All Posts Tagged With: "leadership"

President-elect Obama describing his approach to his administration during this morning’s press conference:

“I assembled this team because I’m a strong believer in strong personalities and strong opinions. I think that’s how the best decisions are made…

“I’m going to be welcoming a vigorous debate inside the White House. But understand: I will be setting policy as president. I will be responsible for the vision that this team carries out, and I expect them to implement that vision once decisions made. So as Harry Truman said, the buck will stop with me.”

TPM’s Greg Sargent adds his observations about this morning’s event:

First, it was striking how comfortable Obama appeared in a take-charge role when on a stage dominated by heavy hitters like Robert Gates and Hillary Clinton — and how visibly they deferred to him.

Also, it wasn’t until Obama himself announced the appointment of Hillary as Secretary of State that it became clear just how well it reflects on him. The sight of him hailing her strength, toughness and suitability to the huge challenges ahead — even as he brushed off reporter chatter about the acrimonious Dem primary — made for powerful political theater.

We’ve heard a lot of analysis about how Obama’s “team of rivals” approach shows his mature willingness to extend a forgiving hand to rivals and his confidence that he can control them within his own orbit. But I’d argue this isn’t so much about his interpersonal style as it is about the sense he is trying to project that he possesses a gravity and sense of seriousness appropriate to the enormity of the tasks before him.

From Andrew Sullivan:

I posted this rather prescient letter from Obama to Bernanke and Paulson last March. The letter itself is dated March 22, 2007. As with Obama’s warnings about the possible consequences of occupying Iraq, I think this letter is worth considering as we face the consequences of the financial mortgage-rooted meltdown in the credit markets and consider the two candidates.

Here’s part of what Obama had to say in that letter:

We cannot sit on the sidelines while increasing numbers of American families face the risk of losing their homes.

And while neither the government nor the private sector acting alone is capable of quickly balancing the important interests in widespread access to credit and responsible lending, both must act and act quickly…

[A] consortium of industry-related service providers and public interest advocates may be able to bring quick and efficient relief to millions of at-risk homeowners and neighborhoods, even before Congress has had an opportunity to act. There is an opportunity here to bring different interests together in the best interests of American homeowners and the American economy. Please don’t let this opportunity pass us by.

That was over a year and a half ago. A true leader does more than react to the raging storm of an unfolding crisis; he wisely looks ahead for the coming storms.

Sullivan posts the entire letter which you can read here.

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As Congress continues to debate this morning about a monstrous bailout plan to rescue our economy from an impending complete collapse, as we continue to be told, let’s review what one of the candidates to lead our nation has said — not once, not twice, but at least 18 times …

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