My dream cabinent for Kerry

VP: Edwards

Sec. of State: Clark

Sec of Defense: Anthony Zinni (I heard he hates *)

Sec. of Homeland (will be renamed, hopefully, as Domestic) Security:
Gary Hart

Sec. of Treasury: Either Warren Buffet or Robert Rubin again

Sec. of Labor: Gephardt

Attorny General: Elliot Spitzer

Sec. of Interior: Al Gore...maybe offer the post to Nader to get him to drop out

Sec. of HHS: Kucinich

I like them a lot. I hope Kerry wins and puts in a dynamite cabinet that will be able to reverse most of the damage within 100 days.

It was not worth the organizational shuffle. There's no discernable benefit except to concentrate power in the hands of fewer people.

But for political reasons I think this might be a problem. The best we can do is just blow it off.

I was going nuts trying to remember his name in a conversation the other day!

Zinni, when he came back from Iraq, was slamming Bush/Rummy up and down over the mess over there. I was dropjawed. Then guess what?

He disappeared from media coverage.

Can't imagine why.

 
 

But he is still addressing military & veterans groups.

He gave a speech to active duty Navy & Marine officers, & received a standing ovation. I believe it was sponsered by Naval Proceedings.

for Sec. of Defense! :thumbsup:

 
 

I remember hearing about him although he did... "disappear." He seems like a great choice for Sec. of Defense!

...here is mine:

VP: General Wesley Clark (VP absolutely must have FP experience and not be another Senator)

Sec of State: Dr. Richard Holbrooke

Sec of Def: Anthony Zinni

Nat Sec Advisor: Madeline Albright

Homeland Security: Max Cleland

Attorney Gen: Elliot Spitzer

Sec of Labor: Richard Gephardt (there is no one else more qualified)

Treasury Sec: Rubin

Secy of Interior: Edwards

General Zinni has not been retired 10 years, so cannot be SecDef. In fact, Zinni retired about 6 months after Clark, and had many of the same problems with Cohen/Shelton (altho without a war going on in his region, his conflicts with the Pentagon didn't escalate or get the visibility).

Zinni's a good man (for a jarhead <g>)--he knows the Iraq and Afghanistan situations about as well as anybody, and I'd like to see him in the administration somewhere. Don't know whether he considers himself a Democrat or not.

...that Zinni was so closely released. Hmmm...then give me Max Cleland for Sec Def and Zinni for Homeland Security for $1,000.00, Pat.

Doh!

People seem to be ignoring this position when making fantasy cabinets.

Clark - VP

Labor - Gephart
Interior - Edwards

Just a thought,is there a spot for Dean.
He has really worked hard for the party and fo sure he has lots of supporters.

Senator Kerry has his own tem of advisors, who he has worked with to formulate his policies.

These are normally the people given Cabinet positions.

For example: I don't think Dennis Kucinich agrees with Kerry on many HHS issues, therefore why appoint him?

I think you will see Max Cleland in the Administration somewhere, as he has been such a staunch supporter.

Joe Biden has been mentioned as going to Iraq for Senator Kerry; maybe he would be Sec of State.

Forgot to add: I bet Rand Beers would be National Security Advisor.

For example: I don't think Dennis Kucinich agrees with Kerry on many HHS issues, therefore why appoint him?

Of course, with that logic, you could also be asking why Kucinich supporters would appoint/vote for Kerry, when they don't agree with him on many issues.

I don't want to see Dennis as part of an administration that doesn't support the vision. I'd rather see him free to continue to work for us. I'd like to see him as Speaker of the House.

I don't think Kerry really cares who I'd like to see in the next administration, so I don't bother with speculation.

:thumbsup:

Put Buffet at FOB when Greenspeak goes.

For EPA, Bobby Kennedy's son. (Can't remember his first name).

For Interior: Carl Pope (Friends of the Earth)

for Agriculture: the Lorax (he speaks for the trees)

for Energy: Al Gore (a visionary man for a future not dependent on oil.)

