[voidfiles]

What is so shocking, I think Obama has been finding the best-of-the-best and appointing them to the right places.

[TobiasCassell]

Yes, true. I think its shocking when something happens in our political system with absolutely zero downside. I never expected this, and perhaps it means a level of transparency/communication that was previously unattainable. I guess I'm shocked somebody I admire so much will have a voice in our challenges. I think its exciting, and I'm really happy about it.

Edit, I'm pretty jaded.. So anything good is shocking to me..

[voidfiles]

Yea, its weird a little too, like if he does a great job, it won't necessarily mean that he is going to be doing everything. Really his job is going to be to teach others how properly communicate in a visual manner, something the government in large part hasn't taken the time to address. Or mayby its better to think that they just weren't ever given the liberty to think about it.

[jrockway]

<parable about fishing versus teaching someone to fish>

[pohl]

<joke about giving a man some fire versus setting a man on fire>

[hga]

Errr ... if he publicly resigns in disgust there will be a downside.

Give that this "is the complete opposite of everything else I do. Maybe I'll learn something.", maybe he'll learn that he's doesn't like the ways of Washington vs. the task at hand, in which case it'll be an unforced error.

If he's not able to prevent the board that this panel is advising from publishing chartjunk or worse ... what can he do, especially in the light of the brand he's established? Hard to see how he could avoid explicitly or implicitly telling us the reason(s) he resigned and that they reflect badly on the administration.

[TobiasCassell]

Yes, I agree. I woke up thinking of lots of downsides and I'm back to my good, old, jaded self.

[jamesbritt]

Can you give some examples of this?

He's appointed several RIAA laywers to positions at the Department of Justice.

He picked Janet Napolitano to run Homeland Security. (I'm a 'Zonie of 10 years.)

While he may also be picking some good people, I'm not seeing "best of the best" as any sort of theme.

[warfangle]

Add to the list Geithner, who has very close ties with the folks who screwed up Wall Street in the first place..

[hga]

A tax cheat in charge of the Treasury which includes the Federal tax collection agency; this has immediate real world effects in terms of people's attitudes towards paying taxes.

This also cripples one of the most important positions in the government in a time of economic troubles.

[Locke1689]

Steven Chu as the secretary of energy — absolutely fantastic choice.

[roboneal]

Regardless of where you stand on the global warming debate...

"California's farms and vineyards could vanish by the end of the century, and its major cities could be in jeopardy, if Americans do not act to slow the advance of global warming, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu said Tuesday."

http://articles.latimes.com/2009/feb/04/local/me-warming4

So were to believe within 90 years all the farms and vineyards will vanish from California if we do nothing?

That's just headlining grabbing bunk, hardly befitting a "scientist".