I'm hearing UGLY things out of the talking heads on cable news and reading the same sorts of rumors on the news sites and blogs -- things about prominent Republicans as Secretary of Defense or State. President-elect Barack Obama better JUST SAY NO to Republicans at defense or state if he expects my vote for ANY Democrat ever again, including himself.
Read it yourselves and weep, from CNN, toward the bottom of the article:
Obama's national security team is another priority as the country fights wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It could also be an area where he goes outside his party for an appointee.
Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel and current Defense Secretary Robert Gates are among the names floating around for that team....
"What Barack Obama has to do in the transition time is set the tone," (CNN Senior Political Analyst Gloria) Borger said. "If he reaches out to Republicans in the cabinet -- if he decided to keep Bob Gates at Defense -- that's really, really important."
I heard Lou Dobbs on CNN, Keith Olbermann, Joe and Mika on MSNBC discussing and not disuading the same gossip about state and defense cabinet positions. I can't help but feel like this is a trial balloon or leaked information of some kind.
Can you imagine a Republican administration doing something idiotic like this? Could you imagine the Republicans turning over the keys of the national security apparatus and the country's diplomatic policies over to Democrats? No, I cannot imagine such idiocy, either. Because the Republicans would NOT do this. And neither should we Democrats.
America CHOSE Democratic policy ideas over Republican ruin this election. Appointing a Republican as secretary of defense or state would be a betrayal of we the people's choice, and a betrayal of our party's ideals. We suffered through eight years of Republican misrule in our foreign and military policies. Our country's image abroad is ruined, our military stretched too thin, and we're practically losing two wars. I appreciate that Gates may have prevented a third war, but that doesn't mean I want him in charge of the Pentagon anymore. What kind of message does this send to the world or our own party, that we are not prepared to govern as Democrats? Like you all, I voted for Obama to change the policies and personnel running the war machine and ruining our country. I didn't vote for Obama to reward the evil men who put us in this mess! Our ideas have been the correct ideas about war and peace, and the country agrees with us, not with Republicans. Republican ideas have been in the wrong.
Does anyone remember Bill Cohen at Defense under Clinton? How did that help Democratic policies or Clinton, exactly? It did NOT help Clinton or the Democrats, that's how it went. They impeached the man over a blow job. Fat lot of good it did Clinton or the country to stick a Republican in at defense. If Obama feels the need to throw in a Republican or two in his cabinet, fine, put them into some other cabinet posts, like education, veterans affairs or even transportation. Don't let Republicans continue to drive our decisions on war and peace. We won this election. Our ideas are the rights ones. Republicans lost. Their ideas were ALL wrong.
If you're like me and fear there could be a modicum of truth in these rumors, let Obama know through this link to his campaign site's contact form, or contact Obama's people via phone or mail.
Obama Campaign Headquarters by phone -- (866) 675-2008
Obama Campaign Headquarters by mail --
Obama for America
P.O. Box 8102
Chicago, IL 60680
Tell President-elect Obama:
Just Say No To Republicans at Defense or State!