This is rather strange. One would have expected things would look definitely more positive and people in a better mood on the very day of the inauguration of a new president of the US.
Sadly, that is not the exact scenario. The world stock markets dip into the negative territory, and unbelievably Dow falls more than 300 points (4%) to close below the 8k mark. This does not augur well for the global economy, reflecting badly on the dire state-of-affairs of the US economy in particular.
One explanation for the lackluster performance could be because consumers may not have that much confidence in the new administration team in bringing the bashed financial institutions back to normal that soon. If that is the case, there is no need to talk big about CHANGE and end up offering false promises.
In short, just quietly and diligently do the necessary work to bring about the correct result via right actions. Show the world Washington CAN and will.
(Tan Boon Tee, btt1943@yahoo.com)
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Attorney General | The Five Critical Qualities
By Edwin Meese
Back in 1980, I was the director of the presidential transition. I was responsible for the vetting and selection of all cabinet members. I remember we had five criteria that the president laid out for all cabinet officials: First, they had to be fully committed to the president and his policies. Second, they had to have absolute and demonstrated integrity. Third, we needed someone with the intellectual experience to handle whatever the job was. Fourth, they couldn't have their own agenda—be planning to run for president in the future, for example. And last, that they would be tough in recognizing the challenges facing the administration. I think now, even three decades later, those criteria would still be the same.
But it was the role of attorney general where I had the most experience. I wasn't President Reagan's first attorney general, I was his second. But both times, the president was looking for someone who was a good lawyer and who understood the president's policies, and had the ability to manage what really is the largest law office in the world. The person who becomes attorney general has to have criminal experience, but also civil experience. When I took over, I had to deal with criminal issues in law enforcement, but I also to be able to make decisions regarding civilian law and practice. Among the most important task of the position is advising the president on judicial appointments, including for the Supreme Court. There is surely no shortage of attention around that process.
But qualifications alone will not do the job for you. One thing I remember learning the hard way about is the ubiquitous nature of the news media. I think that most people who come from private practice or even state government aren't used to it. That's a phenomenon of Washington that I'd definitely warn about.
Serving as attorney general will mean joining a long line of distinguished public servants. The president made sure I knew this in a moment of levity, which was characteristic of President Reagan. As Bill Smith, my predecessor, was retiring, he and I rode back to California with the president on Air Force One. On the trip, both of us fell sound asleep and, unbeknownst to us, the president had a photographer take a photo of us sitting there sleeping in adjoining chairs. I didn't know until a few weeks later, when I got a copy of the picture autographed by the president. He had inscribed on it, "See Ed, I told you that you could do Bill's job. Signed, Ron."
— Edwin Meese served as attorney general under President Ronald Reagan
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