Ok, that's my fave so far. :)

 
 

It's an outrage!

SEC Chief: John Vogel (of Vanguard funds)

NEW!

Department of Peace: Dennis Kucinich

Dept. of Dem. Propoganda: Al Sharpton

:)

 
 

Chaplain for the House of Representatives.

Let him give Delay a sermon or two.

Let's offer Nader a position in the cabinet.

:)

n/t

After the damage he has done to the Democratic party, never.

Unfortunately I think we'd need to take control of the house before we do that.

No more boring Press Conferences! I bet the media would love him.
He's guaranteed to say something "newsworthy" every day.

he did too much for us to get Clinton elected. he deserves a cabinate appointment.

If Eisner's forced out completely, he'll have to leave Disney.

VP: Bob Graham
Sec of State: George Mitchell (his work under Clinton in Ireland and the ME were impressive)
Sec of Defense: Wes Clark
Homeland Security: Max Cleland
National Security Advisor: Zinni
Treasury: Rubin (NOT Buffet, the idiot who helped get Ah-nold into office here in CA and then tried to raise our property taxes)

I'd like to see some women in there, but I can't think of any on the national scene that wouldn't empty a seat (Clinton, Feinstein, etc.)

President: John F Kerry

Vice President: Bill Nelson

Sectary of State: Gary Hart

Sectary of Defense: Wes Clark

Sectary of Homeland Security: Bob Graham

Sectary of Veterans Affairs: Max Cleland

Sectary of Commerce: Robert Reich

Sectary of Education: John Breaux

Sectary of Health and Human Services: Jeanne Shaheen

Sectary of Housing and Urban Development: Jennifer Mann

Sectary of Labor: ?2005-06, after that Tom Vilsack

Sectary of the Treasury: Robert Rubin

Sectary of Transportation: Michael Coleman

Sectary of Environment: John Kitzhaber

Attorney General: John Conyers

National Security Adviser: James Rubin

Before i Get flamed on including Breaux 1.) these guys will have to be confirmed by what will probably be a GOP congress and 2.) this is the guy's record on Education...

Voted YES on funding smaller classes instead of private tutors. (May 2001)
Voted YES on funding student testing instead of private tutors. (May 2001)
Voted YES on spending $448B of tax cut on education & debt reduction. (Apr 2001)
Voted YES on Educational Savings Accounts. (Mar 2000)
Voted NO on allowing more flexibility in federal school rules. (Mar 1999)
Voted YES on education savings accounts. (Jun 1998)
Voted YES on school vouchers in DC. (Sep 1997)
Voted NO on $75M for abstinence education. (Jul 1996)
Voted NO on requiring schools to allow voluntary prayer. (Jul 1994)
Voted YES on national education standards. (Feb 1994)
Offer every parent Charter Schools and public school choice. (Aug 2000)
Three R’s: $35B for Reinvestment,Reinvention,Responsibility. (Jan 2001)

Doesn't seem to be at odds with Kerry or the moderate DLC wing of the Democratic party sure its not a liberal record but we're not looking at Zell Miller here...

Generally there's a practice of senatorial courtesy, the only guy that came even close for Bush was John Asscroft.

... you guys see some of these people getting confirmed by a GOP congress? are there any who you'd say might be a problem?

Wesley Clark, Sec. Def.

Sec of State - Bill Clinton

Sec of Treasury - Robert Reich

Attorney General - John Edwards

Sec of Defense - George Mitchell

Sec of Interior - Olympia Snowe (Bipartisanship, and taking a seat from the GOP in the Senate)

Sec of Labor - Richard Gephardt

Sec of Commerce - Paul Krugman

Sec of HUD - Al Sharpton

Sec of HHS - Howard Dean

Sec of Education - Bob Graham

Sec of Energy - Al Gore

Sec of Vet Affairs - Wesley Clark

EPA Admin. - Dennis Kucinich

Sec of Naptime - Joe Lieberman

Snowe, Chafee, or even McCain (if we don't let him talk) is the way to go.

putting republicans in office. Please enlighten us as to why you believe we need a republican in the cabinet when we have literally thousands of talented, intelligent, committed and loyal Democrats who deserve our support for all their hard work.

