Where's the Change?

So Barack Obama campaigned on the theme - 'Change We Can Believe In'. His forst appointment? Congressman Rahm Emanual. His second? It will apparently be Tom Daschle, former Senate Minority Leader. Next up - Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State (I guess under the aphorism of 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer'). [sarcasm] Wow, what a change from the past, huh? Nice to see such fresh, 'un-insider' names for the new Administration! [/sarcasm] Amazing. And with Daschle and Clinton, there are some significant conflicts of interest to be overcome, Daschle having advised companies on dealing with the government in regards to health care issues, and Bill Clinton's overseas fund raising for his library (and other) needs..... Swell. So we'll get to see how firm Obama's pledge to have ethics play a major role in his choices pans out. Probably a lot like his pledge to accept public funding for his campaign.

Here's the thing that irritates me. Not that Obama is acting just like any other politician. I mean, they all make pledges that they aren't going to keep. It's just that Obama's campaign took such a holier-than-thou attitude about Washington, with the incessant babbling about bringing change, that him acting like a regular politician should be very dispiriting to those that voted for him. Or it should be. Of course, if a lot of the people that voted for him are like the idiots here -

http://www.howobamagotelected.com/

- then they won't even notice what is going on, being so blinded by slavish devotion to Obama. It reminds me a lot of the legacy of John F Kennedy, who has such a sainted memory among everyone, not just people that were of thinking age when he was President. It's such a crock, as he certainly was NOT one of the greatest Presidents and in fact, was a very cynical politician's politician. However, he had a way with words (or, his speechwriters did) that his legacy is one of accomplishment and a raising of the American spirit. The irony in his case is that the despised Lyndon Johnson is the one that got much of his agenda done and expanded on it.

So we shall see. I really hope Obama turns out to be a great President. We can use that right now, with all of the messes we are in, many of our won creation. But the start - a recycled Clinton Presidency - sure isn't promising.

Welcome to Dan's LifeBlog!

I've decided to add another blog to my collection! Ok, so yet another blog of someone's dorky opinions, bringing the total of these sorts of things to 6,157,892,317.5. Yeah, that's right. But I felt like I needed a public outlet for some of my thoughts and opinions in these tumultuous times, so that's it. I have been keeping a journal since 1999, and this blog is certainly not intended to replace that as an outlet for my private thoughts (umm, and daily schedule, weather updates and a record of my increasing age-related maladies). I mean, not EVERYTHING needs to be a part of the public record. At least I don't think so.

So mainly this will be a regurgitation of the stuff floating around in my head. Consider yourself honored to have access to it.

Dan