CNN

Nope they have no reason to be mad @ him, he's very smart so he knows what he's doing , please chill out people

It’s ridiculous that progressives (the more correct term for the far left) are already complaining about Obama. What was the alternative?? McCain/Palin??? Gag me.

Look, if Obama caters to the far left, within the next 4 years, he’ll make them happy, but the centrists and moderates who voted for him will be displeased. That leaves the door open for a right wing nutjob like Palin or Huckabee to come in, position themselves as just right of center, and they’ll waltz away with the election. As long as we only have two viable political parties, you have to treat elections like a Venn Diagram. The people who will win elections for you are the people who fall into the union of the sets. The far left will never vote for someone on the right, nor will the far right vote for someone on the left. It’s the people in the middle – left of center, right of center, and center – who will determine all elections, at least until we have a viable third-party candidate with a chance of winning.

The Left has a right to be upset. The Right has a right to be upset. Both because President elect Obama is not going to do the tax cuts and Cabinet appointments just to their liking. Oh well, they will either get over it or run for POTUS in 2012 and do it their way.

No. We liberals got "the decider," and he gets the people he wants to consult with and count on to implement his vision. In this interregnum there is all too much stirring up of controversy where none really is warranted.

I think they ought to give him a chance. He never said he was going to be the most liberal President we've ever had. He always said he would be willing to work with anyone, Conservative and liberal. And I think he's proven that. I think he is smart enough and is surrounding himself with good advisors, so I say just give him a chance. He isn't even sworn in yet.

I think Obama's choices have been excellent.What did "liberals" expect?Who are these people anyway?

No, the liberals should still be dancing in the streets and especially that McCain/Palin didn't win.

No, now is not the time to be adding egocentric political problems onto Obama. He needs to stay focused and put the best people in place regardless of ideology to get us out of this mess. So far it looks like he knows what he is doing. If he gets us out of this in the next four years, he will be a shoe-in to be re-elected and then he can put in his own liberal agenda and we will be convonced he walks on water.

Jack no, Liberals have no right to be upset with President Elect Obama, They voted for him and he did say on the Campaign trail we wont always agree with him. And may not like some of his policies He cant please everyone Jack.

The very liberals are as out of touch as the very conservatives, neither are in touch with reality and the both like it that way. And they wonder why they have such a small voice.

Quite frankly liberals are making alot of noise due to the fact that they feel threatened.

They are reducing in numbers as more and more of them are so impressed with the Pres-elect, they're jumping ship.

They are afraid of losing their voice!!

I don't think so. As Obama said in effect in 2004, it's time to drop the red - blue ideology and idiocracy. When Clinton started his administration with a bow to his ideological base by instituting "Don't ask - don't tell" he gave the right-wingers the levers they needed to capture congress.

Obama needs to balance what's wise with what's politically pragmatic given our current state. If that means waiting till the Bush tax cut for the rich to expire in 2010 so be it. I trust his judgment and that of the seasoned experts he has, and continues to assemble. They may not get everything right the first time they try, but unlike the present administration, they learn from mistakes, including their own.

In the meantime, I've read or heard nothing definitive regarding when his administration plans to revise the various components of the tax structure.

Jack, I guess some liberals have the right to be upset because this is a free country. Yet, P.E. Obama realizes, smartly I might add, that he has a whole country to govern and that a middle of the road with a left lean to it is perhaps the only way to do it. This country will not tolerate a radical left agenda no more than it did the radical right’s agenda. It needs answers and just like our founding fathers, you find them through compromise right in the middle.

No. I'm a Democrat, but those far-left "tofu is the answer to the world's problems" loons are just as whacky as the far-right wing nuts who think that mankind lived at the same time as the dinosaurs. Contrary to what some believe, it wasn't the "liberals" who got Obama elected –it was Obama who got Obama elected - along with the votes of a lot of us including moderates, independents and republicans.

After all, he DID profess a fairly liberal agenda, and his campaign really took off running DUE TO that agenda, so why all the catering to the center right? He hasn't crossed the line, though – - – YET.

No they are dead wrong. We are living in a serious time with seriously big problems. He needs aggressive, knowledgeable, experienced people to get the job done, Those people have got to be able to hit the ground running. I believe that those are the qualities in the people he has named to his cabinet. I don't remember present-elect Obama running as a liberal. That seems to be something others, most specifically the media, tagged him. What he did run on was that he was going to change the way government was run. He spoke of the creation of green jobs, our crumbling infrastructure, education and health care to name a few. These are all the same things that I still hear him addressing and his stimulus package is intended to address these very things. Will people just relax and let the man do his job. Better yet, how about waiting until he least gets in office. Let's just remember who will be the president, and the buck stops with him. He has said this over and over. Give it a break now.

