Op-Ed: Now We Know What Change Means

For all of the rhetoric during the recent presidential campaign about change, there certainly doesn't appear to be any major shake-up when it comes to the players involved in the new Obama regime.

It looks increasingly like the Clintons are moving back into the White House, and that may provide some comfort to those of us on the right who thought we'd be seeing Tony Rezko, Bill Ayers and Jeremiah Wright in the situation room at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Don't get me wrong: Barack Obama is one dangerous individual whose Marxist ideology of spreading the wealth around should instill fear into any conservative capitalist. And the thought of Obama answering that all important telephone call at three o'clock in the morning is enough to give any American concerned about national security an ulcer. But Obama appears to be surrounding himself with the old Democrat guard. Whether he's doing it to reassure the moderates that he is not the radical that he appeared to be in the primaries and the run up to the general election, or to placate the Clintonistas who helped (grudgingly) to send their votes his way is not entirely clear. In any case, 31 of the 47 appointees named so far have ties to the Clintons. The usual suspects include John Podesta, John White, Wendy Sherman, Sandy Berger, Robert Rubin, William Perry and Madeleine Albright. This cast of characters is right out of the Clinton playbook. And Rahm Emanuel as chief of staff? It's like old home week. Now comes word that Hillary will be tapped to be Secretary of State. Maybe those 3 a.m. phone calls can be forwarded to her extension. Can't wait to see her dodging sniper fire on her way to visit some war torn hot spot. Maybe Obama wants her for that cabinet post because Joe "stand up, Chuck" Biden put the fear of God in everyone with his remark that the new president will be tested with an international crisis within six months of taking office. Let's face it... you send Biden into a crisis situation and you end up with World War III. I guess the only thing left is to appoint Bubba to the Supreme Court. Do the justices have interns? Just asking.