TIMESONLINE: Barack Obama today defended himself against his decision to pack his new cabinet with veteran Washington insiders and former Clinton officials, after a campaign in which he had promised “change”.
Mr Obama responded after announcing the former Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker – a veteran of the Carter and Reagan administrations – to head a new economic panel to stop “groupthink” infecting his inner circle of White House financial advisers.
There have been mounting concerns, particularly from the liberal wing of his own Democratic party, that Mr Obama has pivoted sharply since his election to the centre-right with his choice of top cabinet posts.
His main economic advisers have close ties to the Clinton White House, and Mr Obama has even chosen Hillary Clinton to be his Secretary of State. His chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, also served Bill Clinton, and more appointments to be announced week will include [a] slew of officials who served in the last Democratic administration.
“What we are going to do is combine experience with fresh thinking,” Mr Obama said at his third press conference in as many days. He said he would be foolish, at such a “critical time in our history”, to pick people who “had no experience in Washington whatsoever.” He added: “What I don’t want to do is somehow suggest that because you somehow served in the last administration you are barred from serving again.” >>> Tim Reid in Chicago | November 26, 2008
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