H epromised change but selects old Washingtonians. Do not expect much change from him.

Not if his policies work. If he can save our economy and turn us around it in the right direction, then I do not care if he is called liberal or conservative it should not matter. Maybe that is what it will take a president meter that points neither left or right but in the middle in order to get every one aboard and working together.

Jack, I once read that....a sensible man knows you can't please everybody. A wise man knows you can't please anybody. Point taken.

No they don't have a right to be upset. He has picked the best and brightest that have applied for positions in his administration.

If there are those that they feel should be considered, they should submit their names and let his people vet them properly.

If not, they need to get out of his way and celebrate the fact that he won and leave it alone. You can't get your way in everything.

You know these folks have to give Obama a break already. He never ran as a liberal. Yes, his voting record was liberal. But Obama has never been about pure ideology. He's been about bringing people together to get things done, something that has been woefully absent in the beltway. So what has he done? I believe Obama has made smart, deliberate appointments of a group of highly intelligent and experienced people. It's time to lose the labels. It's not 1968 anymore. Remember, he ran for not a red America or blue America but as president of the UNITED STATES of America. Liberals, get over it!

Not at this time. He's not even sworn in and people are already complaining. Bush is still President. Wait until January after Obama is sworn in and then see what his final tax cut plans will be then.

Everyone one just needs to take it down a notch and give President Elect Obama a chance. Gosh, I don't think his picks can be any worse than what we have been through in the last 8 years.

No, they are going to have to deal with the fact that he is a pragmatic centrist who is willing to embrace sweeping changes only if they are needed and, get this, Jack.....only after he gets into office. He doesn't need liberal visionaries to execute his policies. They will be his policies and the cabinet members that can't do it will be replaced, but I don't think any of those chosen to date are incapable of excecuting the changes in a timely fashion. If so, out they go. He will get his platform implemented.

As a proud liberal who voted for Obama I say that as of September 15th 2008, PE Barack Obama has earned the right to do whatever the hell he wants in order to get us out of this mess....for all I care He can break every campaign promises he has ever made if it'll help him get this great Country of ours back on track
So to all the liberals and progressives out there shut the hell up and watch this brilliant man work his magic.
Marjorie
NY

Not at all, give him a chance first. Barack Obama has one heck of an upward climb to get us out of the trench where Bush left us. I'm going to trust him to do the best he can with the best team possible. It's good to feel a little optimism for a change.

I'm a liberal, but I'm not upset. We have been a people so deeply divided and so hostile and full of venom, we need a leader to govern calmly from the middle, giving all sides a chance to vent their spleens. Only through compromise and a renewed sense of mutual respect can we get through this nightmare. And after all, America is essentially a moderate country (with the exception of the deep South). So, good for him. He sees and understands what is so badly needed - compromise and moderation. Veering too much to one side will only inflame the other side, but staying in the middle won't be such a bitter pill for either extreme to swallow, no matter what side they're on.

Rome, GA

No, Liberals out out of line with their opposition to Obama's cabinent picks and I say this as I consider myself a liberal too. Obama needs to remember this phrase, "You can only please some of the people, some of the time." Now that Obama will be President, he has to look at the big picture and how to get the most things done while governing a nation in crisis. There are too many problems that we face right now, and the last headache that he needs is a confirmation battle with his old Senate colleagues.

No because if they are they are guilty of not really researching what the guy stood for. He is a centrist. Sure he has voted on some significantly leftist policy but he also voted for some relatively rightist policy. In order to stay true to his rhetoric duing the election he has to appoint people who both sides can swallow. Appointing the left of the left does not accomplish that. Also, the reality of trying to reverse the Bush tax cuts is rather bleak and the reality is that it is most likely to change by simply letting them expire.

The left is about to learn that our electing someone who seems to be on our side means nothing. Once they get in office and start dealing with the real power brokers in this country it becomes clear that even the President is powerless to the new world order.

It is easy to be upset with anything. But getting upset before the horse and cart have crossed the bridge is just a little on the stupid side. There has just been too much upset from both the right and left about so much this past few years. It is about time that people met in the middle and learned to talk through their differences. After all we are not all so different. We have pain and joy and an abundance of suffering. The suffering would be less so if we can come together on some kind of common ground and work together. We just need less bickering.

I have liberal beliefs. I am not upset with President-elect Obama's cabinet appointments. I trust his judgement 100%. He's done well so far, as long he doesn't appoint George W. Bush, Karl Rove, Sean Hannity, Dick Cheney, and the other usual suspects. I have always said that no matter who he picks on his team, he's the President. He sets the tone.

