December 5, 2008

In its weekly PollTrack survey of Washington insiders, National Journal revealed some interesting opinions in both political parties:

Q: How would you grade each of the following Obama Cabinet nominations?

Democrats (72 votes)
Hillary Rodham Clinton (secretary of State) A-
Robert Gates (Defense secretary) B+
Timothy Geithner (Treasury secretary) B+
Eric Holder (attorney general) B+

Hillary Rodham Clinton
A. “Her detractors will be pleasantly surprised at how well she works in his and our behalf: A shrewd, global-view appointment.”
A. “Better to have your chief rival on your team, supporting your policies.”
B. “She’ll do a fine job, but it could act as a distraction, and I’m not convinced that Clinton will do a better job than some others, such as [Bill] Richardson.”

Robert Gates
A. “He is seen as a nonpartisan figure, and is a mature figure with a philosophy consistent with Obama’s plans for the next few years.”
B. “As long as he executes the wishes of the commander-in-chief.”
D. “If you want a Republican, name a Republican, just not this one. This guy is part of the team that America so overwhelmingly rejected on November 4.”

Timothy Geithner
A. “Broad bipartisan support, very bright, but with real-world experience â€” comes from the Bob Rubin school of economics, which is a plus.”
B. “Time will tell whether the Geithner-Paulson approach has been the correct one, but the economic crisis needed someone that insiders respect and support, and the Geithner pick has sent the right signals to the Hill, Wall Street, and the boardrooms.”
C. “Why pick a guy who was knee-deep in the banker bailout debacle?”

Eric Holder
A. “Knows the territory and won’t need on-the-job training.”
B. “Solid, honest, and knows how Washington works; an AG who will honor the Constitution.”
C. “Is this really the best we have out there? The pardon may have been overblown, but is this really change? ‘Yes, we can,’ but ‘No, we didn’t’ on some of these early picks.”

Q: How would you grade each of the following Obama Cabinet nominations?

Republicans (78 votes)
Hillary Rodham Clinton (secretary of State) B
Robert Gates (Defense secretary) A-
Timothy Geithner (Treasury secretary) B+
Eric Holder (attorney general) C+

[…]

Day: December 5, 2008

Quote du Jour

He says we only have one president at a time. I’m afraid that overstates the number of presidents we have. He’s got to remedy that situation.

â€” Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), quoted by the Associated Press, urging President-elect Obama to intervene in the automobile manufacturers bailout proposal

Brian Williams on the Advantages of Modern Technology

Prop 8 – The Musical

Poetic Justice

Verbatim

“The man is afraid of the voice of the people and that the people understand and know what he’s doing. He’s trying to stifle the ability of journalists to let the people of America know what’s really going on with their government.”

— “Kamala Harris called President Donald Trump’s ban of CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House ‘absolutely abhorrent,’” The Wrap reports.

“Not one of them is trained in technical skills. Not one research PhD, as opposed to China, where half the cabinet is science and technology PhDs. We’re led by grifters and fools.”

— Columbia professor Jeffrey Sachs, on X, on President Trump’s 35-person cabinet.

“Mr. President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far… The same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today.”

— Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL), breaking with President Trump in a direct-to-camera video.

Numerati

1,000

10%

“The unprecedented spate of mid-decade redistricting for the U.S. House has changed the congressional districts for one-tenth of Americans and significantly altered the makeup of at least one-fifth of districts, according to a new study,” the Associated Press reports.

71%

A new Fox News Poll finds 71% of voters think the Trump administration lacks a clear strategy for ending the Iran War, including 95% of Democrats, 83% of independents, and 43% of Republicans. Sixty percent say U.S. military action against Iran was the wrong decision, while just 37% say it was right.

$9.5 billion

“The Trump administration last year spent $9.5 billion on paid administrative leave for federal workers as part of its plan to shrink the government and save taxpayers money, according to a new estimate by a congressional watchdog,” CNN reports.

470

Reuters has documented at least 470 targets of retribution under Trump’s leadership – from federal employees and prosecutors to universities and media outlets. The list illuminates the sweeping effort by the president and his administration to punish dissent and reshape the government.