CNN

are you for real ? Vetting too Rigorous, if he does not do it well we say something when he does it with caution we complain.. we can't win in this god forsaken country... Get off it.. Great Job and choices so far President Elect Obama !!!

Bush didn't vet, but instead handed jobs to his pals without credentials. See how well that worked?!

Wow, EC Coleman, are you kidding? First of all, it was what, 2 weeks ago? And secondly, it was a non-event. You're one of those people who will never be happy with anything that Obama accomplishes. I wonder what it is about him that scares you so much.

If McCain had used just a very small part of the vetting questions Obama is asking he might be getting ready to choose his cabinet for the next four years!
We all saw the disaster Palin caused McCain by not being vetted.
I am very pleased that the people Obama is getting ready to hire on our behalf are being looked at so closely.
Keep up the good work Barack. I am so proud of my vote!

This is for E. C. Coleman who posted at l2:52, PE Obama jokingly stated that he contacted living presidents and not dead ones a la Nancy Reagan psychics. There is no room in government for psychics, etc. Nancy Reagan firmly believed in them and did nothing ever unless she contacted her (whoo Hoo) people. That is a laughable situation and was well worth the remark he made.

Chasing away qualified candidates? IF they dont make the vetting, then they are not qualified! I dont understand how difficult that is.

I think he is genuinely tying to do as transparent a government as he can, and if his team does not vet, some reporter will find something and it will be all over the news in hours.

More power to him. I take this as a real change in the way he is going to work.

Very proud of President-elect OBAMA.

Looking at the ditch BUSH and his administration has brought us into, OBAMA's approach is reconforting, refreshing and hopeful.

Just awesome!!!!!!!!!!!

Vettibg should be taken seriously. There are good honest Americans available that can servive vetting.
GREAT WE DO NOT NEED ANYMORE CLOWNS.

To Paul Hackett>>>>GET OVER IT! McCain lost.

@E.C. Coleman:

Do you have dementia or something? This article has nothing to do with Nancy Reagan. Take a nap.

If they are afraid to be vetted then they have something to hide and we don't need them. This article is dumb.

If it is scaring them away. Then most likely they have something to hide.

It is easy to be irresponsible than responsible. Being irresponsible does not take a lot of work. But being responsible does and is more preferred because they will be pointing the finger at him if he doesn't. Prevention is better than no prevention. More time to work on crisis than employees skeletons in the closet.

If Obama had not learned from the mistakes made in the past he would continue to make missteps.

I am with him on this. He and his cabinet are not perfect but they are working hard to heal America and get everyone back on their feet to being a prosperous country again that the Bush Administration have destroyed. Which did not take Bush long to tear down in 8 years.

Oh me oh my Obama's strictness and uncompromising honesty has scared off a few huh? Let's just imagine for a moment that George W Bush had the same standards............... maybe he could have sacred away Donald Rumsfeld, John Ashcroft, Alberto Gonzolez, Brownie (heck of a job) shall I go on? Give me a break. Obama wants the best and the brightest of either (or neither) party. Obama doesn't have to be the "smartest person in the room" but he wants to make sure that the smartest available is there with him. Who knows? If Sen. McCain had employed a similar vetting process he might have "scared away" a certain Alaskan Governor of questionable ethics, and he could be measuring the drapes today.

What kind of a question is this? If they can't handle the vetting process, then that means there is something to hide. The American people do not need any corrupt politians running this country anymore, especially during a time of economic crisis such as this.

I also hope Obama tells anyone coming on board that, if they are married, do right by your husbands/wives. We don't need any personal scandals erupting. I'm glad Obama is making sure any weeds aren't in his garden.

Isn't that why we elected him? I didn't vote for him because he was black...I voted for him because he is intelligent and will get us out of this mess through strategy. If a canidate is not willing to subject themselves to the honesty and creditibilty vetting process then do we really want or need them for the job? This country hasn't had enough vetting of politicians in this country and it is about time someone is holding them accountable...This is exactly what I expect from my President!!

