We Americans harbor a quaint belief that a new president takes charge of a government that eagerly awaits his next command. But that's not how things work at the top, especially where "national security" is concerned.

To say Panetta is a Clinton retread is to ignore his actual background. He comes out of a tradition which is almost forgotten today, that of the liberal Republican.

Barack Obama, like Jack Kennedy, combines great intellect, good looks, and grace. Unlike Kennedy, Obama seems uncluttered by the moral baggage that added to Kennedy's miseries.

The people who served in the top echelons of the Bush administration owe us an apology for putting the nation through this prolonged nightmare. They do not deserve to keep their positions.