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On the Saturday Early Show on CBS, President-elect Barack Obama’s Cabinet picks were presented positively as correspondent Kimberly Dozier referred to a "superstar Cabinet," and its members as "bold" and "inspired," while co-anchor Erica Hill called the Cabinet "star-studded." The terminology was similar to that employed by NBC's Andrea Mitchell on the previous night's Nightly News, as she referred to Obama's "all-star Cabinet."
During the 8:00 a.m. hour of the Saturday Early Show, as she filed a story regarding Obama’s choices of Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State and Timothy Geithner, also from the Clinton administration, for Treasury Secretary, Dozier introduced her report: "Well, Obama’s Cabinet picks are coming one by one, and they’re calling it, in some cases, a ‘superstar Cabinet.’" After informing viewers that Obama may ask Defense Secretary Robert Gates to stay on, Dozier repeated the "superstar" label as she passed on praise from former Reagan Chief of Staff Ken Duberstein. Dozier: "Ronald Reagan’s former chief of staff says Obama’s taking a page from his boss’s book, choosing a superstar team for their skills, not their political persuasion."
At the beginning of the 9:00 a.m. hour, co-anchor Erica Hill teased: "The shape of things to come: President-elect Obama now close to completing his star-studded Cabinet, and now the hard work begins."Soon Dozier returned to introduce a report similar to that from the 8:00 hour and cited Republican praise, presumably referring to Duberstein, of Obama’s choices: "Some are calling it a return to the Clinton White House. Others, Republicans among them, are praising him for bold, and even inspired, choices."
Below is a transcript of relevant portions of the Saturday Early Show on CBS from November 22:
CHRIS WRAGGE, DURING THE 8:00 A.M. HOUR: But first, let’s get to the news of the morning, and names of those being tapped for prized Cabinet positions in the Obama administration are coming in fast and furious, and even causing a stir on Wall Street. CBS News correspondent Kimberly Dozier is at the White House with the very latest for us bright and early on this Saturday morning. Kimberly, good to see you.
KIMBERLY DOZIER: Good morning, Chris. Well, Obama’s Cabinet picks are coming one by one, and they’re calling it, in some cases, a "superstar Cabinet." More announcements could come as early as Monday. President-elect Barack Obama officially offered the State Department to his former rival this week. A senior Hillary Clinton advisor told CBS News she will accept, but it won’t likely be announced until after Thanksgiving. Some call that "bold," others:
JEREMY SCAHILL, THE NATION: It’s starting to look very much like a staff reunion of Bill Clinton’s White House.
DOZIER: But look at what the Dow did Friday, recovering some 500 points when word leaked out that another former Clintonite would be offered the Treasury post. Tim Geithner is president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and a former Clinton Treasury official. And Obama’s team has hinted it will ask Defense Secretary Robert Gates to stay on. He’s seen by many inside the Beltway as a nonpartisan pragmatist who has been key to the turnaround in Iraq. Ronald Reagan’s former chief of staff says Obama’s taking a page from his boss’s book, choosing a superstar team for their skills, not their political persuasion.
KEN DUBERSTEIN, FORMER REAGAN CHIEF OF STAFF: You may be changing Washington, but you need to know people who understand the road map, who have a bearing of how to get things done on Capitol Hill.
DOZIER: The Cabinet picks thus far are still largely Democratic former Ambassador to the UN, Bill Richardson, is now the leading candidate for Commerce. One more sign of Clinton redux, word that the Obama’s have chosen Sidwell Friends School for their daughters Malia and Sasha. That’s where Chelsea Clinton went, Chris.
...
ERICA HILL, IN OPENING TEASER FOR THE 9;00 A.M. HOUR: The shape of things to come: President-elect Obama now close to completing his star-studded Cabinet, and now the hard work begins.
...
DOZIER: Well, Obama’s team may be dragging their feet about making it official, but they’re moving rapidly ahead with filling his Cabinet. Some are calling it a return to the Clinton White House. Others, Republicans among them, are praising him for bold, and even inspired, choices.
—Brad Wilmouth is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.



















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The Obamagasms will not
November 24, 2008 - 20:44 ET by kgThe Obamagasms will not cease until long after he is out of office.
"Forget change, I want improvement!"
cabinet ??
November 24, 2008 - 23:46 ET by nathanbforrestthat bunch of clinton retreads is not a cabinet but a politburo .. politburro ?
never look a gift skunk in the tail
Star Studded Brain Trust of the criminal world????
November 24, 2008 - 23:57 ET by ScrapironHow many of them are on the list in this article: http://prorev.com/legacy.htm
Old, Retired and glad of it.
Just think, after 4 years
November 25, 2008 - 00:05 ET by Clear thinkerJust think, after 4 years of Obama and his superior picks, we will al be able to repeat... "The way of Communism is peasantry".
Obama The Next Great Communist Leader?
