Such is the nature of Barack Obama’s selections for Cabinet posts and his White House inner circle.

At point guard … Rahm Emanuel, the wizard of the Dems’ political turnaround since 2004.

At small forward … Tim Geithner, the wunderkind head of the New York Fed, taking over Treasury.

At power forward … Larry Summers, former Treasury secretary under Bill Clinton, now Obama’s bulldog designate as the incoming Director of the National Economic Council.

At shooting guard (heh, heh) … Bob Gates, staying on at Defense as a (token?) Republican holdover.

And at center, the woman in the middle, the one who could have been No. 44 but is still No. 1 in your hearts … Hillary Clinton, who certainly is extending the drama over her selection as Secretary of State.

Obama and his crew unquestionably are bringing together some of the best minds in the country to make swift progress on the economic and diplomatic challenges we face.

But just as pundits on both sides of the political spectrum were generally praising Obama’s picks, Joe Lieberman had to get a word in edgewise and call Obama’s picks to date “about perfect” :

Everything that President-elect Obama has done since election night has been just about perfect, both in terms of a tone and also in terms of the strength of the names that have either been announced or are being discussed to fill his administration.

Obama is certain to enjoy a long honeymoon as he proposes what I anticipate will be nothing short of a “new New Deal.” Look for reams of transformational legislation to be passed within 30 days of his inauguration — and independent liberal Lieberman knows he could play a key role by caucusing with the Dems in the Senate.

Americans can be assured that all this Obama goodwill will extend overseas, particularly in Europe. As with the Dream Team in 1992, the world is rooting for the U.S.

The difference now is the world not only expects a U.S. victory.

It needs a U.S. victory.