Worthwhile analysis of Obama's Cabinet picks, briefly noting the backgrounds, strengths, possible shortcomings and conflicts in a group of strong pragmatists.
“Pragmatism has its place, but there are limits, as well,” said Wehner, now a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. “If you aren’t anchored to a political philosophy, you get blown about, and government becomes ad hoc and you make it up as you go – and if you’re not careful, you begin to go in circles.”
Among many advocacy groups, the hope is that Obama’s intentions will become clearer when he appoints the deputy secretaries and other high-level personnel who will implement many policies – a group that will in all likelihood represent a sharp break from those it will be replacing in the Bush administration.
Until then, said Wehner, the former Bush aide, it will be hard to discern all the outlines of the Obama agenda. “They’re smart, they’re well-educated, they’re the upper crust, but the question is, do the parts make a whole, or is the whole less than the sum of the parts?” he said of the incoming team. “As I said somewhere recently, I’d buy somebody a dinner at Le Cirque if someone could define what Obamaism is as a political philosophy. If you don’t have a political North Star, you can lose your way, and I’m not sure if these people have it.”
I find it curious that MacGillis seems to lean toward the position that the Obama Cabinet will be "rudderless," that the strong personalities of the group members will cause conflict and be adrift with "without a political philosophy." I plan to wait and see. I prefer to have a cabinet of experienced, engaged, possibly contentious professionals who know what they're doing, as opposed to a group of ideologues whose primary purpose was to grab and hold power at all costs. I want a smart, wise President who actually supports and defends the Constitution, and has every intention of leading his team with a clear vision and a strong commitment to the common good. I have some concern that the Obama administration will tend toward a more centrist position than I would like. That's why the public involvement and advocacy groups so active in the election must continue efforts to compel certain and steady progress toward the reforms and redirection we expect. We must continue to demand a responsive, responsible government that operates within the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, no matter who is in office. It will be such a refreshing change over the last eight years.