I supported Obama from the beginning and I feel that he has always had the countries best interests in mind. And I think that means having the most intelligent and most qualified cabinet, regadless of the "liberal" agenda. And obviously his original plans when it comes to health care and tax-cuts have had to be modified. The country he was building his platform around when he first began campaigning is completely different from the country that he is now inheriting. I think he still has the same original goals, but none of those goals can be accomplished in today's economic climate. The liberals can go suck there thumbs because they are acting like spoiled brats who thought they finally had a puppet that they could pull the strings on like the Republicans did Bush.

Liberals should wait and see what the results are before they start complaining. You have to look at Obama's overall strategy for change. He knows what he is doing...just give him a little time!

Please give Mr. Obama time. He has 42 days to go, until he is President. I'm sure he will have a Cabinet that may satisfy most people. You can't satisfy them all though. They need to think what would have been if they hadn't voted for Obama. We would have had a couple of misfits running our Country.

If they are, how can they label themselves liberal?

Rather they should call themselves prophets.

Jack, I’m a flaming liberal, and proud of it. I’m thrilled with all Obama is doing, and January 20th can’t come soon enough for me.

Not at all Jack, Obama's cabinet appointments only signifies that he's willing to take advice from both sides and govern swiftly with his plans to help us climb out of this economic ditch. As well as with his tax cut plans, liberals shouldn't be so hasty concerning that specifically because of the financial stress that's among us all. I'm positive President-Elect Obama will keep to his promises to the people.

Jack,

Absolutely not. Everything that he believes in and wants to change has been on his Web site for all to read and I have yet to see where he has broken one promise, made one statement that is different than what he said in his campaign speeches, or made one appointment that goes against what he has been for since getting into the campaign in February 2007.  Anyone who thinks otherwise, from either the left or the right, just hasn't been paying attention. This man has to be one of the smartest, most pragmatic, observant, and centrist politicians to grace our country in years. Maybe we all need to step back, take a deep breath, and do what our president-elect tries to do – Listen, evaluate, and analyze before making a decision on what is the right thing to do for our country. 

Ron Christman
Washington, Pa.

Liberals can be upset if they want to, but anyone who thought Barack Obama was going to govern from the Right was not very well informed. How many times did he say he was building his campaign on the "middle-class"? I don't know what middle-class these so-called liberals are thinking of, but all of the middle-class I know are hard-working center/moderate folks who just want someone in Washington who will represent them, instead of catering to special interests, pandering, political back scratching, unchecked spending, power-grabbing, etc. When I talk to many who voted for Obama, they were not so much voting for Obama as much as they were voting against McCain/Palin who only were offering 4 more years of the same. While we voters called for change, there really was no "liberal" mandate sent to Washington and President-Elect Obama, being the über-smart guy that he is, knows it and is acting accordingly. My hat's off to him!

Roland
St. George, UT

I think of myself as Liberal and I really do not have an issue with it..

Perhaps they just need a place to vent?

NO, I don't think so. It's way too soon for that!
Give the guy some time. He's getting enough criticism from the right. They are already calling it the Obama recession.
I hope he can get support from the left and center. No matter who he had picked, someone won't be happy. So try supporting him and giving him a chance during this difficult time.

All right already. Let Obama be sworn in and do the job he was elected for. Do these liberals have any idea what a mess Obama is being sattled with given the lack of leadership and oversight for the past eight years. Give him a chance!!!

Liberals don't like anything they haven't come up with themselves.

I knew this would happen. The man hasn't even taken office yet and people are jumping the gun. I have faith in the man and his judgement and could really care less who he picks to window dress the administration just to satisfy a particular ideology. Lets give him and his administration a chance to straighten things out. If we are worse off afterward, then I will be the first to admit I was wrong and we can work to throw him out in 4 years.

Give the guy a chance. They may ultimately like the outcome of his plans. Some people are never happy. If they thought that they were going to run Obama,they were very wrong!

The only reason they would be upset is because they're not part of his historical cabinet. It's jealousy. I'm a conservative, but even I can say that his choices are, for the most part, the right ones.

As this is America, we all have a right to be anything they want regardless of how wrong we may be. Obama stated at the beginning of his campaign that he wanted to unite America. Choosing a cabinet with a wide divergence of opinion is a great way to gain cooperation from both liberals and conservatives, Republicans and Democrats.

Jack, some people will never be happy. The extreme right and extreme left are amongst those. Ignore them.

I agree with Marcy... people need to hold their water ... Let PE Obama get inaugaurated and settled in before tearing him up...
I am a dem and see nothing wrong with his selections: yet.
Hopefully, this will turn out well. Let's all pray it does. We all deserve a good 4 years in which something actually gets Done.

