Obama transition coverage: Mulligan stew
posted at 11:35 am on January 8, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
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Andie Coller looks at the media coverage of Barack Obama’s transition, and reports for Politico that the reporters seem only interested in counting to one when covering mistakes. We keep hearing about how this transition has been remarkably mistake-free, but that’s because the press seems unable to remember past the last news cycle:
Team Obama has made its first mistake — again.
When Gov. Bill Richardson withdrew his nomination as commerce secretary earlier this week, NBC’s Andrea Mitchell declared it “the Obama team’s first misstep.”
But Mitchell had been scooped.
On Nov. 7 — just three days after the election — Los Angeles’ KNBC said Obama’s flubbed joke about Nancy Reagan and séances was his “first misstep.”
On Nov. 14, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban wrote a Huffington Post piece on Obama’s economic advisory team titled “President-Elect Obama’s First Big Mistake.”
And on Nov. 19, Michael Goodwin of the New York Daily News said Obama’s secretary of state dealings with Hillary Clinton might just have been “his first big mistake.”
Coller has the right idea, but some of the examples used in the article are more speculative than fact. Cuban’s op-ed piece would be one of these, along with the American Prospect’s discussion of the possibility that Obama might name Robert Kennedy Jr as EPA chief. Those aren’t mistakes but potential mistakes, and even that is just on policy.
Coller has the right idea, though. Bill Richardson’s withdrawal may have been Obama’s most prominent mistake, but there have been others. Both the choice and the manner of the Leon Panetta trial balloon were major flubs, as the Obama transition didn’t bother to check with the Democratic chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee before the selection. The selection of Eric Holder to run Justice looks pretty foolish now after his connections to disgraced Governor Rod Blagojevich surfaced, even apart from his participation in the smelly Marc Rich pardon. David Axelrod’s statement that Obama had been in close contact with Blagojevich about his Senate replacement burned the transition team badly enough in retrospect after Blagojevich’s arrest that they had to burn Axelrod a bit in their denial.
And then there’s Hillary Clinton. Before officially getting the offer for Secretary of State, Obama forced Bill Clinton to reveal the donor list to his charitable foundation. Apparently, the transition team didn’t peruse it carefully enough, as at least one major donor appears to have gotten a payoff from Hillary’s pork. Beyond that, she will no doubt face questions about the appearance of bias with big donations from the Saudis — and from Blackwater, a progressive bete noir of the first order.
Oh, and let’s not forget the transition vetting that apparently disqualifies people on the basis of gun ownership.
Is this transition any worse than previous transitions? It’s hard to tell, since the press can’t count above one. However, I don’t recall any previous president nominating a person for a Cabinet position that had already been publicly named as part of a federal corruption probe, let alone the other examples above and in Coller’s piece. It’s certainly not better than those that preceded it, despite the relentlessly sunny coverage it gets from the national media.
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Well at least he will be known as the President with the most “firsts”.
right2bright on January 8, 2009 at 11:37 AM
Inartful Distractions.
fogw on January 8, 2009 at 11:38 AM
FBI Warns of Suspicious Inaugural Activity
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,144427,00.html
izoneguy on January 8, 2009 at 11:41 AM
I’m confused. Do we have one president at a time or not?
UnderstandingisPower on January 8, 2009 at 11:49 AM
That links to a story from 2005. Is there a joke here that I’m missing?
CurtZHP on January 8, 2009 at 11:49 AM
Just a guess, but I’m thinking Barry might all of a sudden throw a lot more support towards terrorist wiretapping (that’s domestic spying to libtards). When the bullets start flying past Obama’s own ears he will show a lot more interest in tracking down the bad guys.
fogw on January 8, 2009 at 11:49 AM
It’s about time they tell us - the activity was in January 2005
Vashta.Nerada on January 8, 2009 at 11:50 AM
Uh, izoneguy, that’s from 2005–President BUSH.
UnderstandingisPower on January 8, 2009 at 11:50 AM
If every mistake is the first, he will only have one mistake to his credit, ever.
Vashta.Nerada on January 8, 2009 at 11:51 AM
Don’t forget about Bambi’s choice of White House counsel. A lawyer who defended a would be presedential assasin. Top notch.
loudmouth883 on January 8, 2009 at 11:52 AM
The irony is that he is relying on the FBI/CIA to protect him until inauguration, then he will begin dismantling the CIA/FBI as Clinton did in 1993 (remember the edict of not allowing the FBI and the CIA to exchange information)…which led to the disaster we are in now.
right2bright on January 8, 2009 at 11:52 AM
Most telling are the pictures of him. Just look at the top/center of Drudge now. I can’t help but see a boy king, way too often.
I’m capturing a few to make coasters out of them. I think they look really goofy and are telling about the state of our nation, sadly.
No wonder the other kiddies are raising their little voices.
Entelechy on January 8, 2009 at 11:56 AM
First up, pardon Rahm Emanuel. Then we can get down to business of passing out the reparations, cloaked as pork, cloaked as a Stimulus package.
Going to take a massive de-cloaking machine to get to the real intent of this clown shop and it’s jive talking leader.
tarpon on January 8, 2009 at 11:56 AM
Heh. Probably just some Black Panthers/Weathermen lurking for a clear shot. Now, in THIS inauguration, they’ll be seated in a place of honor.
a capella on January 8, 2009 at 11:57 AM
You’ve been scooped, Ed.
Obama’s First Big Mistake was actually not his mistake but ours: electing a corrupt Chicago Democrat with no record of doing anything particularly impressive, except run for high offices and hang around with a lot of people who are just about to be indicted.
