President-elect Barack Obama campaigned long and hard on the promise of hope and change. At the Democratic convention one of Obama’s best quotes from his nomination acceptance speech in Denver, Colorado, was;
“For eighteen long months, you have stood up, one by one, and said enough to the politics of the past. You understand that in this election, the greatest risk we can take is to try the same old politics with the same old players and expect a different result. You have shown what history teaches us,” Obama said, “that at defining moments like this one, the change we need doesn’t come from Washington. Change comes to Washington. Change happens because the American people demand it; because they rise up and insist on new ideas and new leadership, a new politics for a new time.”
How does Obama create an administration he can use as an engine for change when he is using so many spare parts from the Clinton administration? Where are all the new ideas and new leadership supposed to come from?
Will they come from Illinois congressman and fellow Chicago machine alumni Rahm Emanuel as chief of staff?
Emanuel was one of the top Clintonistas and White House staffers as the assistant to the president for political affairs and later senior advisor to the president for policy and strategy. He headed up strategy for the failed Hilarycare initiative. “Rahmbo” is the ultimate Clinton insider.
Then there is former Clinton Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder, Obama’s choice for attorney general, the top cop in the United States. Holder is the one who suggested that President Clinton issue a pardon to billionaire Marc Rich.
Rich is notorious for being indicted for evading over $48 million in federal taxes, and charged with 51 counts of tax fraud, along with running sleazy illegal oil deals with Iran during President Carter’s 444-day-long hostage crisis. Rich fled to Switzerland rather than face a trial.
Even the Daily Koz blogger known as ‘Laurag’ stated flatly, “Eric Holder should not be considered for attorney general because of his involvement in the Mark Rich scandal.” Laurag goes on to speculate, “I believe that he did not ask any questions because he was paid off by Jack Quinn, Rich’s attorney. Eric Holder is a man that will subvert justice for his own pocket.”
“For those that defend Holder by saying that he regrets his involvement,” Laurag said, “I say horsesh*t. A person who has even a decent sense of justice would have instantly rejected this pardon application.”
This condemnation from the far left should give Obama pause. The biggest mistake would be letting Sen. Hillary Clinton, herself, inside the cabinet as secretary of state. She has no practical foreign relations experience except perhaps touring schools and hospitals and running from imaginary sniper fire in Bosnia.
Well, there was that touching moment with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat’s wife. First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, as she was known by back then, sat quietly by as Suha Arafat accused Israel of using poisonous gas against Palestinian women and children.
She further claimed that Israel had contaminated 80 percent of Palestine’s water sources with “chemical materials” which combined to raise their cancer rate. Then the first lady hugged and kissed Mrs. Arafat.
Mr. Obama’s political life will become a living hell if the Clintons get into his inner circle. How could Obama possibly fire her if Hillary goes off script? Plus she still has this albatross hanging around her neck we like to call Bill Clinton. The former president has made millions from foreign investors.
Mr. Obama, a word of advice. You may want to use new parts to build your engine.

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