Republican Committee Keeps the Heat on Obama

By PETER BAKER
NYT

WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama is receiving heaps of good tidings from both sides of the aisle during this Thanksgiving season as he puts together his administration. But at least one office is not giving him a free pass.

With each day’s announcement of another cabinet or White House appointment, the Republican National Committee has been blitzing out critical statements that look no different from the blasts issued throughout the campaign. Mr. Obama’s selections so far, the Republican committee says, have been tax-raising, partisan Washington insiders, hardly the agents of change he promised.

The aggressive approach contrasts with the tone so far from Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill, who are greeting the incoming administration with what has ranged from wait-and-see politeness to an almost warm embrace. Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader from Kentucky, for example, offered praise for Mr. Obama’s initial decisions last week and signaled that he was relieved to be done with President Bush.

“I think the new administration is off to a good start,” Mr. McConnell told reporters. “They’re saying, in my view, all the right things.” Referring to Mr. Obama and his team, he added: “They want to govern in the middle and tackle big things.”

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