Change? What Change?

During the campaign, we were told that if Senator Hillary Clinton were elected president, we would be getting nothing more than a third term of the Clinton White House. If Senator John McCain were elected, we'd have another four years of the policies of President George W. Bush. But if we elected Senator Barack Obama, we'd have a fresh start. Hallelujah! Change has come to Washington!

So how come President-elect Obama is stocking most of his Cabinet positions with people who either used to work for, or are related to, former President Bill Clinton?

Some of the people Obama has appointed all have ties to the Clinton administration in one way or another: Rahm Emanuel as White House Chief of Staff, Gregory Craig as legal counsel (he defended Clinton in his impeachment trial), John Podesta as head of the transition team, and Eric Holder as Attorney General.

But the biggest name who has yet to be appointed is Hillary Clinton, rumored to be trading in her Senate seat to become Secetary of State. Remember all the buzz when she was in line to take Obama's vice-presidential slot that went to Joe Biden? Same here. Just as before, the major stumbling block is her husband, with several conflict-of-interest issues that could scuttle her nomination.

Granted, Obama has reportedly appointed some non-Clintonites to Cabinet positions. Former South Dakota senator Tom Daschle was named secretary of Health and Human Services, though his ties to a Washington law firm that happens to be lobbyists on health care issues might pose a problem. And Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano was chosen to lead the Department of Homeland Security.

It's not a bad thing for Obama, getting experienced Democratic hands (and maybe one or two Republicans) to run his administration, because it's something he's said he would do as President. But it does sound like the first of many campaign promises Obama's going to break. We're getting a defacto third term of Bill Clinton.

Florida North 2008 Update

After two days of a recount to determine who Minnesota's next U.S. Senator is going to be, Republican incumbent Norm Coleman leads his Democratic challenger Al Franken by 136 votes, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Obviously, there will be more to come.