The Base No Longer Understands Obama

Personnel Decisions

New personnel decisions from President-elect Obama are leaking out every day. But it’s not only control of the news situation which is slipping away from the Obama team. These decisions are also stirring loud voices of dissent and protest within his own party. The personnel matter of Hillary Clinton is especially controversial.

With his new personnel decisions, Barack Obama is demanding from both his supporters and his party more willingness for reconciliation with former opponents than many are willing to give. With the still unofficial offer to Hillary Clinton to become Secretary of State, more loud voices of dissent in the American media are appearing and raising doubts about whether Clinton even wants the job. All of this is going on while the Senate Democrats, with great reservation, are abandoning their punishment of the “traitor” Joe Lieberman.

Obama’s leaked choice for Attorney General, the prominent African-American lawyer Eric Holder, could again spur on the Republicans during Senate confirmation hearings to settle outstanding scores with Bill Clinton’s administration.

For the left liberal base, disappointment and rage about Barack Obama are cursing through their lively blogs. They don’t understand why Hillary Clinton, who was as distant from her rivals in any area of policy as in foreign policy, is being allowed to slow the dynamics of change under Obama.

Even more so, they don’t understand why Obama issued the instructions to spare McCain’s confidant Joe Lieberman, who defended the Iraq War and accused Obama of a lack of patriotism during the campaign. By a vote of 42 to 13 on Tuesday, the Senate Democrats abandoned their attempt to oust Lieberman as Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says Obama’s allowing himself to be outflanked by his misunderstanding and anger over Lieberman’s lack of loyalty to anyone during the campaign. Reid went on to say that in times of crisis like these, there is no room for the luxury of vindictive feelings like “man, we have to pay him back but good for this.” In the meantime, in Connecticut, the first committee is forming which wants to exact revenge on Senator Lieberman in the next election.

Pat Buchanan, a conservative former Presidential candidate and commentator on MSNBC, calls Barack Obama’s first personnel decisions, with obvious satisfaction, a “Clinton Alumni Association.” Eric Holder, 57, fits into this picture. He was a judge in the District of Columbia and a U.S. Attorney before President Clinton made him Deputy Attorney General of the United States. Holder played a minor role in the pardons Clinton signed in the last days and hours of his presidency. These included the tax fugitive Marc Rich, whose wife was well known as an especially generous donor to Bill Clinton. At the time, Holder admitted neutrality with respect to the highly controversial decision by Clinton but did not protest it.

Barack Obama first met Holder in 2004 and the two lawyers got along very well right from the start. Senator Obama consulted Holder on legal matters, and during the summer of 2008, he asked Holder (along with Caroline Kennedy) to lead his Vice-Presidential Search Committee. While Eric Holder’s competence as a lawyer is not in doubt, one has to reckon that his role in the pardons will be exploited.

“I cannot stand her, but I think she would be an excellent choice,” commented one Obama follower in “Politico,” on the offer to Hillary Clinton. More and more commentators, including Thomas Friedman and David Broder, are arguing just the opposite. Hillary Clinton is a superb politician but not as “Madame Secretary.”

Her relationship with Barack Obama would not be as close and loyal, like that of James Baker and George H. W. Bush, and Henry Kissinger and Richard Nixon, to represent America as consistently and strongly as possible. Furthermore, the international entanglements and business dealings of Bill Clinton are virtually impossible to fathom. Finally, the President of change would risk keeping the Clintons around along with all of the toxic baggage they have accumulated over the past twenty years. Furthermore, there are reports in which Hillary Clinton herself doubts whether she wants to give up her independence as a Senator for a post bound by following instructions which she could lose at any time.

It’s remarkable that a team known for near military style discipline during the campaign, the Obama transition team is losing control of the news situation. Since Hillary Clinton has gotten into the game, there are leaks, for example with the appointment of Eric Holder. Even with his nomination, much work remains to be done this week.