Obama's Cabinet

[northpolar]

What is Obama's logic behind his Cabinet and pick for inauguration speaker? I find that it is very hard to cooperate with people with whom you disagree with.

[Franzl]

you need to be more specific. Kind of hard to answer otherwise.

But to the second part, it's obviously helpful to have the advice of people you disagree with....having mindless cronies around you is one of the things that sunk Dubya.

[Holmes]

He's not surrounding himself with Yes Men.

I doubt it'll give him hard times and headaches like critics say. He's said himself that he's the one making the final decisions, after all. And these are (presumed) professionals, too.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I agree with Franzl.  Bush failed by having only those he agreed with surround him.  Obama is trying not to fall into the same trap.

I personally applaud Obama and his Cabinet choices.  That gives me comfort that he's not going to govern from the far left.  I'm a Democrat, but I'm a Blue Dog and I do not like the far left wing of my party.  I especially like Obama's choice of Bob Gates to stay on as Defense Secy and Jim Jones as Nat'l Sec. Advisor.  Both are Republicans and McCain supporters.  Even Obama has publicly said that he doesn't want a bunch of "yes-sir's" surrounding him.  Even his pick of Joe Biden as Vice President should provide some challenge to Obama's idea.  Those challenges aren't necessarily meant to change the mind of the President, although sometimes they can and should, but sometimes they are meant to strengthen the commitment of the President and make him more confident in his decisions that affect this country.