No Drama? or No CHANGE.

Well, I thought this kind of alleged so-called rigorous "vetting" was a cover to ensure that the already accepted "crooks and liars" of the Democratic party monopolized the key positions: ie. the NEOLIBERAL DISASTER CAPITALIST-FREE-MARKETEERS (i.e. the Democratic versions of them), Clintonistas, etc.

This serves as a guarantee to prevent any needed change as well as to keep the true PROGRESSIVES – the ones who elected Obama – locked out – as they are the only ones who would envision and create it.

Not that this alleged "vetting" or these actual cabinet selections were Obama's "choices" as I would bet that they were made for him early on.

We're not STUPID.

Hello! Why are you criticizing the President-elect on careful scrutiny of those that will take important offices in the national cabinets? This is what we should applaud for a President -elect. He is taking his responsibility seriously. Have we become so shallow as to think that fast decisions, or politically "correct" decisions, are the norm? Did we want him to automatically add his nod to a list made by those that desire political favor? Why can't the media add verbal applause for the careful, precise qualities of leadership for which he was chosen and thus help to calm the alarms of the media driven citizens, who are very much influenced by your comments. Remove the pressure, America is not in need of the stoking of any fires of false importance that would drive such criticism by the media. Instead, why don't we get on our knees and pray for the decisions President-elect Obama will have to make in the next month and a half, because they will affect each one of us in this country, even the media as private citizens. Let him lead in the responsible way we should expect of such a man.

If he runs off some of the "GOOD ONES", WHY is he picking some of "THE WORSE"???

Only trust Congress WILL NOT confirm some already picked!!!

The "naysayers" on this post against Obama and vetting are just jealous that they are not being vetted. It's only been 3 weeks since the election and you people are complaining already. We have had 8 years of Busheconomics of which I believe there was some people in that cabinet that probably were NOT vetted which is the reason why we're in this mess now. So let Obama handle his business! Let the vetting process begin.....whatever it takes to get the country on track.

The people who are interested in these jobs know they will be vetted. We need the best and brightest to get us out of this mess (or I should say "messes") It isn't like they are applying to work at McDonalds. DUH!

Remember, Obama was widely criticized for acting presidential by his opponents throughout the campaign. Now, he is being criticized for being meticulous!. Guess what, he was criticized for speaking complete sentence in the 60 minute last week. God!, how do you satisfy these people?

I'm with him on this issue. We've had enough graft, shoe tapping, insider trading, page hustling, and whatever in government. If these candidates don't have the courage to own up to the skeletons in their closets, to heck with them. Obama expects people to be human, with pasts and vices, but he doesn't want scoundrels and he doesn't want any surprises.

Coultergeist November 22nd, 2008 3:21 pm ET

...What a sad state of affairs, when being educated, intelligent and caring about who to give extremely important jobs to is looked at badly.

____________________________________________________
I find it interesting how so many in this country we love want to have elected officials who are uneducated and uncaring to represent them. I like a leader who is diplomatic and intelligent. Considerate of others and want others to succeed.

It seems from some of the negative comments that nothing President-Elect Barack Obama does will make some people happy. I think it is great that they are vetting these people. I feel more comfortable with a transparent governement and members of the Executive Branch having good backgrounds. For those who continue to say negative things toward every thing President-Elect Obama does, you can't change the fact that he is YOUR president TOO. STOP being ANTI-AMERICAN with your comments! He was elected fairly unlike President Bush in 2000!

I say hooray for a tough vetting process. If McCain had vetted Palin in this manner she never would have made it to the position of humiliating herself, the republican party, her family and the American public. I say good for B. Obama for doing things the right way. If the potential candidates can't take the heat, we don't want them running our country anyway.

It is unfortunate that because he is the first black president elect, and because this country is (being left by the Bush man and corporate greed) in such a bad state of affairs everything he does will be scrutinized in a way no one else has every had to endure.

