Answering six questions from reporters, [Barack Obama] landed an implicit slap at President Bush’s leadership style when asked how the new “team of rivals” Cabinet would function.
“One of the dangers in a White House, based on my reading of history, is that you get wrapped up in groupthink, and everybody agrees with everything, and there’s no discussion and there are not dissenting views,†Obama said, voicing a frequent criticism by some senior Bush-administration alumni.
“So I’m going to be welcoming a vigorous debate inside the White House. But I understand, I will be setting policy as president. I will be responsible for the vision that this team carries out, and I expect them to implement that vision, once decisions are made. So as Harry Truman said, the buck will stop with me.”