Making Fun of AGW http://giovanniworld.wordpress.com/
Bold? More Like a Shadow Government of Bill Clinton
November 24, 2008 - 21:19 ET by CapeCodScottWe were promised Change… Here it is:
CHANGE: Yes We Can (Change Titles that is)
www.ScottOnCapeCod.com
"Most men lead lives of quiet desperation"... until they get fed-up enough to finally say something about it!
CapeCodScott...Exactly!
November 24, 2008 - 21:38 ET by PrairieSkyAnd what a bunch of hypocrites the MSM are! When President Bush first began announcing his cabinet and advisors and chose a few people from his Dad's and other Republican administrations, the press derisively howled "They are all a bunch of Reagan and Bush retreads..." etc.
Obama is loading his government with Clintonistas (Lord help us all), and have we heard one word of the same virulent criticism from the MSM? Nooooo....
And we won't because the MSM is too busy praying at the feet of "The One."
"...peace is the highest aspiration of the American People. We will negotiate for it, sacrifice for it, we will never surrender for it, now or ever." President Ronald Reagan~ January 20, 1981
And don't forget that they
November 24, 2008 - 23:04 ET by motherbeltAnd don't forget that they claimed, day and night, that it was because Bush had no "gravitas" that he needed all that help from his father's advisors...
But Obama, (whose own Vice President said he is not ready to be President!) is now a genius, and picks "superstars" whose brilliance matches his own!
mb...I haven't forgotten...Believe me!
November 24, 2008 - 23:10 ET by PrairieSkyThat's all we heard from the MSM in the beginning of Bush's first term (that is, until 9/11!). Gravitas, gravitas, gravitas!!
Never mind the fact that Bush was a two-term governor, and Obamessiah was a nobody one-term senator with only 143 days on the job before he started running for president.
The MSM is doing the same thing they do with every Democratic president and Republican president...The Dems are all brilliant and the Repubs are all dimwits.
Geez...I can't stand the idea of four (or more) years of this...
"...peace is the highest aspiration of the American People. We will negotiate for it, sacrifice for it, we will never surrender for it, now or ever." President Ronald Reagan~ January 20, 1981
Ugh. This old line is
November 25, 2008 - 08:56 ET by ThatDudeUgh. This old line is becoming tiring. In what ways are Obama proving himself to be so intelligent? He's followed a juvenile formula of only saying what he wants people to hear in order to get elected. This "genius" label is also annoying to me. If I've heard correctly, his IQ is 125. Am I the only one not impressed by that? It sounds slightly above average, which is disappointing in the first place for someone in such a key role.
While I'm not AS upset as I could be about some of his picks, the fact is that these "journalists" are completely ignoring ANY negatives from them. Some of these picks don't take much, if any digging before you're waist deep in sewage. For shame that they cheerlead rather than actually present true pros or cons to any appointment.
Others might say the not-so-faint stench of...
November 24, 2008 - 21:36 ET by wnaegele...Clinton corruption wafts from the Obama cabinet.
wna... Yep... Change We
November 24, 2008 - 21:39 ET by bigtimerwna...
Yep...
Change We Can Believe In
...Words Matter....
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
No Clinton corruption is remembered...
November 24, 2008 - 23:59 ET by ScrapironA fair list: http://prorev.com/legacy.htm
Old, Retired and glad of it.
Excellent list! As the past
November 25, 2008 - 09:33 ET by celatorExcellent list! As the past is prologue to the future, we can use this list is see "the coming attractions", as they say in movie-talk. ;=]
One of my sons and I are going to place bets when we see each other Thanksgiving on which Clinton staffer or cabinet officer will be frogged marched to a police car first. I haven't decided yet, but I'll have a selection by Thursday.
Someone on NB used the phrase the other day, and it's a perfect fit for the Obama appointments: a conspiracy of dunces. (An excellent book, BTW).
But...
November 24, 2008 - 22:04 ET by Red Jeep...there aren't any qualified blacks, sorry African-Americans, that can fill these positions, just old white guy retreads?
.
Star-Studded? Super Star?
November 24, 2008 - 22:44 ET by TN MomStar-Studded? Super Star? CBS should win a Oscar for their idolation of Obama! Idiots.
You don't have to be a nincompoop to be a media star...
November 24, 2008 - 22:51 ET by wnaegele...er, on second thought...
He could have picked Sen.
November 24, 2008 - 23:41 ET by RR GOPHe could have picked Sen. Stevens from Alaska as a cabinet member and the MSM would still kiss his Royal Hiney.
I can hear it now about how magnaninmous Obama is, blah blah blah.
Hey, "Obama, the Compassionate, the Merciful". Sounds right somehow.
One of the 24% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 89% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory.
Bold and inspired??? Is
November 25, 2008 - 00:02 ET by Clear thinkerBold and inspired???
Is that what they call old Clinton has-beens?
Obama The Next Great Communist Leader?
Making Fun of AGW http://giovanniworld.wordpress.com/
HAH!
November 25, 2008 - 10:20 ET by NorthCoasterClinton Retreads----BOLD, REALLY BOLD!
Former Clinton Associations
November 25, 2008 - 11:36 ET by PopularTech*Yawn
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