ABC is reporting that Barack Obama has added Arnold Schwarzenegger to the list of Republicans he would consider for his cabinet were he to be elected president. At a Town Hall meeting in Manchester, NH, Obama cited Arnold, Chuck Hagel and Dick Lugar as "wonderful guys" and "people he respected."
Here's what he had to say:
Sen. Dick Lugar: "He’s a Republicans who I worked with on issues of arms control, wonderful guy. He is somebody I think embodies the tradition of a bipartisan foreign policy that is sensible, that is not ideological, that is based on the idea that we have to have some humility and restraint in terms of our ability to project power around the world," Obama said about his Senate colleague.
Sen. Chuck Hagel: "A Vietnam vet, similar approach and somebody I respect in a similar fashion," Obama added.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger: "What (he’s) doing on climate change in California is very important and significant. There are things I don't agree with him on, but he's taken leadership on a very difficult issue and we haven't seen that kind of leadership in Washington," Obama said of the California governor.
Okay, leaving aside the very serious question about just how gullible someone has to be to believe that, after everything that has happened, Republicans are trustworty, consider this:
According to Project Vote Smart:
Lugar has a 0 rating from Planned Parenthood and a 75 percent rating from the National Right to Life Committee; a 0 rating from Americans United for Separation of Church and State; a 0 rating from the ACLU; a 13 percent rating from the Human Rights Campaign; a 10 percent rating from the American Association of University Women; a 14 percent rating from the League of Conservation Voters; a 0 percent from Defenders of Wildlife; and a 0 from Republicans for Environmental Protection.
Chuck Hagel has a 0 percent rating from Planned Parenthood; an 82 percent rating from the National Right to Life Committee; a 13 percent rating from the AFL/CIO; a 100 percent rating from the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors; a 7 percent rating from the UAW; a D+ from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America; a 100 percent rating from Gun Owners of America; a 0 percent from the Republicans for Environmental Protection; and a 100 percent from the American Land Rights Association
And, Arnold? Well, according to Project Vote Smart, Schwarzenegger
REPEATEDLY REFUSED TO PROVIDE ANY
RESPONSES TO CITIZENS ON ISSUES THROUGH THE 2006
NATIONAL POLITICAL AWARENESS TEST WHEN ASKED TO DO SO BY
Key national leaders of both major parties including:
John McCain, Republican Senator
Geraldine Ferraro, Former Democratic Congresswoman
Michael Dukakis, Former Democratic Governor
Bill Frenzel, Former Republican Congressman
Richard Kimball, Project Vote Smart President
So, these are men that Obama would feel comfortable with in his cabinet? I cannot tell you how scary that is to me.