When voters opted for Barack Obama for president, they were voting for Hope n' Change. Or so they thought.
So far, his much-vaunted Cabinet is made up mostly of Clinton and Carter-era retreads with nary an original thought among them. (If you liked Hillary in the West Wing, you'll love her at Foggy Bottom!)
But The Bama also promised a fresh start in terms of how politics is conducted: No Drama Obama wanted no Drama Queens or Kings, no baggage, no scandals, no lobbyist influence, no conflicts of interest, no grand juries, and certainly no Independent Counsels tagging along on his ride.
And yet, behold some of his choices:
Hillary Clinton, joined at the hip (albeit only symbolically, mind you) to her maniac husband, is going to have some 'splaining to do when she goes in for Senate confirmation. How is she, as the nation's top diplomat, going to be an even-handed broker in the Middle East (when The Bubba has gotten multi-millions from the Saudis and the Kuwaitis), between India and Pakistan (when The Bubba has gotten oodles of moolah from Indian interests), and Iraq (when The Bubba has gotten dough from Blackwater, recently found liable for several Iraqi civilian deaths)?
She and The Bubba wrote the book on conflicts of interest.
Then there's New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, whom The Bama has selected to be Commerce Secretary. Albuquerque's Jimmy Smits is now in the middle of a possible pay-for-play scandal, in which a company that received lucrative contracts from Richardson's administration gave lavishly to his political action committee.
There's also former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, The Bama's choice to be Agriculture Secretary. Now comes word that he is being looked into for lobbying on behalf of companies that have business before the Department he's supposed to head.
And then there's the Big Enchilada: the Rod Blagojevich pay-for-play scandal, which involves many people around The Bama, including his choice to be Chief of Staff, The Rahm Emanuel, a guy who wanted his Senate seat, Jesse Jackson, Jr. (or JJJ, or J cubed), and the convicted felon who's now singing to the Feds like Pavarotti in his prime, Tony Rezko.
Some of these issues are more serious than others, and all of these Bama people may survive all of this.
But it doesn't look good for the guy who promised everyone in America a Hope n' Change Sandwich.
Make that a Hope n' Change Sandwich, hold the Change. And on Day Old bread.