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The Note: Reality Check for Obama Agenda
November 18, 2008 8:21 AM
ABC News' Rick Klein reports in Tuesday's Note:
About that hope thing -- can it wait ’til January?
For all the excitement and expectations surrounding the elevation of President-elect Barack Obama, it’s a particularly grim week in Washington.
Lawmakers are reassembling for the lamest of lame-duck sessions, doubtful that they’ll get anything done. Automakers and top administration officials trudge up to Capitol Hill Tuesday for their ritualized grillings -- but no one is quite sure what to do next.
Republicans are looking for a new direction -- if not an entirely new reason to exist. It’s revenge time Tuesday, too, with Sen. Joe Lieberman’s chairmanships and Sen. Ted Stevens’ whole job potentially on the line. On the House side, an upstart of a 69-year-old is trying to oust the longest-serving member of the House from his chairmanship.
The politicking and stalled policy amounts to a big reality check for a nation that voted for change two weeks ago. Yes, we can talk about working together (and if Obama and Sen. John McCain can sit together and smile for the cameras, what can’t happen?), but when it comes to governance, the same stubborn splits persist -- between the parties, inside the parties, and everywhere in between.
(If you need a smile, yourself, Sen. Ted Kennedy is back.)
Read the rest of The Note -- and get all the latest on the 2008 election, Congress, the White House and the wide world of politics every day -- from Rick Klein by bookmarking this link.
Obama’s transition, meanwhile, is snagged on a very big question involving -- who else? -- the Big Dog himself.
“Mr. Clinton’s postpresidential life as a globe-trotting philanthropist, business consultant and speech-giver poses the highest hurdle for Mrs. Clinton to overcome if President-elect Barack Obama chooses to nominate her as secretary of state, according to aides of the Clintons and Mr. Obama,” The New York Times’ Don Van Natta Jr. and Jo Becker report.
“While aides to the president-elect declined Monday to discuss what sort of requirements would make it possible for Mrs. Clinton to serve as secretary of state, they said Mr. Obama would not formally offer her the job unless he was satisfied that there would be no conflicts posed by Mr. Clinton’s activities abroad.”
Said Abner J. Mikva, an Obama supporter and a White House counsel during the Clinton administration: “There would have to be full disclosure as to who all were contributors to his library and foundation. I think they’d have to be made public.”
(Maybe not everything, Obama aides advise -- but it’s all under review.)
Continue reading today's Note by clicking HERE.
ABC News' Hope Ditto contributed to this report.
November 18, 2008 in Biden, Joe, Clinton, Bill, Clinton, Hillary, McCain, John, Obama, Barack, Washington, White House | Permalink | User Comments (32)
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Seah,
Give it up Sweetie. Hillary lost the Primaries. She had a good agenda and we should be happy that Obama is willing to integrate some of that into his Agenda. The good thing is that Obama will bring her in as SoS (yep Obama's SOS -:). If Bill can just shut up and shape up in his globe throting.
For crying out loud, The Clinton Administration is the only Democratic Administration in the last 28 years. Where else do you think Obama will get a bunch of experienced Democrats from? Reaganites? Bushies?
Face some dose of reality people and give Obama a break will ya?
Posted by: Steve_NJ | Nov 18, 2008 10:56:11 AM
Sour grapes again? Go Drill Baby.
------------------------
Steve,
Do you have an objection to my observations ?
Posted by: Mike_C | Nov 18, 2008 10:58:26 AM
Mike_C,
Read my most recent posts. There in lies answers to you last question.
Thanks...
Posted by: Steve_NJ | Nov 18, 2008 11:11:19 AM
Steve,
All I see is a rehash of every Obama rally in your posts.
I dont see any input from you on the real issues that face us.
What is your position on the auto maker bailout?
Why havent the Democrats put true oversight in place on the 700 Billion BEFORE we worry about handing out any more money?
What is your proposal as to how the auto makers are going to become viable on $25 Billion and 3 months?
What other industries are you in favor of giving money to?
Cut the campaign rhetoric already, He won. Lets start talking about real problems and real solutions!
Posted by: Mike_C | Nov 18, 2008 11:16:48 AM
I simply CANNOT WORRY anymore about the economy.
