A couple of really important "apparent" appointments by the President-elect are worth noting today. First, there is former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle as Department of Health and Human Services Secretary, the person now serving as Obama's health policy advisor during transition time. His most important job in that position will be working on a new health-care coverage reform package. In addition, he will be in charge of Medicare and Medicaid, Food and Drug Administration, and improving public health. Many Democrats seem excited about this appointment because of his involvement in and knowledge of the health care field and the fact that he knows almost everyone in the Senate and is well-liked there--a big plus in trying to involve Congress in the planning for a new health care program and in securing votes for it.
The other choice is Eric Holder to serve as Attorney General. His hardest job will be trying to restore the Justice Department's traditional, non-politicized role in the administration. Just as George Bush has been the worst president ever, Alberto Gonzales was the worst U.S. Attorney General ever and did inestimable damage in just the two years that he served. He used the Justice Department as the Bush Administration's personal "Get Out Of Jail Free" card. You remember well that he allowed and claimed to even make legal torture and illegal domestic surveillance (you know, spying on us--American citizens); he denied habeas corpus to enemy combatants; he detained American and non-citizens illegally; and he fired U.S. Attorneys for political reasons, even though he seemed not to be in contol of his own department when he testified about it before Congress, to name but a few of his worst crimes. Expanding on the second sentence in this paragraph--not only must Holder restore the DOJ's role, but also he must prove once again to the world that the United States Justice Department stands for justice.
Connect to watch a
video featuring Eric Holder discussing our Constitution, the rule of law, and our fractured moral leadership that occurred during the Bush administration that now must be restored. I think you will be impressed with his judgment.