Why should we be? Let's wait and see if those he appoints carry out his program. Ending the war in Iraq, healthcare reform and overhaul, a large stimulus package, a tax cut for those making under $250K, re-building schools, roads, etc., and a new energy policy to deal with climate change. AND, his recent support for the Republic workers in Chicago–show that he's serious about his campaign promises. If those he appoints do not carry out his program he can always fire them! Give him time before going after him!

This liberal has no problem with President-elect Obama's appointments, and prays for change, a transparent government.

Who cares as long as jobs are created. You cannot please all of the people and if they get their shorts in a knot then so be it.

He hasn't even taken the oath of office yet and the gossip mill is already hard at work. I think he made it clear during his campaign that his cabinet would be diverse, and he had a plan to cut taxes. Who are these people?

Some people will always find something to be up set about, right?

The times are hard and require all hands(tested and steady) to get us out of the hole or at least prevent us from digging ourselves even deeper!!

NO!!! He's doing an outstanding job!!! Give him a chance to get settled. We know the war is coming to an end and he is going to kick start the economy with work projects. Sounds like a great start even before he moves into the White House!!!

Republicans are calling themselves liberals now?

Jack,
Well I see it's going to be a very tough four years for President-Elect Obama. He hasn't even taken office yet and getting all of this bickering. Jeez, let him govern the country as he made promises on and forget all of the ones that are whinning and complaining.

Daniel Ambrose,
Atlanta, GA

Jack,

No. President-Elect Obama campaigned on a promise to not be beholden to special interests. Well, liberals are a special interest. I know – I'm one of them. And for the record I couldn't be happier with the transition to this point.

Robert

North Port, Florida

Awwww! Liberals may be getting the shaft just like conservatives got the shaft from Bush at times. They couldn't believe that they would get their way on everything could they? Obama knows that if he doesn't govern from the center he will not be re-elected. So he's not going to take on every pet cause of the left.

Liberals crying about how things are going? Now there's business as usual!

If I had known that Obama was going to appoint a center-right cabinet I would have voted for McCain. Obama told ud us he was the "change" candidate but he turned out to be just another politician speaking out of both sides of his mouth. He is A major disappointment to all us liberals.

The only liberals I have heard say they aren't happy are those in the media...perhaps because he isn't as controversial as the last two presidents and makes less "shock value" news. The few liberals here in idaho seem to be thrilled with th job he is doing in choosing his cabinet. So, to answer your question, the media has a certain right to be upset for him taking a little fun out of their jobs. The rest of us are going to wait and see.

No! He has too many changes to make for it all to happen right away. Before you can make changes in a system you have to understand how it works as well as how it has been working. I think he did o.k.

They have no room whatsoever to complain. I am more liberal than conservative myself but I understand what we need to here...it's to work with liberal and conservative alike. I have a question to ask these extreme liberals....Did you support Obama all this while because you thought he was a liberal or because he represents the kind of chance we need? Quit standing on the sidelines and whining, get your butt to work and help out!

I Think that the people need to give him time. I think he has made some good choices . He has said that he will make the final decisions on all matters. I also think that he will keep his cabinet accountable. Robert Asheville, n.c.

It's a little early for 'liberals' to complain about Obama. After all, it took eight years for 'conservatives' to admit Bush was a mistake.

If you don't like what you voted for next time read the fine print before you vote. I did.
A new moderate Republican in Oregon and once a conservative Democrat.

Bush appointed the right of the right in his administration. The result was the other side completely hating him-especially because of their actions. If Obama were to do the exact same thing and appoint the left of the left the exact same thing would happen and no sense of unity would ever develop in this country. What he is doing is pragmatic and the extreme of any fringe is not going to be familiar with pragmaticsm.

A President has to have broad shoulders. There are going to be whiners in every wing of every faction of politics, and the President is their president too. Rarely will a majority be happy with every situation, and we increasingly live in a world of victimization and squeeky wheels on every political wagon. It's going to take a cool and wise head to chart a course through this rather normal chatter, and I'm hopeful this guy can do it without the becoming tone deaf, such as the last guy in that office.

Absolutely not! I'm as liberal as you can get and I see Obama as the change and his cabinet as the means to achieve the changes. They will do as theya re told. You have to have people that know how the system works so you can fix it. In this case, experience counts. What I'm upset with is the fact Bush is still there clogging the works.