You anti-Obama people are hilarious. He is vetting people the way he is supposed to. Just imagine if McCain vetted some of his picks.

I think this is the right thing to do. If people do not want the scrutiny, they should not serve in his Cabinet. Also, to Illinois2, the bad things you keep hearing about him are just the products of the hate pipline that just keeps spewing lies. Be a good citizen and support our President-Elect even if you didn't vote for him. Many of us had to do this for the last 8 years, and I actually agreed with some of Bush's decisions on immigration reform. The sooner you give up the mistrust, the better off you will be...give the new man a chance!

TO PAUL HACKETT:

I think you're the only one that doesn't "know" anything about Obama.

Remove the anger, your candidate lost fair and square. You can learn plenty if you're willing to read and listen.

WHO IS JOHN GALT?

Yes, some talented people will not be interested in going through the vetting process. However, in this current time of complete cynicism towards our govornment, it is a very neccessary move on Obama's part to ensure every member of his cabinent is squeaky clean. He's not only got to fix the economic mess left behind from the Reagan and Bush years, he has to fix the govornment credability mess left behind since Nixon and even earlier.

I'm glad to see Obama taking the job serious we ain't had that in a long time....sincve reagan!!!!!!!!

Every single move Obama has made has been right.

Maybe if McCain had done his homework he wouldn't be sitting home watching TV today.

This is not a negative thing, but a positive, so CNN why are you twisting to seem bad?

I strongly disagree with the claim that Obama's vetting could chase away people. I like the fact that Obama is heavily thinking about each person he brings on board.

Vetting is good. Look who we almost had for VP and now even wants to run for Pres. I just shiver at the thought that she could have had the nuclear code at her disposal. Vetting is good and I rest my case.

Good, if these prospective Cabinet members don't like the extensive vetting process, they probably have somethingto hide, and if that is the case, they probably won't have the nation's best interests at heart. I think Obama's process is great, it will help keep a lot of the corrupt people out of his administration, so he could better serve the people. Keep up the good work, Barack!

He seems to be trying to prevent a disaster or the criticism from the media or not draw a lot of attention. But as President you're in the spotlight regaurdless who you are or where you are.

Paul Hackett what the heck else more do you need to know about Obama with your trashy statement. Maybe he just doesn't have anything to hide like others may. I don't fault him on his strict vetting process. He has a great deal of pressure on him. After all he will be the First Black President that has to clean up the 8 years of Bush and he will watched like a hawk. And if he screws up the media hounds will attack him like a pack of Pit bulls. Go Obama, you will be in my prayers. GOD did answer my prayers when I asked him to let you beat the heck out of McShame and the Moose killer...Paul it's people like you who spread hate in this world. You will have to answer to the Main MAN above one day. I hope you can repent your hate.

No one likes nasty surprises and mayny peoples' closets have at least one.

isn't that the point of "vetting"

Gee, he's being picky as to whom he chooses to help him run the country? The nerve!!! He should just call up his friends who he owes favors to and give them the position. There, done.

What a sad state of affairs, when being educated, intelligent and caring about who to give extremely important jobs to is looked at badly.

I sure wish Obama had been vetted by the voters like he is vetting his appointee's. Apparently it didnt matter who he hung out with or was buddies with. To have a close friend like Ayers would be like McCain would have been like McCain have been friend with Timothy McVeigh. I wonder if Larry Sinclair has stuffed Obama's turkey Yet?

There should be stringet vetting requirements. Anyone who says otherwise is naive. And for those who keep saying we know so little about P.E. Obama, read a book. I know everything I need to know about this man from listening, researching, and reading his books.

Had the Bush Admin been vetted properly some of these clowns wouldnt be in the positions they are in now.

Haven't we had enough crooks and people in it for what they can get out of government service when they go back into the private sector. If you have something to hide go away.

Vett obama vett. If McCain would have done this he might have been the President Elect. Thank you Sarah you rock!

Better a strict, thorough vetting than the kind the GOP uses. Don't want any Sarah Palin-types slipping through the cracks.

