Obama has been picking the people that will be in his administration for the next four years, and according to many, the vetting process is the most intense in history.
This is leading to a number of qualified candidates being turned away, or taking themselves out of the picture because of the invasiveness of the whole process.
The most high profile case being Hilary Clinton. Though now it appears that she will accept the position of secretary of state, offered to her by Obama, there were questions circulating about weather Bill Clinton’s finances would prove a roadblock in the vetting process.
Other’s like Penny Pritzker, who was an Obama fundraisers took herself out of the running because of the invasive questioning.
Some of the questions, according to CBS.com include things like “embarrassing e-mails, text messages, diary entries and Facebook profiles, Gifts worth more than $50, other than those from relatives and long-standing friends, family members with connections to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, AIG or any other company receiving a federal bailout.”
In addition to others on a 63-quetsion questionnaire, not to mention and FBI background check
It’s unclear if this is a good move or not for Obama, although it seems to me that as long as you don’t mind narrowing the field, there’s no reason not to vet people as intensely as possible. We can all think back to Bush’s selection of Bernard Kerik to be the homeland security secretary. Kerik was forced to withdraw his name after it became public that he employed an illegal immigrant and had some questionable business dealings
As CNN noted, Obama’s presidential and primary campaign was notable for its lack of gaffes or embarrassing moments, a trend I’m sure he would like to continue throughout his administration. This vetting process may be the best insurance against the unexpected, if there is such a thing in politics.