Great post on "Consistent Prosperity":
Posted by: Nancy Mehegan | Nov 18, 2008 2:11:58 PM
for all the republicans in the country..I have a few words
President Obama
Vice President Biden
You lost..now get off the TV and send Palin home to make babies and kill animals and lick your wounds. at least for 4 years you are toast..enjoy your time to reflect on the dinosaur that you always refer too and the man who the young voters could care less about,,your saint..your badge..your ..whatever Ronald Reagan.
Posted by: chris | Nov 18, 2008 2:56:10 PM
Who cares, Bin Laden is history, too (BTW, tell that to Dear Leader).
Yeah, the GOP wants the auto companies to go under. Uh, the same GOP you guys always claim are just for industrialists and their companies?
You all make no sense.
Posted by: Grand Old Party | Nov 18, 2008 4:33:12 PM
for all the republicans in the country..I have a few words
President Obama
Vice President Biden
You lost..now get off the TV and send Palin home to make babies and kill animals and lick your wounds. at least for 4 years you are toast..enjoy your time to reflect on the dinosaur that you always refer too and the man who the young voters could care less about,,your saint..your badge..your ..whatever Ronald Reagan.
Posted by: chris
Chris,
Wake Up Fool ! Your guy won, now he is populating the White House with Clinton cronies. So much for CHANGE!
As far as the auto companies go, look deep into the mirror son, YOU libbies, the UAW & dopey management have buried the US auto makers. They need years not months to turn their situation around! That 25 Billion, with ZERO oversight by the way, will only buy them 3 months...then what ???
Itis a simple rule of business, when your build an inferior over priced product, your doomed!!!
Many companies have gone through Chap. 11 and been extremely successful after. The same process needs to be exercised on the auto makers, otherwise, NOTHING will change!!!
Oh and while your running to the White house to lick Obama's shoes, tell him to stop worring about creating new USELESS money wating department, and get his wacko buddies in the congress to get the damned oversight in place on this $700 Billion before they do ANYTHINGELSE!
Posted by: Mike_C | Nov 18, 2008 6:38:57 PM
Looks like the Democratic party is setting itself up for implosion just like the Republican Party. Get with the program-most Americans trust neither.
Either Obama's going to go overboard with his Marxist Obamunism and tick off everybody in the country except maybe S.F., NYC, Eugene, Oregon and a few assorted college campuses, or he's going to make sure his position is solid and tick off the Liberals.
You guys always complaining about deregulation: OK. Tell us what regulations you would author in order to make companies more profitable, able to hire more people, give workers more pay and better benefits. Really, please enlighten us idiotic morons. I'm a union rep and would love to bring these revelations to my fellow members.
Posted by: Grand Old Party | Nov 18, 2008 11:18:34 PM
"Looks like the Democratic party is setting itself up for implosion just like the Republican Party. Get with the program-most Americans trust neither. Either Obama's going to go overboard with his Marxist Obamunism and tick off everybody in the country except maybe S.F., NYC, Eugene, Oregon and a few assorted college campuses"
"You guys always complaining about deregulation: OK. Tell us what regulations you would author in order to make companies more profitable, able to hire more people, give workers more pay and better benefits.ring these revelations to my fellow members"
----------------------------------------
go back and look at the election results..Obama took ohio, pennsylvania, florida, indiana, michigan, NJ, and few others I forgot to mention.
You Republican lovers just need to keep your mouths shut, step back and give a new regime a chance. You had 8 years of chances and the party's over. He's not even in office one day and people like you already have him written off.
Deregulation? how about we start with the mortgage and housing industry? this disasterous turn of deregulated events has turn this economy on it's back.
Posted by: captain | Nov 19, 2008 3:51:53 AM
Pity the group willing to pay Bill such big bucks for a speech! And pity the narcissist who could ask such a price. But you have to give the man credit he's still ot there spoofing people while we struggle.
Posted by: Ed Taylor | Nov 19, 2008 8:37:37 PM
I am not worried about Barack Obama using experienced Clinton people for his staff.
We have some serious problems that we face today, and old Clinton cabinet members would be MUCH better than political figures from Chicago. (Some of which, would need work release from prison; to work today in DC.)
Obama doesn’t really have much choice other than Clinton cabinet members!
Remember; Bush 43, Bush 41, and Reagan held the White House for 20 years.
If Obama wanted to use President Carter’s cabinet members, he would find that some are in rehab, some are in retirement homes, and some are pushing up daisies.
That is NOT change that we can believe in..!!
Posted by: Bad News | Nov 20, 2008 7:55:36 AM
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