“When President Obama first won the White House, he recruited Ray LaHood, a Republican congressman, to join his Cabinet. The appointment, Obama declared, ‘reflects that bipartisan spirit’ that would distinguish his presidency,” the New York Times reports.
“Despite the glowing words, Obama abandoned his promise to govern across the aisle, LaHood said in an interview. The only elected Republican in Obama’s original Cabinet, LaHood said that the president never made a sustained effort to reach out and gave up too easily. As a result, he became isolated and reliant on a narrow group of like-minded advisers.”
LaHood’s new book: Seeking Bipartisanship: My Life in Politics.
