Friday, December 26, 2008
President-elect Obama’s worst nightmare isn’t Rick Warren. His ogre in the closet is Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
Politico has an enlightening piece on the “five rules of Obama scandal-management” based on the President-elect’s handling of his team’s ties to Blagojevich.
1. Be transparent, to an extent. “Obama’s internal review was entirely voluntary and intended to demonstrate that his team had nothing to hide” but it is “unclear is what exactly was reviewed in the report that concludes that nothing inappropriate occurs.”
2. Don’t let the news cycle dictate response. “Obama resisted the temptation to spout off and stuck to the original plan.”
3. No freelancing. “Obama wants his advisers to get his permission before even ostensibly private conservations with outsiders.”
4. Aides take hits to protect the boss. “Twice in handling the Blagojevich scandal, top Obama lieutenants were singled out for botching the message.”
5. Shy away from even justified fights. “Obama, whose penchant for avoiding tough stands on controversial issues frustrated opponents trying to land a clear shot in the presidential race, also steered clear of the Senate-seat derby.”
From the Left 
You can see how these five principles have been used by Obama in managing the Rick Warren mess.
At least there won’t be any surprises now going forward.
Great!
We have a template to see how Obama manages Rick Warren and future Rick Warrens in his first term.
It’s getting truly depressing, and O’s not even in office yet.