My latest speculation on an Obama cabinet

Since my last list from June 5 generated over 100 responses, I decided to update my list a bit and repost it again. I hope to do it at least a few more times over the summer.

My original picks:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=3391661#3391724

Again, as I said last time, Obama has stated in public on several occasions that he will nominate political opponents and/or Republicans to his cabinet, and mentioned names like Chuck Hagel, Michael Bloomberg and Arnold Schwarzenegger. If it was up to me, I would clone Russ Feingold & Barbara Boxer ten times over and put them in the cabinet.

I still have not found a perfect place for John Edwards, though maybe Labor?

I also made it a point not to pick any sitting senators, as I do not want anything to stop us from booting Lieberman out of the caucus when we pick up seats in the election. I also added in picks for Agriculture, which I forgot last time, and FEMA… the biggest changes were Attorney General and first SCotUS pick, though I made a few other changes as well.


VP:Wesley Clark

Sec of State: Bill Richardson
Attorney General: Eric Holder (repl Artur Davis)
Sec. of Defense: Chuck Hagel
Sec. of the Treasury: Michael Bloomberg

Nat’l Security Adviser: Dr. Susan Rice
Homeland Security: Richard Clarke
FEMA James Lee Witt from the Clinton years.
Veterans Affairs: Tammy Duckworth
OMB Chief: Austan Goolsbee (will take Bloomberg’s spot when he leaves…)
Sec. of Labor: Linda Chavez-Thompson (not the RW author Linda Chavez!)
Sec. of Health & Human Services: Elizabeth Edwards
Sec. of the Interior: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Sec of Commerce: Laura Tyson
Sec. of Transportation: Earl Blumenauer
Sec. of Energy: Shirley Jackson
Sec of Education: Bob Wise (repl Inez Tenenbaum)
HUD Secretary: Federico Pena
Secretary of Agriculture: Tom Vilsack or Patty Judge (Lt Gov of Iowa)

First appointment to the SCotUS: Sonia Sotomayor (repl Kathleen Sullivan)

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Obama's appreciation for "Team of Rivals" makes it clear that Hillary will be in his cabinet, and all the babies on this site's heads are going to explode when it happens.

Seems kinda strange to suggest Elizabeth Edwards will be in his cabinet. I think that one is a pretty long shot.

Jason Horowitz over at the New York Observer reports the following: "A former bundler to Hillary Clinton just called in to tell me that Barack Obama's selection of Patti Solis Doyle as chief of staff to the campaign's eventual vice presidential nominee is the "biggest fuck you I have ever seen in politics."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/16/obama-hires-solis-doyle-a_n_107395.html

If you say so.

1. She needs to prove that she's a team player. I think that Obama is wary of her team player skills. As Rendell said, the #1 rule for the V.P. is to not upstage the President. The V.P. job is to obey the President's wishes, not forge your own agenda.

2. She needs to renounce PAC/lobbyist money. This is a big deal in my opinion. Obama ran on this campaign issue. As soon as he became the presumptive Dem nominee, he announced that the DNC would no longer accept PAC money. They won't fund him or his party in the White House. You can't then get a V.P. who accepts PAC money. "Don't give me PAC money, just send it to my V.P. and it'll eventually get to me." Sorry, but I can't envision him saying that.

3. Put the smack down on McCain. Hillary's biggest plus is her attack dog potential against McCain. She needs to get out there and prove that she will embrace this role.

4. Answer some questions from the press. They'll grill her about various things she's said over the past few months, e.g. commander-in-chief threshold. She needs to prove to Obama that she can handle those questions with ease.

Also, even if it is in remission...didn't she take off time from her career to raise her children? Did her children graduate from high school yet?

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though I'm not sure of a couple, but not a deal breaker. I especially like your choices of Clark, Richardson, Hagel and Kennedy.

I'm not exactly an expert.

A few that I like...

VP: Joe Biden
Sec of State: Bill Richardson
Attorney General: Janet Napolitano
Sec. of Defense: Sam Nunn
Sec. of the Treasury: Gene Sperling/Austan Goolsbee
Nat’l Security Adviser: Dr. Susan Rice
UN Ambassador: Samantha Power
Homeland Security: James Lee Witt
Budget: Tim Penny (yes, he's a McCain supporter, but he knows the numbers and is scrupulously honest)
EPA: RFK, Jr.
Sec of Education: Andy Rotherham (think tank director, member Virginia Board of Education)

First appointment to the SCotUS: Cindy Nance (my favorite professor from law school!)

I'd prefer Nunn over Hagel, but I just have a feeling it will be Hagel.

the failings of government are a Reagan-Bush era phenomenom. Prior to Reagan, the government did manage to put a man on the moon, build the interstate highway system and win two world wars in the 20th century. Oh, and, it had also sent Communism into its last throes, only to be prolonged by Reagan...

I guess I didn't do as good a job this time around?

Like in the Al Gore as President Alternate Universe scenario.

Seriously - lots to love in that list - Wesley Clark, Richard Clarke (I will feel so much more secure when he's back inside where he belongs), Tammy Duckworth, Witt. Very nice.

I'd also find a role for Biden, but nowhere near anywhere that he could have say on anything to do with credit or credit cards...just sayin'

he has done good work there.

Also think Sibelius will be in the Cabinet if she want the job.

they're all white males.

Where would Sebellius go if not VP?