Obama Administration: a Third Term for Bill Clinton?

Peter Baker at the NY Times finally puts into words what a lot of us have been thinking as we’ve watched Barack Obama continue to surround himself with former Clinton advisors.

Baker writes:

“Barack Obama argued for months that victory for his opponent would be akin to a third term for President Bush. But as he embarks on his own presidency, Mr. Obama faces the challenge of building an administration that does not look like a third term for former President Bill Clinton.

“Introducing his first appointments as president-elect, Mr. Obama reached deep into the Clinton fold on Wednesday, naming John D. Podesta, a former White House chief of staff, to lead his transition team. He has asked another former Clinton aide, Representative Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, to be his own chief of staff and is said to be choosing between two other Clinton veterans for national security adviser.

“Mr. Obama tried to balance his initial announcement by naming two co-chairmen to work with Mr. Podesta on the transition, and he will soon introduce other key advisers without any Clinton pedigrees.
“But this is only the beginning of a delicate balancing act for Mr. Obama: between bringing a new generation of leadership to Washington as a signal of his commitment to his pledge to change politics, and recruiting, at a time of intense economic and national security challenges, from the biggest pool of Democrats with national executive branch experience.”

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