Jack,

In almost every recent election, the winner has moved away from his base and to the center of the electorate to win. Obama did the same. The liberals saw it then and now they want to act disappointed? When will the fringe elements of both parties realize that this country is a centrist country and is no longer dominated by conservatives and will not be dominated by liberals?

no ,h should be given a chance to begin his administration to see how it fares.i think he will do a great job as president of all the people not just a select few and that includes liberals

No way, He's not in office yet and he hasn't done a thing officially, except select a pretty damn impressive group of individuals to take on this mess Bush is leaving Barack with. I've been impressed all along and I look forward to this new year like I was a kid again.

No Jack the Liberals need tomind their business and as long as Obamas "CHANGE" is good for the country they can shut up and sit down somewhere. Give Obama a chance to do things the way he desires to do it.

I think he has nominated people who have the most up to date information. Gates can give Obama the most complete information. Obama will be the one who decides what to do with the info.

Everyone in the world knows Hillary Clinton.
Here in Puerto Rico they treated her like Evita when she came down to campaign.
The US will show respect to other nations every time Hillary makes a visit. She is a political icon,and simply by sending her, the US is saying... your country is important to us.

I honestly think that the media is trying to hype a non story. First, Obama did not run as a far left liberal, his opponents just tried to label him as such. Second, Obama has not even enacted any policies yet because he is not yet the President. Everyone should hold their fire until they truly have reason. Personally I think his choices have been solid.

It wouldn't seem so. Presidential candidates seem to run to the left of where they intend on governing. Clinton was a centrist President. Bush ran as a centrist and governed from the right. Why would anyone believe that Obama would be any different? In order to defeat Sen. Clinton, he had to move to the center. It would be nice if he really is a progressive President, but I have some doubts, at present. This is politics in America, a place where there are no liberal politicians. We are a country of centrists and conservatives. Why be surprised when someone isn't what they claim to be. Let's look to Illinois at present.

I didn't vote for Obama because I was fearful that the pendulum would swing dramatically to the left in a dangerous fashion. Once he was elected, I accepted that he is my president, too, and I would have to wait and see how things work out.

So far, I am increasingly impressed with the centrist orientation that Obama has exhibited, and I am beginning to feel some uncharacteristic optimism. I believe that both the far right and the far left are going to be upset not matter what anyone does, including "the One" annointed by the most liberal of our society. Reality check: Obama is facing perhaps the most difficult first days of office that any president has faced in generations. If the "just-right-of-center" folks like me can be patient and accepting, the far left owes it to their party to give Obama some time, too.

Mike – Pueblo, CO

If Barack Obama tried to change all the personnel and procedures on his first day in office the result would be chaos. And trying to zigzag from far right politics to far left politics would result in chaos. I'm all for avoiding this result, same as President-elect Obama. To heck with the radicals on either side.

No matter the agenda, it is always helpful to employ people who know how to get things done. He has selected a lot of people who are good at the x's and o's. They will do the blocking and tackling, but Obama will be calling the plays.

Right, yes. Justification, No

No, give him a break. Let him get into office and see what he has up his sleeve. There is plenty of time to act.

Jack,

I'm upset about PE Obama's decision not to tax Big Oil's obscene profits. That money was supposed to help people heat their homes this winter. There is no reason not to follow through on this campaign promise, and I think he's making a big mistake. I thought the lying was a thing of the past.

The Liberals are wrong to be upset. Obama should pick those people best qualified to handle the job. He has already said that he will set policy and his appointees will implement it.
The agenda which he has already articulated is radical enough chance from the Bush administration. The goal is implementation of effective change, not articulating slogans.

As a Republican who voted for Obama, i think he is doing a great job of unifying all sides of the political spectrum. He will be a great president if he is able to continue this throughout his term.

I don't think it matters if they have the right or not......When have you ever seen a liberal NOT complaining and whining about something?? Besides, Obama is doing what he always does – nothing ...."Present" again.

Jack,

It seems to me that there is much information that only high-level executives are privy to knowing. My guess is Obama is learrning things he did not have the benefit of knowing during his campaign and therefore was at a disadvantage in measuring the appropriate policy approach to our nations issues. Now that he is "in the loop", if you will, he will have a different perspective and need to adjust his initiatives accordingly. These "upset liberals" need to chill out and give the guy the benefit of the doubt for the time being.

"Change" is all the has-beens from the crooked Clinton era???

He might wait till second term to move to the left. or Maybe he prefer to govern from center left.

There is always going to be the lunatic fringe in both parties. Just because the Bushies governed from the far right is not justification for the Obama team to govern from the far left. It's time for the grownups to govern and lead.

The barrier to enacting a liberal agenda has always been its champions' ability to gather cross-party support and not alienate moderates. The groundwork for LBJ's Civil Rights Act was laid over 10 years of politics, after 75 years of stonewalling by Southern conservatives. Barack Obama knows, as LBJ did, that change comes gradually and usually without rocking the boat. I'll be annoyed if a year from now he's been unable to push a progressive agenda, but I can't fault his short-term tactics.

