This Salena Zito column should scare the bejeebers out of every security-minded person in America. Here’s what scares me most:

One insider, who refuses to predict on the record, says privately that Obama will quickly announce his appointments to the Cabinet positions of state, defense, treasury and attorney general. He believes Obama’s Cabinet is shaping up to look like this: retiring U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., as defense secretary; Massachusetts Democrat Gov. Deval Patrick as attorney general; New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a political independent, at treasury; Susan Rice as national security adviser; Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., as secretary of state.

This national security team should scare everyone because they’re all pacifists. Chuck Hagel isn’t as nutty as Ron Paul but he’s every bit the pacifist that Paul is. Susan Rice’s national security credentials are thin. The only thing I’ve notice about her is that her temper flares anytime she’s pinned down with the facts. Deval Patrick’s ethical lapses disqualify him for being the AG because he isn’t a trustworthy person. I’d defy people to read this and argue that he’s trustworthy:

This is supposed to be Patrick’s honeymoon period. But after a quiet first month in office, February was overtaken by stories about the $1,100-a-month Cadillac, the helicopter trips, the fancy drapes, the pricey aide hired to handle his wife’s schedule. March began with his acknowledgement of a call he made on behalf of a controversial mortgage company to a large bank with significant dealings with the state. Yesterday, the Massachusetts Republican Party asked the state Ethics Commission to investigate Patrick’s Feb. 20 call to Citigroup.

William G. Mayer, a political science professor at Northeastern University, said that if Patrick continues to make unwise decisions, not even the strongest grass-roots network in recent memory can shield him from the consequences.

“If you make a call that is purely illegitimate, or you seem to be using the resources of your office to pamper yourself, merely saying ‘I’ve got these people who support me on the issues’ is not going to carry a whole lot of weight,” he said. “A grass-roots network, however extensive it is, represents a very, very narrow slice of the electorate.”

That national security team is nothing but a flock of doves. John Kerry, Chuck Hagel and Barack Obama are doves. They’re also traditional Washington insiders. It isn’t good when Joe Biden is the most hawkish member of the national security team.

The only way to prevent such a disastrous cabinet being assembled is to do everything possible to defeat Sen. Obama.

Technorati Tags: Joe Biden, Hawk, Barack Obama, Chuck Hagel, John Kerry, Susan Rice, Michael Bloomberg, National Security, NSA, Deval Patrick, Cabinet, Election 2008

Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog

1. Speaking of cabinets… If McCain has the desire to win he had better start talking about who he would put at Treasury and what they would do about the economic meltdown.

   Comment by Frank — October 13, 2008 @ 4:41 am

2. Security team? Whose security, Russia’s? Iran’s? China’s? North Korea’s? With givers like that bunch it would make pre-WWII England look absolutely hawkish!

   Comment by Carlos — October 13, 2008 @ 9:03 am

3. What was wrong with Ron Paul? He would have been a much better nominee than McCain.

   In fact, he would have been a much better Democratic nominee than Obama.

   If McCain has the desire to win he had better start talking about who he would put at Treasury and what they would do about the economic meltdown.

   Someone who can build upon the upside trends like a stronger dollar and the lower price of oil.

   Comment by Michael Ejercito — October 13, 2008 @ 10:42 am

4. Well, if expanding the war into Iran blows anybody’s skirt up, I couldn’t imagine a better bunch to get us into one eventually.

   Comment by T A Gray — October 13, 2008 @ 10:49 am

5. Here’s an even scarier thought for you:

   Associate Supreme Court Justice William Jefferson Clinton

   Even though he’s been disbarred, I’m sure he’ll pass muster if the Demon Rats get 60 Senators.

   McCain has been completely AWOL on this issue. He should have been attacking Obama on his potential court nominees. Obama LIED about supporting the death penalty, the 2nd amendment, offshore drilling and coal mining. He LIED about opposing gay marriage. He AVOIDED answering when human rights begin. But that’s ok because his worshippers KNOW he lied - it’s the ignorant, undecided swing voter he needs to fool.

   But no matter how well Obama lies or what his record states, there is no question the judges and cabinet officials he’ll appoint will take the wrong side of every one of these issues.

   McCain is passing up fertile grounds if he doesn’t attack the prospect of Obama as president with a Demon Rat controlled Congress.

   Comment by POWinCA — October 13, 2008 @ 5:32 pm

6. Supposedly, Hilllary would be Obama’s first nomination.

   Comment by Gary Gross — October 13, 2008 @ 7:38 pm