Tacking to the Center?

President-Elect Barack Obama's choices for key cabinet and staff positions have many wondering whether the incoming president has truly moderated his positions from those he took during the campaign. Caution is advised at this early stage of the formation of Obama's administration. Given the continuing dangers in the world, emphasized by the terrorist atrocities in India, and the continuing economic doldrums, we can only hope for a more moderate path.

Rich Lowry even sees continuity between Barack Obama and, gosh, George W. Bush.

A kind of continuity is also possible for Obama because the caricature of Bush foreign policy as dangerously radical never accurately reflected reality.

Bush wants U.S. troops to "return on success" in Iraq - so does Obama. Bush supports a buildup in Afghanistan - so does Obama. Bush wants a larger military - so does Obama. Bush has launched raids against al-Qaeda into the tribal areas of Pakistan - Obama wants to do the same. Bush wants to close Guantánamo Bay, but has been bedeviled by the difficult choices inherent in its shuttering - Obama will be, too. Bush has put out diplomatic feelers to Iran, while warning of the unacceptability of its nuclear program - Obama has done the same, although with more of an accent on diplomacy.

While any trend toward moderation on national security and economic issues would be good for the country, unfortunately, Obama's appointments do not indicate any trend toward moderation on social issues, particularly those involving the vulnerability of human lives.

SBA List president Marjorie Dannenfelser tells LifeNews.com that Clinton's selection is the latest in a line of appointments that shows Obama isn't serious about finding middle ground on reducing abortions.

"President-elect Barack Obama spoke of finding 'common ground' on abortion policy, but so far his personnel picks preclude this policy," she said. "Women and children deserve authentic common ground that affirms the lives of both. It is hard to see how these aggressive abortion advocates, so out of the mainstream woman's view, would help forge such ground."