“Given these appointments and likely appointments it seems the Obama Administration has decided to ride out its second term with the same principles as the first.”

“Principle”, definition: “Fundamental norms, rules, or values that represent what is desirable or positive for a person, a group, organization, or community and help in determining the rightness or wrongness of its actions. Principles are more basic than policy and objectives and are meant to govern both.” (From Business Dictionary.com … chosen since, “this is not a democracy it is a business” … according to a certain wisdom resident at FDL.)

I must assume, Dan, that you used the term “principles” ironically. We’ve trouble enough with the perversion of language (double speak – new speak, as in “perpetual war is perpetual peace” or the “secret laws necessary to democracy and security”), so that, in my opinion, we should avoid, as much as possible, using words which matter, which describe foundational basics, the necessities of civil society, such as the Rule of Law and agreed upon principles of rectitude and moral compass …

But, yes, Obama’s “values” and “mores”, as evidenced in those whom he placed around himself in his first term as the first openly elected “person of color” to the office of the Presidency, will obtain in the second. One must imagine that few voters and citizens are really stunned or even surprised?

The new Barack Obama?

Just like the old one …

The “Lesser Weevil”.

Ain’t we lucky?

DW

McDonough is a devout Catholic, and he has served as something of an informal adviser on religious matters, such as during last year’s debate over the White House’s handling of contraception rules under the new health-care law.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mcdonough-to-be-obamas-new-chief-of-staff/2013/01/17/f00928d2-6094-11e2-b05a-605528f6b712_story.html

Second verse, same as the first.

If not more so…

Hmmm. From the looks of that quoted paragraph, Elliot, we might, very informally of course, have to start referring to Denis R. McDonough as … “Big Mac”?

DW

Who were some other famous Chiefs of Staff for past or current Presidents?

Oh, yes ….

Haldeman,

Haig,

Rumsfeld,

Cheney,

James Baker,

Donakd Regan,

John Sununu,

Leon Panetta,

Erskine Bowles,

Rahm Emanuel,

Jacob Lew,

There were many others, of curse, but, for whatever reasons, those come to mind …

A long, and illustrious list …

Gesundheit!

DW

Meet second term Obama, same as first term Obama.

Remember when first term Obama was the new boss, much like the old boss?

The more things change, the more they don’t really change all that much. At least, not for the better.

First term Obama at least had a female Secretary of State. OK, that was probably part of a deal they made at the bitter end of the 2008 primaries, in return for vigorous support from her and Bill for Obama’s Presidential bid and beyond.

But elementary school girls subconsciously casting about for female role models probably didn’t know that, so it was still better for “the weaker sex’ than this cabinet.

Thanks, DW, for drawing this all together. I think that in addition to this:

Given these appointments and likely appointments it seems the Obama Administration has decided to ride out its second term with the same principles as the first[,]

o is also staying with many of the same principal people already in his admin.