However long it takes to get decent, un-corrupted, dedicated officials into President Elect Obama's Cabinet....is fine

We the People KNOW there are alot of BAD APPLES, CHARLATANS and EGOMANIACS and PARTY SNAKES in the business of Govt.

Their days are numbered....

Americans for a real future....know it begins with the arrest and indictment of Bush and Cheney.

Not enough vetting ....too much vetting .....To many questions...not enough questions. 21st Century America.

Obama does not have much room for error. It appears to me that the current administration did not do enough vetting. As long as you were " one of the boys" YOu were in. We put up with ur guy for eight years. Lets try something different. " Give Obama a Chance ".

I guess Obama must be doing something right because no matter what ,his adoring fanbase will never find fault in anything he ever does. Why didn't you put Obama to the same test you now expect him to put others through? Oh, I forgot you were too busy excusing him for saying he would vote against the Fisa bill before he voted for it, or being against off shore drilling before he changed his mind, or ridiculing others for their long years of experience in gov.'t and not bringing change yet picking Biden as his VP and most of the Clinton administartion so far. I guess we can look forward to your excuses now about dems all protesting the political office of Rove in the White House and now Obama is going to keep it operational too. Will the real Obama please come forth before the swearing in.

When there is no real news the media just makes stuff up. I am not the only person who does not enjoy being talked down to about President-elect Obama's process for getting the best people possible in his team. He is doing an amazing job and we know it! He is thoughtfully building a team (in his own time) to get America out of this economic mess. If the media has nothing intelligent to say they should just do us a favor and "Shut Up"!

He can hire anyone he wants to. Ultimately, he makes the final decisions.

Okay, I READ Obama's economic plan over and over. I'm in IT. Do I now have to pick up a shovel? Thank you for those manual labor jobs, but they're not good enough to grow the economy. Someone told me that under Clinton, he allowed X amount of jobs to be offshored, so we had IT jobs. With W in office, MOST of the IT jobs were offshored or outsourced -offshored. For example, Blue Cross Blue Shield, outsourced most of their mainframe jobs to IBM. In return, IBM just offshored it. Bottomline, stop bleeding TECHNO jobs overseas unless we are all employed first. We pay taxes so we should be offered jobs first before any offshore.

People- please take a moment to READ what you write before you blindly click SUBMIT.

Your improper spelling and grammar severely undercuts your arguments that OTHER people are fools.

Dave

The republicans will jump down Obama's throat at the first mis-step.

Can you blame him for being careful?

If McCain had properly vetted Palin, he'd be the President-elect.

It goes to show you how important vetting is.

That's right, everyone. Anyone who doesn't want to answer intrusive questions about their personal life has something to hide... and they're crooks too! And they want to bring down the federal government!

If the Dear Leader asks you to give up your personal secrets, you shall submit.

This thread really demonstrates to me how easy it is to fool people into accepting a dictatorial government in the guise of a democratic one. If you love the Dear Leader, you'll swallow anything.

Wow what a head line. To bad he didn't use this kind of scrutiny picking his friends to hang with in the early years of his political career. But hey it didn't stop the vote though. Obama puts his new cabinet though more than we required of him to be President.
We know less about Obama than we knew about any President ever elected, and he wants to know everything about anyone else.
I like Obama the Icon to millions, but I don't like the political agenda.

You can't be too careful these days!! We need the best!

It's much better than not vetting enough, right?

Vetting the candidates properly won't necessarily prevent a bad apple from slipping through, but it sure decreases the probability. At the very least, they should be able to figure out what might cause problems. If they disqualify (or scare off) some otherwise good candidates, then so be it.

I would go through a month-long vetting process to be on his staff to even be a mail deliver in his White House! If they can't take the heat: I can't think of anything soooooo let them eat cake!

Just as Obama says use a scapel and not a hatchet. I want a president who is meticulous.

