FDR, JFK named Republicans to their administrations

[SoxFan]

Just a little something for all of the Obama-bashers who are in a high dudgeon this afternoon:

FDR:

Henry L. Stimson (Secretary of War)
Frank Knox (Secretary of the Navy; was 1936 GOP VP nominee)
William H. Woodin (Secretary of the Treasury)

JFK:

C. Douglas Dillon (Secretary of the Treasury)
Henry Cabot Lodge (Ambassador to South Vietnam)

Harry Truman:

Warren Austin (UN Ambassador)
Harold Burton (Supreme Court Associate Justice)

[Fried Bread]

1. But, but, but!!!

It doesn't fit today's DU narrative of bashing Obama!

[terrya]

JFK's CIA director was also a Republican, I believe.

John McCone was a Republican, if I'm not mistaken.

[Kucinich4America]

6. Probably not the best example

Considering what the CIA did to JFK..... :evilfrown:

[aquart]

7. I was about to say...

Those who don't learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them.

[terrya]

9. Just bringing up a detail from my useless store of trivia Political knowledge.

No, probably not. :-(

[no name no slogan]

2. Most Presidents reserve one cabinet seat for someone from the other party

It's a kind of tradition, and is not unusual.

[JPZenger]

3. Bill Clinton - Cohen as Sec. of Defense

Bill Clinton named Cohen as his Secretary of Defense. He was a former Republican Senator.

[rinsd]

4. The GOP part bothers me far less than the Ahnuld part.

[SoxFan]

11. What Obama actually said

He did not say that he would appoint Arnold to the Cabinet. he mentioned him in a discussion of Republican officials who he believes are principled folks who are willing to put partisanship aside and work towards a common good on some issues.

The original question had to do with appointing GOPers to the Cabinet, but Obama correctly pointed out that it's way too early for that discussion. Unfortunately, the ABC reporter must have been scoping out the good-looking blonde sittong in the third row, becuase he clearly failed to figure out that there were two components to Obama's response.

Disclosure: I was at the event, and no, I was not ogling the aforementioned blonde.

[Kucinich4America]

5. Of course that's when Republicans were merely an opposition political party

as opposed to neocon fascist globalist pieces of shit dedicated to destroying everything good about this country.

[aquart]

8. Couldn't have said it better.

[SoxFan]

12. Bill Cohen?

Will he have a role in a Clinton Redux administration?

[aquart]

22. ?

[Lasher]

10. That's right, things have changed.

On and on with their radical divisive bullshit since Saint Ronnie's day. After decades of this bullshit they have poisoned the well.

Ask yourself, when was the last time you felt it worked out well when we had made nice with Republicans?

[SoxFan]

13. Oh, please

Every Republican is a "neocon fascist globalist piece of shit dedicated to destroying everything good about this country"?

You clearly haven't worked in government on the inside.

There are plenty of wingnut Republicans, but there are also many, many who have their nation's best interest at heart.

I serve on my local city council. The mayor is a Republican, I'm a Democrat, but we work well together on issues relating to fiscal discipline, budget reform, community policing, etc. We have some differences, particularly on land use/environmental issues and some labor matters, but we both know that we can achieve more for our community by keeping our disagreements civil and working together when we find common ground.

To be honest, I find it refreshing that Sen. Obama is willing to set aside the spitball wars of the last 16 years and reach for a higher, more civilized sense of public discourse.

[T Wolf]

16. Yes, do not fight the enemy. Give in to them. A Blue Dog Dem is just a repug

who is less honest than a registered repug.

[SoxFan]

21. A challenge for you

Did you volunteer for Mondale/Ferraro before you could even vote?

Were you ever arrested at the South African embassy while protesting apartheid?

Were you a press aide to the late Sen. Paul Simon?

Were you a field organizer for Paul Tsongas?

Have you served on the Democratic State Committee?

Were you ever a member of the Young Democrats National Committee?

Have you ever run for elected office as a Democrat?

Have you ever authored progressive legislation and seen it enacted into law?

When you've done these things, then you can come back and question my Democratic credentials.

[Kucinich4America]

20. I didn't say "every Republican", did I?

Though the ones that dominate the national party obviously are. Most of the reasonable Republicans left on this planet probably are in your corner of the country. We used to have a few of them in Washington state before the religious reich freaks took over the state party. Now there's only one left in office that I know of, the Secretary of State, and thankfully, he prevented his fellow Republicans from stealing the governor's race in 2004. Doesn't mean I'd campaign for the guy, but his existence doesn't sicken me like that of the PNAC loving neocons does.

[OHdem10]

14. Bill Clinton's Sec of Defense was a Republican---Cohen

but he did not run around trying to get votes by announcing
this in the Primary.

[wyldwolf]

15. hmm. So? How nasty was partisan politics then?

Did the GOP try to impeach FDR or JFK over basically nothing?

Was the GOP controlled by religious extremists in the 1930s or 1960s?

Did the GOP compare FDR or JFK (Cleland) to Hitler or Castro (bin Laden)?

[Kucinich4America]

17. Well, they DID blame JFK for not taking Castro out of Cuba

Even though it was most likely Poppy Bush who fucked up the Bay of Pigs operation, by sending in a bunch of Batista loving amateurs to do the job.

[wyldwolf]

18. ok. typical politics.

[William769]

19. Different time, different era.