Take a deep breath and repeat after me: We do not need to kiss republican ass. Say it over and over until you believe it.

Republicans have been destroying our nation and thrashing our civil liberties for three years. Bipartisan is just a word that means "letting republicans be in control".

It's fucking bullshit! Did y'all grow up and get brainwashed in the Reagan era or something?

Republicans will piss on you and tell you it is raining. Then they will tell you not to worry, the rainwater is completely safe to drink.

Which is moot, because "the two Johns' is a loser ticket anyway.
W is getting crowned at ground Zero, Edwards thinks OBL=Saddam.
Anyone who thinks 9.11 justified Iraq on the ticket is dooming us.

You Clark people are so intimidated by Edwards that you are making jokes of yourselves. You don't seem to care what is true and what is an out and out lie. Maybe you get it from Clark who "leaked" his announcement midway through Edwards' hometown announcement.

The only question is whether Kerry is too intimidated to stand next to Edwards for the next eight months. There is NO question who the strongest VP candidate is: Edwards.

I don't see what he adds to the ticket. Kerry won every southern state except South Carolina and Edwards spent a ton of money there. I just don't see Edwards as helping us electorally.

The south was split between Clark and Edwards. There wasn't a real test there. Edwards actually does very well in the Heartland states...like Ohio, Iowa...ect.

While I'd like Edwards for VP, I'd be happy with AG or Interior Sec. That was one I hadn't thought of before.

Let's just work on getting Kerry in the White House first though...

If you have a primary in a southern state 100% of the people voting there are southerners. Kerry wins that southern state and therefore he got more southern votes than Edwards or Clark. Am I missing something?

Probably my wording was bad. What I meant was that the two southern candidates..Edwards and Clark...battled against each other and in TN between the two of them they had more votes then Kerry. The split that I meant was between Clark and Edwards.

The results might have been different if Edwards or Clark had dropped out before TN or Virgina and then there would have been only one southern candidate.

Not that it really matters now as Kerry is our nominee, but I don't think I was very clear in my statement above.

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

GOP congress may shoot down one or two but they won't try and wreck the whole cabinet. If they do, it's bye bye GOP Senate majority.

Vice-President: Stephanie Tubbs-Jones
Secretary of State: Wes Clark or Joe Biden
Secretary of Defense: Bob Graham
National Security Advisor: Gary Hart
Homeland Security: Bob Menendez
Attorney General – John Conyers
Secretary of the Treasury - Robert Rubin
Secretary of the Interior – Al Gore
Secretary of Agriculture – Eva Clayton
Secretary of Commerce – Bobby Rush
Secretary of Labor – Dennis Kucinich
Secretary of Health & Human Services – Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg
Secretary of Housing & Urban Development – Carol Moseley-Braun
Secretary of Transportation – Connie Morella
Secretary of Energy – John Kitzhaber
Secretary of Education – Dick Gephardt or Jim Jeffords
Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Max Cleland
Surgeon General: Howard Dean
EPA Administrator: Ralph Nader
Secretary of Peace: Jimmy Carter

VP Kucinich or Edwards
State: Bill Clinton or Al Gore
Treasury: Gene Sperling or Paul Krugman
Defense: Clark
AG: Kucinich or Edwards (whomever doesn't become Vice Presidentt)
Homeland Security: Graham
Interior: Al Gore or former Clinton EPA head Carole M. Browner
Agriculture: Tom Harkin
Commerce: Nader
Labor: Gephardt
HHS: Dean
HUD: Sharpton
Transportation: McCain
Energy: Lieberman :tinfoilhat:
Education: Braun or Tipper Gore
Veterans Affairs: Max Cleland

President: John F Kerry

Vice President: John Edwards (or Mark Warner, Bill Nelson, Evan Bayh, Mary Landrieu etc…)


Sectary of State: Richard Holbrooke

Why: Exact reasons you’ve already stated plenty of experience, he would have the gravitas that would be need, has a history of supporting multilateralism but is also an exponent of America having a specific role in the world in terms of promoting democracy and challenging undemocratic and repressive regimes.