Well done Obama. He first set the example and so the rest should follow suit. I am sure America doesnt want it's dirty linen being washed in the open world. Go on - Wise and prudent Obama !!!!! Tammy. London

I am very proud that Obama is vetting his people with the highest scrutinity....we want only the best to help run this country, we all see what McCain's version of vetting turned out to be!!!!
I think anybody whom he may choose would be more than honored to go through a serious process before being offered a position....they will all want the same outcome for the country at the end of the day.
No, he is doing the right thing and I am happy that he is not taking on anybody that is not up to his standard, he will after all be the President.

Come to think about it, if I get vetted, boy, I don't even know if they'll want me, LOL!!

Even Andrew Jackson would be ticked off, LOL!!

Why is such scrutiny a bad thing? I now have another reason, along with a host of others, to trust President-Elect Obama.

Vetting is vitally important – but who vets the vetters? Seriously, Hillary is making exactly the right choice in accepting S of S position. If, though I doubt it, BHO turns out to be a wonderful President, he'll be reelected in 2012, so she wont get in. However, in 2016, she'll be 68, and unfortunately, that wont be in her favour. This will open the way for Chelsea Clinton, who has beauty, brains and power behind her that could make HER the first woman President.

The president-elect vetting team is doing a great job. he campained on the basis of change, so it's high time crooks were not part the government , people with questionable morality must be out .
this is a government of the people, for the people and by the people.
Kudos to your vetting team for they're doing a good job in the history of american politics. Cnn calls it a bumpy transition, i call it a wise transition. because i believe it's important to scrutinize whoever you wanna work with.

And, I suppose if he were not to put much energy into the vetting process – that would make a headline as well.

I think it's fantastic that Obama's team has set a high standard of qualifications for those who will be serving the public within the Obama Administration. It's about time the President sets an example for the USA. No sneaky weasels in power anymore...ahhhh, it will be nice to see a transparent government again!

I think Obama's vetting process is perfect in ensuring we don't get a corrupt government. If someone really wants to be a part of his administration, they should have no problem providing information about all aspects of their lives.

And, when you really think about it, would someone with truly corrupt skeletons in their closet actually be considered a qualified candidate?

President Elect Obama is an amazing man. To the extent possible he is changing the way things are done in WA. It will be nice to have a president who cares about the past dealings of his appointees.

There are people who would criticize President Elect Obama even if he cured cancer, solved the global warming crisis, and brought about peace on earth. He wasn't THEIR candidate and they cannot deal with anybody but THEIR candidate being in charge. To them I say: you are either a part of the solution or the problem. Further, you should buckle up for a long and miserable (potential) 8 years because nothing he does will satisfy you.

How sad.

What is this word "VETTING"?

But Obama's questioning of people who want to become HIGH officials is a good idea. If anyone runaway, we can simply understand that those people have some problems in public life.

Let them go away. Frauds are afraid to face questions. Well done Obama!

The american voters should have been vetting President Elect Obama prior to the election. I strongly believe had this been done, he would not have been where he is today... After all we still hear troubling things about him all the time..

As long as mistakes are in the open they can be forgiven. When they are in the closet, that's what creates the problem.

I completely agree with the in-depth vetting process Obama's team is conducting. They're making sure that there won't be any 'skeletons in the closets' of the folks who are being considered for cabinet posts. It makes sense to weed out those who might have something hidden in their past that might come back to bite them later. And since Obamas theme is 'Change', perhaps this might bring in some new folks who don't have a lot of bad baggage.

He's got the vetting process exactly right. If Obama runs his government like he has his transition then we will get serious, professional, uncompromising, stewardship and leadership for first time in decades.
Let him do what we elected he to do.

Absolutely nothing wrong with what the President Elect is doing.

Had McCain actually vetted Palin, he probably would not have chosen her. Had McCain actually vetted Joe the Plumber, he would have found out that perhaps he needs to find another Joe out there. If Bush had actually vetted people who work in this administration now, perhaps we would not have been in the mess we are in now.