If you had read Obama's book the Audacity of Hope, then you would have expected Obama to reach across the parties. However, if you voted for Obama w/o reading his book then you might be surprised. Obama wants what is best for the country and not just the democratic party. Obama taught constitutional law for 14 years at U of Chicago and did in depth study of our founding fathers, their differences, and how they achieved the remarkable documents they produced. And he is convinced that we all need to listen to each other and respect the differences but build on common ground.

I consider myself a liberal and many of my friends are liberal. And, so far, no surprises. Very pleased. I often wonder who "the liberals" are that the press talks about.

I think all of his appointments are great, with the exception of Eric Holder and Governor Janet Napolitano. I would have liked to see Napolitano as AG rather than in Homeland Security.

I am quite upset with Obama's immediate change of heart on rolling back the Bush tax cuts and drilling, but I am going to give him a chance. Obama is a bright person, and I think he makes his choices for good reason. I am going to put faith in his judgment for now. That and I don't see Biden sitting around and letting him get away with anything that would go against the middle-class.

Jack,

It seems to me that the very people who helped Barack Obama campaign for "Change", think somehow change meant more one sided politics, only tipped in their direction. Now they're upset that the change is for real.

In my opinion, they're nothing more then a bunch of hypocrites.

No, we liberals may not be occupying Cabinet seats to the extent we had hoped, but remember, we have the BIG seat occuptied. Obama himself is the one who kept our flag flying during the last years of darkness.

Let the "progressives" complain. They're upset that their viewpoints are being marginalized. Duh; their viewpoints were on the fringe to begin with!

These are moments I regret the internet and media are so proliferated in every aspect to the point where Obama can't even start the job and he has to worry about the polls. The campaign and where we are today are two different eras (An era now being 10 months.) Obama has changed to reflect today and hopefully as things turn for the better he will work with that flow as well. And if he does. That the right man was elected but this takes patience on our part.

We had enough left-wing, right-wing ideology. Centrists exercise their brain cells and make decisions based on the best options presented. In politics you can't please everyone. Obama practically said he didn't want "Yes" men, and may have to make desions that may not be popular but what is right. Anyone coming behind the Bush administration has a herculean task to face. Give him a chance, and quit whining.

Yes and no. I can see why some people would be concerned but can we just let the man get started first?

Maybe the liberals and conservatives alike should finally realize that they are both wrong, that government is about protecting everyone's rights and opportunities rather than giving one side an unfair advantage at the other's expense. This partisan polarization has only forced us into another depression, something we would have seen coming had we not been blinded by partisanship.

Jack, they have a right to be upset, but they deserved what they got. For all his talk of change, Obama's campaign platform really was not very far to the left of McCain's. That's why third parties exist, so the full political spectrum can be represented.

The job of the politician is to represent his constituents. Bush-Cheney only represented a fraction of the public. Obama is trying to represent as many Americans as he can. The way to do that is hang in the center rather than jump to the extreme left. No one ideology is correct; only a combination of the two is going to help get us out of this mess. I applaud Obama for trying to be reasonable.

No Way! Obama never ran on the platform of being from the far left. He always said he would work to bring the two parties together. As a Democrat, I like what he is doing. He is showing you he is more concerned with what happens with the country than what people will think of him.

It doesnt matter how you vote, the unseen powers that control things, will have the final say. One thing is clear, Obama should be recalled, for backtracking.

Considering the alternates, what could be happening. I will take Obama choices over the horror hearing Palin announcing Chief of Staff. Sorry folks but the way USA is ruled, by both sides, only those will umbilical cord connected to DC need apply... be it R or D, not much really changes.There is the party of the one, and rest of us..

I supported, volunteered, and voted for Obama, and I could not be more delighted with his choices of cabinet members and advisors so far, and about how he is handling his transition.

Frankly, I am a bit amused by this criticism. During the campaign, McCain/Palin tried to paint Obama as an extreme liberal, and floated terms such as "socialist", "marxist", etc. to try to discredit him. But Obama is now proving what I have always believed - that he is intelligent, pragmatic, non-ideological, and will partner with all political stripes to get our very real problems addressed. The fact that the biggest criticisms are coming from the left tells me that he is hitting the right mark beautifully!

Let the man do his job. There is no reason to be upset with anything yet, considering that he has not served a day in office.

