I heard Obama on the news this morning, talking about how we “need a change” in the White House, how we can’t have the “same old people, doing the same old things.”
This is from the Black Agenda Report, a Chicago activist site who has followed Obama since the beginning of his career. It lists his top advisers:
Former Amb. Jeffrey Bader, President Clinton’s National Security Council Asia specialist and now head of Brookings’ China center, national security adviser.
Mark Brzezinski, President Clinton’s National Security Council Southeast Europe specialist and now a partner at law firm McGuire Woods, national security adviser.
Zbigniew Brzezinski, President Carter’s national security adviser and now a Center for Strategic and International Studies counselor and trustee and frequent guest on PBS’s NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, foreign policy adviser.
Richard A. Clarke, President Clinton and President George W. Bush’s counterterrorism czar and now head of Good Harbor Consulting and an ABC News contributor, sometimes Obama adviser.
Gregory B. Craig, State Department director of policy planning under President Clinton and now a partner at law firm Williams & Connolly, foreign policy adviser.
Roger W. Cressey, former National Security Council counterterrorism staffer and now Good Harbor Consulting president and NBC News consultant, has advised Obama but says not exclusive.
Ivo H. Daalder, National Security Council director for European affairs during President Clinton’s administration and now a Brookings senior fellow, foreign policy adviser.
Richard Danzig, President Clinton’s Navy secretary and now a Center for Strategic and International Analysis fellow, national security adviser.
Lawrence J. Korb, assistant secretary of defense from 1981-1985 and now a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, informal foreign policy adviser.
W. Anthony Lake, President Clinton’s national security adviser and now a professor at Georgetown’s school of foreign service, foreign policy adviser
Bruce O. Riedel, former CIA officer and National Security Council staffer for Near East and Asian affairs and now a Brookings senior fellow, national security adviser.
Dennis B. Ross, President Clinton’s Middle East negotiator and now a Washington Institute for Near East Policy fellow, Middle East adviser.
Daniel B. Shapiro, National Security Council director for legislative affairs during President Clinton’s administration and now a lobbyist with Timmons & Company, Middle East adviser
Mona Sutphen, former aide to President Clinton’s National Security adviser Samuel R. Berger and to United Nations ambassador Bill Richardson and now managing director of business consultancy Stonebridge, national security adviser.
Added to this list is Austen Goolsby, who is Obama’s chief economic adviser. Goolsby is a “free trade” uber alles U. of Chicago economic gangster.
Just sayin’!
Susie from Philly,
Just followed your excllent comment from LGM over here and discovered that you were my own longtime favorite blogger “suburban guerilla!” So nice to see you again. I wanted to thank you for that wonderful exploration of the term “dogwhistle politics” over on the “obama is not using sexist language against hillary she really is a whiny, crybaby, woman” thread over at LGM. You perfectly expressed how politics and manipulation gets done to the new enthusiasts who haven’t been paying attention. Thanks.
aimai
Wow, you mean someone was actually listening? I feel as though I’m talking into a black hole. Thanks!
Black hole?????
Should I read that as a thinly veiled racist comment?
Are you dog whistling to those PA voters that Rendell spoke of?
well, obama (and clinton) would certainly be a change from the current occupant in the white house.
and actually, one of the things i like about obama is that he got the clinton-era officials that i like best (e.g. brzezinski, clark, and lake). whereas clinton has picked up the most hawkish bill clinton people, people like holbrooke, berger (who also actively campaigned in favor of the iraq war), as well as iraq war cheerleaders like kenneth pollack and michael o’hanlon.
if this turns into a race over who will likely have the most progressive advisors, obama wins hands-down.
Certainly glad to see Senator Obama surround himself with some experience, aren’t you? And what other Democratic presidency has provided such experience — other than Clinton you have to go back to the Carter administration.
So that would mean Clinton did it first.
I just realized if Clinton is elected president, we’ll have to figure out which Clinton did it first - the first or the second, and in the first block or second.
I think I made my brain explode.
So far I would have to say their campaign results given where they started from demonstrate who has the best management skills and ability to find and hire good people.
just saying
Foraker wrote:
Was there another Democratic presidency between Carter and Clinton that I am not aware of?
The reference to Austen Goolsby is important–one reason that Obama’s health care program is to the right of HRC’s, which copies Edwards’, is that his advisors are constantly preaching the virtues of the market over all other solutions. Or perhaps he believes in the market that strongly himself. Which is worse?