Stop whinning people!

that's ok obama, go ahead and vet , look what happened to the republicans when they chose not to vet their vp.

"Only the best is good for Obama", if you have a skeleton in your cupboard, you better say it out. Obama will not want to regret any appointment he makes....The vetting is good as far as transparency is concerned; If Obama tip you for a post and you know what you have down under will discredit Obama....you better chase yourself before you are chased out.
He is doing the right thing.

After some of the scandals that have dirtied Washington, I'm thankful that PE Obama is making a thorough check. If prospective members of his presidential staff or cabinet have something to hide, we're better off without them.

I cosign with all of those who, just like me, wish to keep crooks from high level position in the new administration. If you cant stand the heat, stay outta the kitchen....I mean really, this guy promises an open access, no frills type approach to running the country and some folks act as if this is a crime. Didnt he not say that he was going to do this while on the campaign trail? For those who wish things were just a walk in a park, think back to the last almost 8yrs under the Bush Administration. Keep doin' your thing Obama! We got your back!

Yeah – good call. Let's just go with the tried and true Bush method of "If I've had a beer with the person, they're good enough for me."

What a ridiculous story.

Obama is doing what is necessary to make sure his Adm is above reproach. WE have enough to do to start fixing the messes without the Media resorting to punditry reporting instead of the real news, like the war and this economy.

I guess "We" the "American People" are familier with Vicarious liability. The Pres-Elect Obama just trying to be careful.

E.C Cocoleman

Yeah you,
Leave Mrs Reagan ( notice the 1st vowel after the 'R' ,..thats where you sound like 'dubya'), out of this. She's not in your league.

Change has come to America, ..get out and take a look around ya

@ E.C.Coleman,

You are incorrect, sir/madam - if he had no character, then he wouldn't have called to apologize. And nobody can know the innermost thoughts of another person - oftentimes the person in question doesn't know.

The fact that Obama does have character and integrity is borne out by the story you should theoretically be commenting on - a rigorous vetting process trying to keep people of questionable character or integrity out of his administration.

Ha, now people are complaining that there is nothing to complain about! Gossip mongers must be so dissapointed......

GOOD!!! let him keep vetting those want the job in his cabinet. he not like GWB who shoe in his friends, remember gonzales, meyers, and of of his crooked buddies that lies and flushed this country down in the toilet....Obama will not have THAT!!!! i'm so glad i voted for "that one"!

We don't need more crooks running the country. If they can't handle the vetting process for some of the most powerful positions in the country then maybe they are hiding something. Kudos to the transition team. Keep up the good work.

Too bad Obama wasn't vetted the same way he is vetting his candidates. I am betting there would be a lot of dirt that would come out. Too many things that he has not provided regarding his past. Where are his records from Columbia, his original birth certificate, Mcihelle's thesis and on and on. He may not be in this position if he had been fully vetted.

Are you kidding? This is the thing I admire the MOST about Obama!

The fact that he's putting together a team of Untouchables shows that he means business.

E.C.Coleman

who is dumber than you. if you wait around long enough Obama might make another small mistake that really doesnt matter and you can jump all over that too. Dont bother mentioning any of the hundreds of great things he will do.
Maybe you should just shut up you clown.

I thought he didn't like lobbyists. Then he goes and picks Daschle.
Boggles the mind.
The 3 richest Senators are dems. Kerry, Kohl and Kennedy.
Inherited and married.
I laugh at the term "Public Servants". Power brokers should be the term. Amazing how they come in average and end up multy millonaires.

Democrats Unite

YES! YES! YES!

I agree 100% with you. If these potential White House
high level employees cannot handle the heat, they
should STAY OUT OF THE KITCHEN, surely if they
refuse to be properly VETTED, it leads one to believe
THAT THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO HIDE, SOMETHING
THAT THEY ARE AFRAID WILL EXPOSE THEM TO
REDICULE!

