Here’s what we know and what we think we know:

• White House CoS – Rahm Emanuel – Clinton Alumni
• Secretary of State – Hillary Clinton – Former First Lady
• Secretary of HHS – Tom Daschle – Former Senate Leader from Clinton Era
• Secretary of Homeland Security – Janet Napolitano – Actual Newcomer
• Secretary of the Treasury – Larry Summers – Clinton Alumni
• Attorney General – Eric Holder – Clinton Alumni

Now some are looking at this list and wondering where the change is coming for the top cabinet spots.  Here’s where the benefit of the doubt has to come in.

If you voted for Barack Obama and believe that he means what he says and that he’ll work toward a different Washington, one more responsive to the needs of regular folks and less so to the special interests – remember that he’s not even in office yet. 

When these prospective Cabinet members worked for or in the Clinton administration it was in the heady days when the Democratic Party first fell in love with Wall Street and its money.  They were smitten.  These smart people were tired of ceding the “business” argument to the Republican Party.  Except for perhaps Robert Reich and James Carville every Democrat in Washington during the nineties bent over backwards to deregulate and tear down firewalls because Goldman Sachs and their favorite Republican, Alan Greenspan, said it was good for business.

Here’s what’s different: Obama.  Despite all the crap that John McCain and the Republican Party threw at Barack Obama during the campaign, he stayed on message.  That’s integrity.  That’s steadiness and steel.  I believe the guy when he says things are going to change.

As for the retreads – other things have changed.  The Democratic Party is still heavily funded by the investment class and its economic brainpower is still a little too tied to Wall Street for my comfort, but these people aren’t stupid.  They got caught up in the same high flying economy so many did during the nineties.  The difference was they were in power and we can trace some of today’s financial crisis to the policies they pursued back then.  We can only hope they’ve learned their lesson and the great talent of people like Rahm Emanuel and Tom Daschle will be fully aligned with Barack Obama’s world view and public policy.

One thing I do wish they’d try again from the nineties.  Remember when they deregulated cable TV?  I’m still waiting for the “competition” to lower my cable bills.

• Obama’s focus on rural and urban Ohio paid off - Dayton Daily News
• Budish will focus on economy as Speaker - The Plain Dealer
• Voters more likely to mess up without machines - Columbus Dispatch
• Cuyahoga Corruption probe one of many investigations - The Plain Dealer
• Out of state volunteers energized campaigns - The Plain Dealer
• Quick action on economy tops wish list - Toledo Blade
• Young people tune into Obama’s call to service - Columbus Dispatch
• Editorial: Working Together - Columbus Dispatch
• Editorial: Ohio Dems have a House of their own - The Plain Dealer
• Editorial: Dems should preserve Republican school reforms - Columbus Dispatch
• Op-Ed, Joe Hallett: Republicans lost more ground than Dems gained - Columbus Dispatch
• Op-Ed, Mayor Michael Coleman: Black community’s expectations a hurdle for Obama - Columbus Dispatch
• Op-Ed, Jonathan Riskind: Obama, Charles Preston and History - Columbus Dispatch
• Op-Ed, Thomas Suddes: Bill before Ohio Legislature bad for consumers - The Plain Dealer

Other News

• Rush to deregulate - Columbus Dispatch
• Cleveland Medical Mart threatened by NY project - The Plain Dealer
• Cleveland or NY? Advantages for Medical Mart - The Plain Dealer