Yes we have a right to be mad. This is just bill clinton part 3!
Surely there are more educated people out there than the mess Bill Clinton had when he was in office. This is not change and even worse than Bush. Has everyone suddenly got alztheimers disease? Can you not remember Clinton staying in court more than the white house? Can you not rememebr him getting Impeached? Forget it dems are too stupid to remember anything.

Not worth talking about. so far he is doing fine.

of course liberals have a right to be upset. obama successfully won against Hillary Clinton in the primaries because he convinced them he would be wildlly different and he isn't at all. in fact, he is just a carbon copy of the clintons. i totally understand why Obama's liberal base feels betrayed. what I don't understand is why they didn't have this wake up call as soon as he placed is FISA vote right after the primaries. it was evident his "change" message was a load of crap back then. no one misrepresented themselves more than Obama this campaign season, and that is something we shouldn't forget.

Anyone with any common sense should understand you can't make huge wholesale changes overnight. To do so coud ultimately be disastrous. Personally, I prefer to see Obama tread lightly and take things at a reasonable pace. Give the man a chance– he's not even in office yet and people are already complaining. Some people need to do a common sense reality check.
Lizabeth
Southlake, TX

Jack, I think it's the liberal media who is getting all upset over this. You're all quick to criticize something that hasn't even started yet: the Obama Administration. Quite honestly, give the guy a chance.

As for liberals hating Obama, what don't liberals hate?

I consider myself a life long card carrying member of the extreme liberal elite and even I know during these hard times, President Elect Obama needs to be moderate in his decision-making. Besides, I'm very happy that we finally have SMART people in office for a change!

I was skeptical of Bill Clinton when he ran and was impressed by the fact that he came to the middle and accomplished a great deal.
I did not vote for Obama, simply due to the perception, but again it appears that I was wrong and Obama is moving to the center to get things done. I will withhold any judgement until he has been in office for at least two years and then hopefully I can say officially I was wrong again.

I dont think they have a legitimate gripe at all. He did what everyone that preceded him has done: Said whatever it took to get elected – then surround himself with people that are more experienced than him and hope they figure it out. It worked, now he's in. Good Luck. Sorry you got duped.

The extreme fringes of any party will always be disappointed with a person who is centrist enough to be able to win enough votes to be elected President. Conservatives were disappointed Bush didn't do more to restrict abortion rights. But for the moderate majority of the country (those of us who think for ourselves and deal with individual issues in our own way) are quite satisifed with Obama thus far.

What the President Elect wants and what he is able to get done cannot be judged until he leaves office. His selections have been "centrists" by and large which is exactly how you get things done!!!

They absolutely do not have a right to be upset with him. He never promised them anything! His words screamed "moderate" the entire campaign. We will govern from the center, where 80% of us live

If Obama is making people on the far left and the far right unhappy then I think he's doing his job exactly right!

Now is the time for everyone to complain freely, with or without reason.
Let's wait until Obama is actually in power, and see what the actual proposals (and results) that come out of his administration are – irrespective of "labels" on his appointees.

Personally, I'm pleased with who Obama has appointed to his cabinet so far.
I don't want either side of the far right or far left to be running things.
Obama always seemed more of a Centrist in his beliefs so, none of his choices should come as a major surprise.
My (much) more Leftist friends have no problem with his picks either (which surprised me).
I think we're all just happy to see an INTELLIGENT person in charge – and Obama appointing talented people from both the Democratic and Republican parties is good for this country.

I can't think of anything more pragmatic than to build a cabinet of talented individuals, regardless of political affiliation. Most leaders are so concern with surrounding themselves with "yes" men, instead of those who will challenge them when they are wrong. I think this is the best way to govern, and I don't believe we have seen such a diverse cabinet since Abraham Lincoln.

Obama deserves a chance to actually get into office before anyone takes umbrage with him. If, however once there,, he does not lower taxes on the middle class, and does not start getting our troops out of Iraq, if he does not make an attempt to overturn the Bush policies and remove, (if not prosecute) the most partisan and incompetent employess, he will have a very short honeymoon indeed. Truth be told, most of us just wanted to make sure Bush, the Republicans and their venal ilk were out. We could start another party, and quickly if necessary..

Ah, 6 months ago the SAME liberals were complaining about everything, they just blamed it on Bush. Now that he's not at center stage, they have to move on to the next guy.

I'm a "liberal" and not happy with some of my guy's cabinet appointments. I understand the politics of why, but hope Obama will take the opportunity to jettison some of these people as soon as possible.

I do think it's funny that the same people who elected an idiot and his cronies to the White House in the last too elections now claim to be center/moderate and are chastising "liberals" for complaining about Obama's appointments. Ironic, isn't it?