BARACK'S TRANSITION TEAM IS RIGHT IN VETTING,
AND VETTING THOROUGHLY. The U.S. CANNOT
AFFORD ANY BOOGEY MEN COMING BACK TO BITE
THEM!

ALEXANDER mOONEY surely you are kidding-The article seems like
you need to dig deeper for a worthy story. Why not go to Regent Univ.
maybe those Attorneys hired from there should have been vetted.

Yeah, hey, let's all take the vetting process as a joke so we can end up with more Sarah Palins! WOOO HOOOOO!

NOT!

Obama is the first black prez, is there really a such thing as being too careful?!
I think not people...

This isn't news–it's common sense. If you're going to take a high profile job with the President, then you owe it to him to come clean or get out of dodge. Oh yeah, the nitwits in the press can't find any dirt on him, so they pick on his apparent infallibility and lack of skeletons in the proverbial closet?

Well cry me a river! This president is going to do things his way...it doesn't matter what all the whiners and complainers say! Good for him, what a breath of fresh air...it is going to fun to watch.

If candidates can't stand up to the vetting process then they are not qualified in total. We've had enough of drama from people in politics who's personal lives are a train wreck. I'm seriously disappointed that Obama is considering the drama queen for Secretary of State. How many times will she claim to be landing under fire in the next coming years. Enough is enough already.

This is just a smoke screen to fool the lemmings and Kool-Aid drinkers.

Better to heavily vet than to end up being surprised.
Stop doubting and worrying about Obamas way of doing things – it's all good and above board.
Course, I guess we're just not use to honesty in Washington and are still getting use to the idea.

This story is BS. The standards that this country has accepted for our lawmakers over the past 20 years has put this country in the toilet. It's about time we started getting the best and brightest people in these offices so maybe we can get this country back on track to where it should be; Leading the World.

If the goal is to restore the republic's faith in its elected officials, at a time when the common perception towards politicians and government across the nation can be summed up with the following: "How can you tell when a politician is lying? " – "His lips are moving!"; it requires increased vigilance and vetting.

I don't believe we're looking for saints or angels, anyone who has served in public life, or in positions of leadership, will have, if they've done anything, made mistakes, and made enemies.

If the homily, "The character of the kingdom emanates from the character of the king", rings true, doesn't it make sense to ensure that the leadership positions are given to those, experience and capability being equal, whose character will have the most positive impact?

If this nation is indeed at a crossroads, as circumstances seem to suggest, doesn't the importance of who is in the leadership positions take on even more significance?

EC COLEMAN – Get over it Mr. Obama is the President Elect, so you might as well deal with it. If the only thing you have to base your comment on is the Ms. Reagan's then you truly have issues. I think most of you people that cant come to grip with our NEW PRESIDENT, SHOULD JUST LEAVE IF YOU DONT LIKE IT AND COME BACK IN ANOTHER 8 YEARS.

MAYBE? AND PERHAPS OBAMA SHOULD BE VETTED HOW DO

WE KNOW HE QUALIFIES....?

Like most the others here I have to agree that a strict vetting will generate a much stronger and less corrupt government. Ok, truth be told a few fairly legitimate and strong leaders will opt out and/or not be eligible despite their personal ability to maintain integrity despite industry contacts they have. Overall, however, maintaining a strict vetting policy will have way more benefits than running a surface level vetting only process.

McCain was the best Republican candidate and one I would have considered in the face of weaker Dem candidates (like Kerry), but look what the weak vetting process did to McCain's candidacy – Palin wound up being a pull down on his candidacy and seemed to give a glimpse into his decision making process.

Obama has many serious challenges ahead and only time will tell if he can pull it off, but I'm with him on a strict vetting.

MOONEY,

WE ELECTED OBAMA PRESIDENT, NOT YOU.

geeze, his vetting process is totally reasonable!

I agree. This story is crazy. These positions are important, affecting us all. Please take your time and make good decisions. This idea of immediate gratification at this level is what got us in the pickle we are now.

I did not vote for Obama, but he has really impressed me with his steady manner. Mr. Obama please do not let us down.