Sectary of Defence: Bob Graham

Why: Large amount of experience in Washington especially with matters pertaining to defence as he has been for some time a senior member of the senate Select Committee on Intelligence. He’s also a moderate and a hawk who despite this opposed the war on Iraq from the outset.

Sectary of Homeland Security: Gary Hart

Why: Would have been a good pick for SofS, however it is in the area of national security and the prevention of terrorism that he has been most active since leaving politics in 1988, having been actively involved with national security and international policy think tanks -- writing extensively and passionately on those topics. He also served on the US Commission on National Security, which had endorsed creation of a homeland security agency before the 9-11 attacks. He would bring a wealth of knowledge to the post and would be a competent reliable sectary of homeland security.

Sectary of Veterans Affairs: Max Cleland

Why: Because its right…any others reasons?...well he’s a moderate, a veteran and his record on social security (the area which arguably most effects vets) he has consistently supported the rights of older citizens and added to this he has always defended the rights of serving troops.

Sectary of Commerce: Robert Reich

Why: Plenty of experience under Clinton. Populist leanings on economic issues especially protectionism, remember that he left the Clinton Administration in 1998 over Clinton’s swing to the right, so a cabinet member with principles and an early backer of Kerry.

Sectary of Education: John Breaux

Why: Now this will seem unpopular, but if you look at his voting record on eduction…

Voted YES on funding smaller classes instead of private tutors. (May 2001)
Voted YES on funding student testing instead of private tutors. (May 2001)
Voted YES on spending $448B of tax cut on education & debt reduction. (Apr 2001)
Voted YES on Educational Savings Accounts. (Mar 2000)
Voted NO on allowing more flexibility in federal school rules. (Mar 1999)
Voted YES on education savings accounts. (Jun 1998)
Voted YES on school vouchers in DC. (Sep 1997)
Voted NO on $75M for abstinence education. (Jul 1996)
Voted NO on requiring schools to allow voluntary prayer. (Jul 1994)
Voted YES on national education standards. (Feb 1994)
Offer every parent Charter Schools and public school choice. (Aug 2000)
Three R’s: $35B for Reinvestment, Reinvention, Responsibility. (Jan 2001)

…added to this he is a moderate would get confirmed by the senate in a heartbeat and would make a high profile education sec and as a result raise the prominence of the area nationally…

Sectary of Health and Human Services: Jeanne Shaheen

Why: Plenty to boast about in the area when she was gov in NH… and added to this she is a moderate and would be confirmed by congress…

Sectary of Housing and Urban Development: Jennifer Mann

Sectary of Labour:? 2005-06, after that Tom Vilsack

Sectary of the Treasury: Robert Rubin

Why: Clinton’s economic chief, excellent record with the deficit heading to be even worse than it was in 1992 he’s the best man for the job…

Sectary of Transportation: Michael Coleman

Sectary of Environment: John Kitzhaber

Why: Great record when he was gov in OR, a big proponent of renewable energy and with experience of building bipartisan coalitions over certain issues especially ones pertaining to the environment. In addition his folksy manner is great almost Bush like and would make him a very likeable and affable national figure while not brash or uncouth.

Attorney General: John Conyers

Why: Conyers has fought long and hard for the solidification of civil rights on Capitol Hill, while gaining the admiration and respect of Democrats and Republicans alike. He has been a forerunner in bringing public attention to the necessity of election reform. Along with Connecticut senator Christopher Dodd, he co-authored the Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001, which outlines equal protection standards for voting rights and methods in federal, state, and local jurisdictions, and supports those standards with a grant program and a voting rights commission to prevent disenfranchisement in regard to ballots and voting procedures. He has been a major force in legislative efforts in many different areas including terrorism and immigration both important contemporary issues that as AG he would have to tackle.

National Security Adviser: James Rubin