Exit Question suggestion: Who has Obama associated with in Illinois who is not currently under investigation or indictment?
Jaibones on January 8, 2009 at 11:57 AM
Wait,..um,uh,uh, Barry make’s mistakes? Why you must be kidding me, he knows nothing, see’s nothing, and hears nothing. It’s always the big bad bully’s trying to pick on poor innocent Barry.Those other people,..(Rezko,Blago,Wright,Odinga,Vera,Richardson,Rahm,..etc) they all just lie!!
christene on January 8, 2009 at 11:58 AM
I love this one:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/07/AR2009010703806.html
All the celebrities want to perform, and Obama (I’m sure) wants all the celebrities to perform, but no one’s actually, you know, BOOKING THEM. I suppose when you’ve got The One there to wave his magic wand and make them appear, no one needs to actually do any work.
Gina on January 8, 2009 at 11:58 AM
I feel like an idiot!!!
I wanted to link to this one….
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/01/07/obama-inauguration-attractive-target-terrorist-attacks/
izoneguy on January 8, 2009 at 11:59 AM
That’s right, so we should just stop picking on the O.P.E. and just count the days until the One is named emperor.
forest on January 8, 2009 at 12:01 PM
One mistake is ideal for the media depiction of BO.
He’s not perfect. He’s human you know. A real, down to earth, lovable, fallible human being - but he’s still pretty damn close to being perfect - only one mistake.
forest on January 8, 2009 at 12:03 PM
Everyone forgets Obama is from Chicago. Pay for play, being under investigation etc. are recomendations there! Won’t you ever learn? Washinton is going to have to learn the Chicago way now. Shhhesh!
Herb on January 8, 2009 at 12:04 PM
Nina Lowry on Fox talking about Obama and “the size of his package”
faraway on January 8, 2009 at 12:08 PM
It’s about a trillion, right, but he’s too modest to put a number on it.
forest on January 8, 2009 at 12:10 PM
Never in my long years walking this Earth have I encountered a Presidential transition that made me wish truly wish for an incoming Administration to be outgoing, and soon.
20 Jan 13…can’t get here fast enough.
coldwarrior on January 8, 2009 at 12:11 PM
And after his inauguration address, he will walk across the Tidal Basin.
kingsjester on January 8, 2009 at 12:12 PM
I don’t believe either of his kids are under investigation.
MarkTheGreat on January 8, 2009 at 12:13 PM
Save us Sarah
faraway on January 8, 2009 at 12:13 PM
I can hardly wait for the news about the 1st black president taking a shower in the White House. Bet it will send a tingle up Chris Matthews leg.
This is all we’re gonna hear for the next four years, 1st this, 1st that, 1st the other.
GarandFan on January 8, 2009 at 12:14 PM
Obama can’t be the 1st black president.
Since he will overturn don’t ask, don’t tell, Obama will be the 1st Gay President
faraway on January 8, 2009 at 12:16 PM
Dude, (or dudette, whatever) the story doesn’t match your comment.
Paragraph 1:
Where’s the warning of “suspicious activity?” I didn’t see it in your linked article.
cs89 on January 8, 2009 at 12:19 PM
I love this line in the article you linked:
There’s a few “moving parts” in the federal government Obama’s about to become the chief executive of, also. Hope he & his team can keep up with them, and govern effectively.
Oh, who am I kidding.
cs89 on January 8, 2009 at 12:22 PM
Obama’s first big mistake was thinking he possesses the requisite knowledge, skills, awareness, and, most importantly, executive experience to run for leader of the free world.
Christien on January 8, 2009 at 12:28 PM
We do need to consider this:
If The One is as bad as we believe him to be for this country, we can be assured that politicians will sense this early (threats to their continued incumbency are constantly evaluated) and react by distancing themselves from the Administration, either by not passing legislation he needs to progress or by openly oppossing him (watch for Pelosi grabbing for executive powers). Or, maybe we’ll have another “malaise and sweater” speech.
In an odd way, his own “left-iness” will serve to stifle him.
That is Bob’s prediction, anyway.
BobMbx on January 8, 2009 at 12:29 PM
Obama just gave the Malaise Speech
faraway on January 8, 2009 at 12:33 PM
Doesn’t count. That speech was simply to lower expectations of his administration so that short of being nuked by Russia or China, merely existing after 4 years will be a success.
Low expectation + mediocre performance = brilliant results
BobMbx on January 8, 2009 at 12:42 PM
I’m afraid our “Chicago-Style” President is going to take us from American Exceptionalism to American Mediocrity.
kingsjester on January 8, 2009 at 12:52 PM
That’s the ultimate goal of socialism. Nice of President Bush to leave him all the tools to do it quickly.
angelat0763 on January 8, 2009 at 1:00 PM
The Chicago Tribune has done the same thing with Obama. Swooning coverage. Over time the readership catches on. We like Obama because we are supposed to like Obama. You like Obama, too, don’t you?
Pass the soma, its going to a long 8 years.
Angry Dumbo on January 8, 2009 at 1:13 PM
Mulligan Stew was a very funny novel made up of a lot of parodized bad writing. The MSM reached the point of self-parody some time ago.
ForNow on January 8, 2009 at 1:52 PM
4 4 3 2?
- The Cat
MirCat on January 8, 2009 at 4:19 PM
I hope you’re right, but you do realize that any and all criticism of, or distancing from, The One will stil be horrendously racist, right?
With this media, I don’t see anything getting rid of The Messiah.
Would love to be wrong.
Hawkins1701 on January 8, 2009 at 4:53 PM