Change in D.C.?

Well, change is underway in Washington. Change from one administration to another at least. The promised change in Democratic politics however, has not materialized. The idea that Barack Obama would actually change the way politics are run in Washington was a nice one, but apparently nothing more than that. I honestly didn't expect that it would happen---politics are politics after all---but still, Obama's cabinet so far seems to be largely a recycling of the Clinton administration. There was a lot said during the campaign about John McCain becoming Bush's third term, but post after post, name after name, so far the Obama administration is looking Bill Clinton's third term. Obama's defence is that looking for Democrats with experience without Clinton ties is impossible, and to a certain extent, he's right. Two things, however, cause this to ring just a little hollow. First of all, if the experience for difficult times can only be found in Washington, why did Obama campaign on continued promises of the change and fresh voices that he would bring to government? Second, I don't know about liberals, but I can think of plenty of conservatives that I would love to see in Washington who don't have ties to the current administration. Why can't the new team in D.C. do the same? I think the basic reason is that the message of change was an empty one all along along. Yes, there will certainly be change...change from a moderate conservative government (in the executive branch at least) to a very liberal one. But the change that Obama talked about is not going to happen. I'll give him this: if he wants to get the most liberal government possible in the shortest time possible, he's following the best path. The people he's bringing have been on the outs (in one way or another) for eight infuriating (for them) years, and with the chance to bring their ideas back into power, they will work hard and ruthlessly to implement their liberal agenda.

And this is what is really important. We are not headed to an era of moderatism, bipartisanship, and national success, at least not by any conventional definition. The era of radical liberalism has begun instead, and it is up to conservatives to limit the damage that Barack Obama and a Democrat-controlled Washington can do. We must both inform the people around us of the realities of issues like economics and national defence, and stand in opposition to the policies that the Democrat party attempts to implement.