As usual, Obama is being thoughtful and responsible. I can't see any wrong in that. We need a leader with those qualities. Lord knows we haven't had that for a while.

Glad that he is scrutinizing his nominees. Maybe his administration will be scandal free unlike the last 4 Presidents.

If they cant handle the vetting process then they dont need to be apart of his cabinet.

I love the way CNN and every other news station first LOVES OBAMA. Now that he's president elect you have to nit pick at every little thing he does.

This truly isnt even a story, come on now!

These people are going to have the most important jobs in the country. Dont you think the vetting process should be tough?

You know, this is just a ridiculous story. People whine and moan about corruption in Washington and when we finally get a President Elect who is trying to do something about it, what does he get–a headline that says "Obama's vetting could chase away candidates."

If it chases away corrupt, in-the-pocket candidates who are tied in to special interests or questionable organizations, then good–let it chase them away. We need to be free of politicians only looking to fatten their own coffers and social influence.

I say good for Obama. Let him scare away the garbage and let the best rise to the top.

Didn't like my comment, CNN? Where is it?
Again, Obama should be ashamed and should have used some measure of prudence instead of insulting former First Lady Nancy Ragan. Matters not that he called to apologize. What matters is that his innermost thoughts were expressed. Obama has no integrity and no character.

I agree with the vetting process. After Bush, we need to have clean government. If Bush had done this, maybe we would be in the mess we are in today.

If they turn away, then that means that they got something to hide. Obama is doing this right.

No by golley he's right this time. FINALLY WE GOT A PRESIDENT WITH ENOUGH CAUGHO'S THAT ENSURES EVERYONE HAS NO PIGS IN THEIR POCKET? WHAT COULD BE WRONG WITH THAT. IF THEY DON'T WANT TO BE VETTED THEN WITHDRAW THEIR NAMES AND THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO TAKE NOTE OF THAT INDIVIDUAL. HE DOESN'T NEED TO BE IN THE POSITION HE'S IN.

If you've got anything to Hide, Obama suggest you NEED NOT TO APPLY!

What's done in the Dark . . . comes to light, just ask GW Bush. He thought the Iraq Saga would never surface!

Good for Obama! If candidates think its too intrusive, then too bad. if they have things to hide we don't want them in our government.

You need to know who is working with you. Keep it up.

I do not blame him....just look at what the 24 hr news coverage has created! "extreme scrutiny' of every single gesture, spoken word, facial expression of the political figures. Maybe people are not happy because they may not have anything to criticize!!!!!

Good for Obama. If a candidate is wary of the vetting process, then perhaps he/she is not in the best interest of the nation. There are too many scandals these days.

NO, if they have something to hide, Obama nor i want them. Im not Obama crazy, but i agree with this, No Drama is the way to get things done. Or at least keeping it to a minimal at the starting point is perfect, good for him. And also shows that you Clinton haters know. Always thinking theyre hiding something, seems like they couldnt be more open.

It goes along with the territory. If they want a position in the new Cabinet, they should have no qualms about the vetting procedure. If it scares them away, then they might possibly have something to hide. I think being careful and proceeding along with the vetting process is a very good thing. Unfortunately, I do not think it was done during the current Administration and look at where we are now. Hmmmmm. Stop the whining and let our new President-elect do his job. Obama is a smart and calculative man and will do what is best for our country. God knows we need that now. This Hillary Clinton supporter and white female supports Obama and his choices. He has made many excellent ones so far. Go OBAMA/BIDEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I see nothing wrong with the vetting process. Quite frankly, if they've got something to hide, they have no business in this new administration. It's as much about keeping out the crooks as it is restoring our image across the world. This time, we really are hiring only the best and the brightest.

Sure, Obama should subscribe to John McCain's method of vetting candidates.

We the people do NOT want CROOKS serving themselves in our name,

clouding your vision and tarnishing your credibility.

there are more than enough talent out there.

look farther and you'll find the genuine public servants!