Reporter Digs Up Obama Cabinet Facebook Data

When Josh Gotbaum--a Clinton crony and long-time investment banker--was named by the Obama team to lead the Treasury Department review, Washington Times White House correspondent Christina Bellantoni started digging.

As would be expected, she checked out his official bio, which details a career involving investment banking and something called "restructurings and management turnaround." Which seemed slighty evasive.

Unsatisfied, she checked out his Facebook page. And then the sparks began to fly.

First off, Mr. Gotbaum has a mustache and at least one loud shirt (see above right). Second, among his interests he lists "fixing organizations, business, government, politics and singing." Third, his favorite music is "rock & roll, musical comedy and cabaret." Caba-who?

But, that's not all. According to Ms. Bellantoni, Mr. Gotbaum "has two friends named Larry." One of them, American economist Larry Summers, could be tapped for Treasury Secretary, she figures. Then again, the other one--Josh Gotbaum's childhood buddy, online Texas hold'em champ Larry D. Hesselgesser of Tallahassee--could also get the Treasury gig.

But this is serious. Ms. Bellantoni also unearthed the Facebook page of Tom Wheeler, a member of the Obama-Biden Transition Project Agency Review Working Group and a lover of "Civil War history and the history of transformational technologies and Broadway musicals." Are we noticing a pattern here?

I mean, what is the world coming to when two potential cabinet members might possibly have the original cast recording of "Sunday in the Park With George" on their iPods?

Only time will tell.

B. Brandon Barker can also be found here.