Funny - and sad.  I guess irony has died ...

Just last night, asked about Obama's choices for his cabinet, I noted that it demonstrated a pragmatism and political awareness that Kennedy lacked in his selection of Rand Corporation technocrats to run the US.  I just hope that this idioit staffer has actually *not* read "The Best and the Brightest", and was only referring, in an unironic fashion, to the title.

Still ...

Thanks for flagging this, Jason. That phrase gets thrown around all the time by people who, evidently, have no idea what Halberstam's intent was in using it. It's especially ironic considering that we are just concluding a period during which the conservative version of "the best and the brightest" have held sway.

I've been hearing TBATB banter about The Obama Team for over a year and it's been mouthed by newsfolks who do know better. And no, they weren't corrected nor challenged.

I began to think the title of the book has been hijacked and is now used in a generic way and is usually complimentary. I'd have to see proof that my recall is accurate but I'm sure the Obama adviser has taken the new fair use of the term as I've been hearing it. He could be both ignorant & innocent. My guess is people are using it as "Brain Trust" for a younger generation.