Within the next few weeks, Governor Patterson of New York will fill the seat being vacated by Hillary Clinton, the next Secretary of State. I'd suggest the top job qualification is a public figure who is ready to raise the level of discourse in Congress about the way out of our economic crisis; the worst since the Depression.
My vote of confidence is for Thomas L Friedman, the New York Times columnist and author of books on the economy and society; most recently, "Hot, Flat and Crowded".
Congress bears much responsibility for the crashing economy. As it demonstrated last week, Congress still cannot come to terms with the depth of the crisis. In order to understand the way forward, there has to be some recognition, understanding and articulation of what happpened, to bring the United States to this point.
Friedman not only understands, he can clearly communicate based on a detailed understanding of the economy and its influences.
The temptation is to appoint or to resort to "old hands", celebrities or to "family names". But we are in a national crisis, and Governor Patterson's appointment of Friedman would be so meaningful.
4 comments:
Luckily for you New York has a habit of carpetbaggers being their Senators. So what if Friedman a Maryland resident gets appointed to a U.S. Senate seat?
This is one of those times I have to say you are waaaaaaaaaaaaay off the mark.
Friedman is a bully and a dolt. Sorry.
Evidence: Read Matt Taibbi's review of The World Is Flat. More? http://www.eschatonblog.com/2008_05_25_archive.html#3960809692195059677
eeek he was a big cheerleader for the debacle in Iraq.
Friedman lives in Bethesda, MD. But aside from that, that would work real well.
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