Uh-ohbama

Posted By Thomas E. Ricks Tuesday, February 3, 2009 - 2:45 PM Share

That sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach is caused by the course of Obama's cabinet picks: Richardson blew up on the launch pad, two of the more prominent picks have tax problems, his CIA pick seems inexplicable, his no. 2 guy at the Pentagon needed a waiver from his new anti-lobbying rule, and Hillary Clinton and her hubbie strike me as a ticking bombs.

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KACKERMANN

10:00 AM ET

February 4, 2009

I'll go out on a limb and mention this too

Geitner, the new Treasurer and tax-challenged individual might possibly be a shill for the banking industry.

Little things like taking bus passes for collateral, and not disclosing how any of our money is used by the banks, only that we can't have it back.

And his idea of taking $1.5 billion in warrants for bank shares in exchange for $25 billion in cash.

Oh, and then casually mentioning that it would be a real shame if shareholders were wiped out in a bank resolution since the taxpayer holds warrants.

You think Bin Laden was bad? Wait until you get a buttload of Geitner. At least we still have the SEC looking out for us.

WALKING WOUNDED

8:01 PM ET

February 6, 2009

Team uh-Obama, Rahm's dual citizenship, and nuclear Israel

Roll the tape back a few months.

It's the guy that the press handwaived into a position the Senate doesn't confirm that worries me.

Rahm Emanuel has perhaps the most influential office in most admins, WH Chief of Staff. While Barack is spending a coupla presidential days delivering mea culpa interviews to every network, Rahm is running the mill that vets and herds the rest of the cabinet officers thru.

How can the top WH officer hold dual citizenship with a nuclear power? Israel routinely practices (is periodically convicted of) espionage ops in the US, and may trade even nuclear secrets this century, as it did with the Shah, and apartheid S. Africa.

It's not like Pollard never happened, or Doug Feith didn't breach and lose his security clearance under two different administrations, or Secord's indictment on arms deals didn't work thru an Israeli-Gorbhanifir connection. Criminal indictment of the last two Israeli PM's, the penetration of Russian uber-criminals into the Israeli Mafia's PCP drug smuggling, is suggestive of the era when Meyer Lansky was dealing arms to Irgun car-bombers.

Nuclear Israel effectively pressures our national legislature on defense and foreign policy. AIPAC is once again positioned to lobby from inside the West Wing. A word from Rahm can steer the WH legislative agenda and federal spending goodies, or bestow employment. As if Hillary and "I am a Zionist" Biden's vocal suport of Israeli occupation were not sufficient to disqualify the US as neutral arbitrators and peacemakers in defusing Palestine/Gaza.

We've heard a lot about the inspiration provided by Barack's upbringing. Take a look at Mr. Emanuel's family history.