Forget Obama's Cabinet: Five Foreign Policy Posts To Watch

Washington Independent:

With much of President-elect Barack Obama's cabinet still unnamed, it's understandable that speculation should focus on who helms the different agencies. After all, running cabinet departments is a big job, and the personalities Obama has nominated so far -- New York Fed President Timothy Geithner, for instance -- are politically larger than life. So are those whom Obama is expected to name, like Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano.

But all the focus on who will sit in Obama's cabinet overlooks a basic fact of governance. Much, if not most, of the actual substance of policy -- from its detailed conception to its experimentation to its implementation -- doesn't come from the heads of the federal agencies. It comes from deep in their guts.

Read the whole story: Washington Independent

Comments

[Coinyer101]

i dont see this as a good sign for any coming change in foreign policy. i will be preparing to join demonstrations as the iraq war continues. these people will only find excuses to stay.

[mjc]

Looks like nobody bothered to read the article. This thread has become a sort of dumping ground for folks who have really nothing to say except to discuss rumors, urban legends, and personality traits. Shame.

[mom2sons]

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone at Huff. We certainly have something to be thankful for this year....YE­S, WE DID!......­LOL

[ivillage]

Michelle Obama: My Girls Will Do Chores in the White House: [ http://www.sefermpost.com/sefermpost/2008/11/michelle-obama-girls-will-still-do-chores-in-the-white-house.html ]

[ivillage]

Michelle Obama: My Girls Will Do Chores in the White House http://www.sefermpost.com/sefermpost/2008/11/michelle-obama-girls-will-still-do-chores-in-the-white-house.html==

[mjc]

A long article from the Washington Independent. Foreign policy is of course going to be extremely important, even if a national and worldwide recession and economic crisis is at hand. What the article points up is the sad and reckless way the Bush administration dealt with our foreign policy. Bush appointees should NOT be hangovers in the Obama administration with perhaps a few exceptions. Ryan Crocker always played the government man whenever he appeared before Congress but he is perhaps the one person with vast experience, that needed to be the US Ambassador to Iraq. Just knowing a cast of thousands might make a big difference. He I might suggest be kept on. The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Ops could probably benefit from the scholars from the Center for a New American Security Task Force. Withdrawing from Iraq, EVENTUALLY, is going to be a very difficult process. As to the Bush administration's Assistant Attorney General Legal Counsel, John Yoo should be the one template NOT to follow; his job basically was to find illegal ways to do Bush's dirty work. If Gates is the Secretary of Defense perhaps his deputy Edelman should be dismissed since his mentor was Dick Cheney. And the Douglas Feith's of this world belong with Yoo in a box. One of the hopeful selections, a man with experience but not at all in the Bush administration's pocket seems to be Flynt Leverett as Director for the MidEast on the Nat'lSecCouncil.

[LeiftheLucky]

It may all be for nothing...­Obama not eligible to be President?
http://allanerickson.wordpress.com/2008/11/26/presidential-election-not-over/

[Wiserone]

This "Urban Legend" has surely made the rounds. Particularly, the article is written by a "Christian" publication. Not surprised nor am I surprised Alan Keyes is bringing this before the court. Notice though, the neo-con's/Righties are not all over this? It was bantered about during the election, but why aren't they pushing this hard? Because THEY know it's foolhardy.

[Bitsko]

How utterly Christian of them.

[mtwocents]

The election is over! find something useful to do with your time.

[dwillisno1]

I heard that Barack has 6 toes on his right foot.

[rollingdivision]

Is there an intelligence requirement?

[Bitsko]

Too silly for words, or contemplation. I like the subtitle, "At least a dozen lawsuits pending," with no explanation in the story. Actually, the whole thing needs no explanation, beyond calling it the work of egomaniacal lunatics.

[LAThinker]

New era is comming

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

http://www.ucubd.com/Index.aspx?id=922&cid=3181