I think most Americans, like me, are hopeful that Barack Obama can deliver on his pledge to bring change to the polarized and superficial politics of Washington. But I for one am not inspired by some of his Cabinet choices so far. The mainstream media is focusing on whether the new Administration can fulfill its commitment to stricter conflict-of-interest standards for appointees. Obama’s Pick of Daschle May Test Conflict-of-Interest Pledge [NYTimes.com].
That's not the issue, though. It's whether selecting old-style, 20th Century insiders is just politics as usual. Tom Daschle as Secretary of HHS is rather far removed from "real change." Not as bad as keeping Defense Sec. Gates — even for continuity — but almost.