The Betrayal of Change

Has a nice ring doesn’t it? It would, or more likely will, make a nice title of a book. I’ve been away for a few days. I had the pleasure of spending a few days in the hanging Chad state. Warm weather, palm trees, copious amounts of beer and malevolent frogs. Who could ask for more? But in the time that I have been gone it seems that a vast amount of source material has been dropped off at my desk.

During the most recent “never ending” presidential campaign juggernaut, our newly crowned President-elect vowed to Change the way business is done in Washington. He promised us Change we could believe in. He even went so far in his pursuit of the democratic nod to attack those in his own party who were campaigning, such as Senator’s Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton.

Clearly our deliverer from all things politically ugly would forge a new administration to signal the Change he has vowed to bestow on the American people who elevated him to this most esteemed position. As he stood there, with his best contemplative look, his eyes peering into the distance, perhaps actually glimpsing into Utopia itself, he told the throngs of the faithful that “Real Change” was coming to Washington. Uh, yeah,……… No.

Sorry to all the kool-aid drinkers, it isn’t going to happen. The “Change we can Believe in” rhetoric seems to have been just that, empty rhetoric. Your humble scribe warned you that the reality was going to be less like “Change” and more like “Politics as Usual”. I had hoped against hope that I was wrong. But as my kids are fond to say “Dad’s never wrong.”

So what has happened to make me cast such disparaging comments towards the anointed one? Simply this, I think I went to sleep and got transported back to 1993. No one told me that the “Change We Can Believe In” was simply the third Clinton White House. No, I’m not crazy people. Have you looked at the cast of characters that is being assembled? No,…. Oh my poor kool-aid sippers sit down and have a cup of coffee while I introduce you to the new “Change” team.

Janet Napolitano - Under the Clinton administration she was appointed as United States Attorney (Arizona). She was elected Governor of Arizona in 2002. Currently she has been selected as the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security in the Obama Administration.

Timothy Geithner – Served as Under secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs from 1998-2001 during the Clinton years. In 2003 he was named president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Currently he has been selected as the U.S. Secretary of Treasury in the Obama Administration.

Bill Richardson – Former U.S. Congressman (1983-1997). Under the Clinton administration he served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. U.S. Secretary of Energy. Current Governor of New Mexico. Has been selected as the U.S. Commerce Secretary in the Obama Administration.

Rahm Emanuel – Former U.S. Congressman (2003-2008). Under the Clinton administration he served as Campaign Finance Director and Senior Advisor. Emanuel was named to the Board of Directors for the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("Freddie Mac") by then President Bill Clinton in 2000. Has been selected as the Chief of Staff in the Obama Administration.

Tom Daschle – Former U.S. Congressman (1979-1987). Former U.S. Senator (1987-2005). After leaving the Senate he was employed with a DC based lobbying firm. He has been selected for the Secretary of Health & Human Services position in the Obama Administration.

Eric Holder – He is a former Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Under the Clinton administration he served as United States Attorney and Deputy Attorney General of the United States under Janet Reno. Holder’s judgment has been questioned regarding his tacit approval of a pardon by Bill Clinton for fugitive billionaire and Democratic fundraiser Marc Rich. He has been selected to serve as the United States Attorney General in the incoming Obama Administration.

John Podesta - Served in various positions as Counselor to Democratic Leader Senator Thomas Daschle (1995-1996); Chief Counsel for the Senate Agriculture Committee (1987-1988); Chief Minority Counsel for the Senate Judiciary Subcommittees on Patents, Copyrights, and Trademarks; Security and Terrorism; and Regulatory Reform; and Counsel on the Majority Staff of the Senate Judiciary Committee (1979-1981). Under the Clinton administration he served as White House Chief of Staff from 1998 until 2001. Currently he is the co-chairman of Obama-Biden Transition Project.

Joe Biden –U.S. Senator (1973-2008). Vice-President, elect (2008).

Hillary Clinton - First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001. U.S. Senator (2001-2008). She has been selected for the U.S. Secretary of State position in the Obama Administration.

OK, so let me see what we have here. Out of the nine people listed above

Cumulative Time Spent in Senate: 63 Years

Cumulative Time Spent in Congress: 23 Years

Former Members of Clinton Administration: 06

Now I can hear the backpedaling begin already. Who wants to be the first one to state that Obama is doing the right thing for the country by "bringing in the best people." Bull Spit.

I remember once hearing Obama chide McCain for being in the Senate so long he was part of that "Washington Network". Meanwhile, his Vice Presidential running mate was in the Senate almost 10 years longer. No B.O. you can't have it both ways. That's just typical D.C. double-talk and hardly the "Change" you promised. Your sounding more and more like a typical politician then the savior the yearning masses were hoping for.

Obama ran on a ticket that promised Change. This my friends is not change, this is politics as usual. He often chided his opponents as being part of the Washington establishment. The people elected him because he brought “different” views to the table. That’s what people wanted, Change. That's not what they are getting.

Bottom line is you were sold a Lamborghini and what you just got delivered was a Lada.

So, now your coming to terms with the understanding that you can no longer Believe in the Change you Hoped for. What's next……….. I’d started to look up all those “Promises” that were made during the campaign. Between you and me, I don’t think you have a snowballs chance in hell of them being kept.

Can’t you just feel the winds of change blowing………………..

Andrew
The Angry American