We need to let this newly elected president move into the white house first. What is wrong with his selections so far? It is everything he said from the start CHANGE. Just get these two neo-cons out of office so everyone has a chance.

nothing would surprise me, after all he"s from illinois...

Hello Jack well thats a good question, its hard to believe that during the campaign / primaries with all the talk to change the status quo, that President Elect Obama would simply inject the same old Democratic status quo. This is not what i would call changing business as usual in Washington.However you can't lead from the extreme left or right . the center right is what got him elected. So time will tell if he can really bring change that is desperately needed.

Seems to me "change" means having a cabinet of people capable of understanding all sides of an issue, and having the president make an informed decision based on that input. This is something we haven't seen in years, and something Obama is clearly building. Since very little of America is on the fringes, right or left, it's high time that those in the middle see that they are being represented. Now that's change!

Liberals have every right in the world to be annoyed with Obama. Selecting centrists and former members of the Clinton administration like Gitner and Summers, both big on deregulation and both involved in the economic crisis, certainly does not demonstrate the true Obama.

Questioning the appointments is ok. I mean wasn't their a big hubub in the campaign about Senator Clinton overselling and indeed lying about her foreign affairs experience, and now she's his pick for secretary of state? Complaining about it- too early for that. Let's see what the administration actually does before passing judgement. Support him and give him a chance.

Being a candidate and being President-elect are two different things. Of course some of his opinions will change. What's the big surprise?

I have never seen the American public jump so quick to defend someone despite all signs that maybe he didn't shoot completely straight. I don't really care who is or isn't happy thus far, but let's get real people. From the member he began his acceptance speech, he began to hedge on his promises. Now, that might be the right thing to do given the situation. And to be completely honest, I am incredulous that most people believed his promises given the reality of our political and economic environment. For those of you who are now dismayed that he may be "letting you down", scrutinize someone's rhetoric a bit more carefully next time. Sometimes, if you pay attention, you'll find that 2+2 don't equal 5.

First of all, I wonder why we are so preoccupied with the word "liberal". I guess it pumps up the response rate. Ironically, that is part of Obama's point. The liberal/conservative prism is entirely divisive, counterproductive and even dangerous. THAT is the change. Let's get off the name-calling and side-taking and GOVERN. That is the point.

Jack, you should know better!

No, because of the direction this country has gone we are seeing change. Barack Obama has said this is the United States of America and he is going in the direction of uniting. When we start complaining we were not looking for change for the country we were only looking for change from one political party to another. Change for this country means uniting and I am one liberal thats satisfied so far.

Ron – We should all give your post more weight than the others on this board.

After all, you did contribute just over $1200 to the Obama campaign.

Did Liberals actually believe everything that Obama told him? Surely, they are not this stupid... hmmmmm.... Now that I think about it , I am wrong, they are actually that stupid...

You have mentioned "liberals" and "Progressives" (my preference) but you should also mention "intelligent, thinking people" as opposed to the regime of morons going out the door. Smart people understand, as Obama does, that we must get out of Iraq but do it intelligently. The bone-heads of the other persuasion only see "bring it on" or "cut and run." An intelligent, progressive president, after the nadir of Bush, will be refreshing for all, and require new ways of thinking without the rancor and shallowness of the Fox/Limbaugh noise we have been accustomed to.

Anyone has the right to be upset about anything, but they should give President-Elect Obama the chance to be inaugurated, take office and enjoy his honeymoon with America before they complain about his appointments and policies.

Liberals can be upset if they want, but I got what I wanted. A centered person who works with anyone who he feels has the best solution. So ya if they want to cry let them .

Shannon Ray
wichita,ks

The president needs to goven all of the people. If he takes the narrow view , he will be looking for another job in 4 years.

I am a liberal Democrat and I approve of every move he has made so far. We absolutely HAVE TO govern from the center if we ever want to get anything accomplished.

I was not much of an Obama enthusiast. I was a Clinton supporter. However, I'm *really* impressed with his decision making and leadership. This economy is the worst of my 45 years. It's frightening. Obama's plan to create 2.5 million jobs - paid for with savings by making buildings energy efficient - is exactly the kind of creativity we need to dig out of the cesspool George Bush has made of this country.

Who are these liberals who are complaining? Because I haven't heard any. So David Corn asks if the appointments amount to change. Asking a question is not complaining about something. This is manufactured news.
Still, if this is what we're going to get over the next 4-8 years, it's better than the horrible real news that's been coming from the Bush Administration.

People just say they're centrists when they have no real opinions and want out of the conversation without offending anyone. Losers.

PEOPLE....... Obama is the change. How come people can't understand that. Its not the people he chooses. Its what he makes them do is where you'll see and feel the change he promissed.