A great deal of hand wringing has been wasted on account of the leaks from and the composition of the new Obama administration. Anxiety on this score is by no means universal on the Left (e.g., witness Robert Kuttner), but it is notable. Of particular concern to many are the number of Clinton era figures that are emerging as key players in the first Obama government. That list begins with Hillary Clinton herself, but also includes Larry Summers and Tim Geithner, who will be point men on economic policy at the National Economic Council and the Treasury Department respectively.
Below is our quizzical look at some of the odd fetishes of the media and others.
The Rachel Maddow holier than thou honorary counterfactual corner
Counterfactual Number One: What happens absent the fact of Hillary Clinton becoming the next Secretary of State? Clinton returns as junior senator from New York from heavy campaigning for Mr. Obama, having done yeoman's work in persuading her supporters to support Obama. Her reward, apparently to a life of noble obscurity. Meanwhile disgruntled Hillary supporters remain on the fringes, ready to criticize and backbite.
Counterfactual One Bonus, Hillary does not criticize Obama during the primary on the subject of foreign policy. Absent this, (a) Clinton apparently would not have wanted the nomination, since the campaign is an exercise in drawing comparisons and (b) McCain would have the subject clean.
Counterfactual One Added Bonus, What would it be like if Hillary Clinton were not the presumptive Secretary of State? We'd have Sarah Palin hour every night. At least this is an interesting soap opera.
Counterfactual Number Two: There are no leaks from the Obama transition. Absent the leaks, we would have either the most bizarrely authoritarian operation or one that did not communicate to anybody. Can you imagine not talking to Capitol Hill? This is where the leaks are coming from. Politicians love to talk. Plus the news media would have gone into cardiac arrest, and perhaps I as well. As it is, the leaks are fairly reliable, since I don't see many being shot down. I did see David Axelrod specifically say that the Obama team was not frustrated by the leaks as reports had indicated.
Counterfactual Number Three: Clinton era people are not populating populating the Obama administration. Be clear, Mr. Obama did not run on being liberal. That may be who Mr. McCain tried to run against, but Mr. Obama ran on being practical and having an ambitious energy, jobs, and health care agenda. Absent the Clintonistas in the Cabinet means the presence of unknown Left Wing progressives. Not the best transition team. And not the people you want to run up the flagpole first. There are further appointments to be made. Lefties will be much more acceptable if they join a group of established faces than if they are the group joined by the established faces.
Let's also observe that the those on the Progressive Left were not the only people who voted for Barack Obama, there was also a key number who opted for change from the middle.
But in the end, it is the policy outcomes that are the proof in the pudding. With Clinton at State, Kerry as head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, there is very little blocking dramatic change. With Geithner and Summers on board, a great swath of the business community gets confidence, which only assists Mr. Obama. Progressive prospects improved dramatically with the replacement of Dingell as chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee by Henry Waxman. I for one see the hand of Raum Emanuel in that. Even Lieberman as head of Homeland Security, as bad as that smells, brings a Senate vote in the near term.
And UPDATE now with this new Economic Recovery Advisory Board, the progressives have a voice at the table, moderated by Austan Goosbee. I very much see this administration as going with what works, and progressive policies work.
Amazingly, it is now well within possibility that health care reform, a stimulus package on an appropriate scale, big new infrastructure spending, and aggressive action on climate change will happen in the first two years.
It will happen with seasoned and capable administrators in place. And the contrast with the incompetence and corruption of the previous administration will be complete. These will be sufficient to carry the off-year elections more forcefully into the Democratic camp.