal role in preventing critics from having a public voice during Obama's tenure in office.

 

Rivera, who resigned from the FCC nearly a quarter-century ago during the Reagan years, believes in a doctrine of "communications policy as a civil rights issue".

 

His exit during the Reagan Administration paved the way for the Fairness Doctrine's repeal when the late president appointed Patricia Diaz Dennis in 1986 to fill out the rest of Rivera's term. Had this not occurred, talk radio as we know it today would not exist.

--Obama Appoints Radical Media Activist

 

Also your Comment about Governor Palin was out of line, because she was exonerated...

 

In conclusion, judging from this appointment and the Obama's Chief of Staff Appointment we're looking at a far left fringe cabinet.

[mimartin]

I didn't say he had to pick someone outside his party, I am saying that picking a left-wing nut that doesn't pay his taxes, and is potentially partially responsible for the Financial Meltdown is a cause of concern.

I thought you wrote before that Obama was the most liberal member of Congress. So Rahm Emanuel must be right of Obama.

 

I will honor Jae's request, as she is a moderator.

 

I also thought you wrote ACORN and Obama was responsible for the Financial Meltdown.

[GarfieldJL]

I thought you wrote before that Obama was the most liberal member of Congress. So Rahm Emanuel must be right of Obama.

 

I will honor Jae's request, as she is a moderator.

 

I also thought you wrote ACORN and Obama was responsible for the Financial Meltdown.

 

ACORN and Obama are responsible, however Rahm bears responsibility as well because he was a Director for Freddie Mac.

 

Also there is more to this:

 

Nicknamed "Rahmbo," he once mailed a dead fish to a Democratic pollster who got on his bad side during a long-ago congressional race. Outraged over what he regarded as disloyal Democrats during Clinton's first presidential campaign, he stunned dinner companions by rattling off names of the offenders, each time stabbing the restaurant table with a dinner knife and shouting, "Dead."

--Emanuel accepts offer Obama's as Chief of Staff

 

From Same article:

"This is an ironic choice for a President-elect who has promised to change Washington, make politics more civil, and govern from the center," Boehner said.

 

I really don't believe Emanuel could pass a Background check at this point.

[mimartin]

I’m going back a few posts because I ignored a post, but I want clarification.

 

the Chief of Staff is the highest ranking member in the Executive Office outside the President.

Can you point out the Chief of Staff on this list. I can’t seem to find it, but there are a few other Cabinet member on the list.

 

1 Vice President

 

2 Speaker of the House of Representatives

 

3 President pro tempore of the Senate

 

4 Secretary of State

 

5 Secretary of the Treasury

 

6 Secretary of Defense

 

7 Attorney General

 

8 Secretary of the Interior

 

9 Secretary of Agriculture

 

— Secretary of Commerce

 

— Secretary of Labor

 

10 Secretary of Health and Human Services

 

11 Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

 

12 Secretary of Transportation

 

13 Secretary of Energy

 

14 Secretary of Education

 

15 Secretary of Veterans Affairs

 

16 Secretary of Homeland Security

 

 

I've gone over it more than a few times and cannot seem to see it here, but it has to be here because you say it is the "highest ranking member in the Executive Office outside the President." So wouldn't this "highest ranking member" make the list of succession before other members of the Executive Branch or at the very least make the list.

[Achilles]

the Chief of Staff is the highest ranking member in the Executive Office outside the President.

No wonder Dick Cheney's been so pissed off these last 8 years.

[GarfieldJL]

I’m going back a few posts because I ignored a post, but I want clarification.

 

Can you point out the Chief of Staff on this list. I can’t seem to find it, but there are a few other Cabinet member on the list.

 

Going through your list, uh that looks like the order of succession or something.

 

1 Vice President

 

The Vice President technically presides over the senate and in all reality has very little power, they are there if the President is incapacitated, impeached, or killed.

 

2 Speaker of the House of Representatives

 

That is a member of the House of Reprentatives and is a Legislative Branch position it is not appointed.

 

3 President pro tempore of the Senate

Definition, again this is a member of the Legislative Branch not the Executive Branch

 

4 Secretary of State

 

Is charged with being the diplomatic voice for the country...

 

5 Secretary of the Treasury

 

6 Secretary of Defense

 

7 Attorney General

 

8 Secretary of the Interior

 

9 Secretary of Agriculture

 

— Secretary of Commerce

 

— Secretary of Labor

 

10 Secretary of Health and Human Services

 

11 Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

 

12 Secretary of Transportation

 

13 Secretary of Energy

 

14 Secretary of Education

 

15 Secretary of Veterans Affairs

 

16 Secretary of Homeland Security

 

Those are all members of the cabinet, and/or positions in the executive Branch but you left some members off. Including the Chief of Staff.

 

I've gone over it more than a few times and cannot seem to see it here, but it has to be here because you say it is the "highest ranking member in the Executive Office outside the President." So wouldn't this "highest ranking member" make the list of succession before other members of the Executive Branch or at the very least make the list.

 

This isn't about the list of succession, this is about what the Chief of Staff does and the powers the Chief of Staff holds.

 

Cabinet-level administration offices

Six positions have cabinet-level rank, which allows these individuals to attend Cabinet meetings without being secretaries of executive departments

--United States Cabinet

 

Included in those six is the White House Chief of Staff

 

Again, the order of succession doesn't matter one bit, the Chief of Staff is in charge of helping to set policy for the President.