Friday, November 14, 2008

Obama's cabinet: fantasy & reality

Courtesy of evil Washington lobbyists via Politico, here's a DC parlour game tipsheet for the Obama cabinet:


It's worth noting that Hillary is not even mentioned on the sheet.

What follows is my take on what I'd like to see, regardless of what the contenders themselves have said on the subject. In brackets are those who I actually think will get the appointment.

Treasury: Paul Volcker
Defence Secretary: Robert Danzig (Robert Gates)
Deputy SecDef: John Hamre
National Security Advisor: Anthony Zinni (James Steinberg)
Secretary of Commerce: Penny Pritzker
Education: Colin Powell
Health & Human Services: Tom Daschle
Homeland Security: Richard Clarke (James Lee Witt)
DepHomeSec: Ray Kelly
Veterans: Max Cleland (actually I think Cleland will wind up as Secretary of the Army)
Labour: David Bonior
Agriculture: Tom Vilsack
Office of Urban Policy: Valerie Jarret
Enviormental Protection Agency: RFK Jr.
US Trade Representative: Lael Brainard
UN Ambassador: Susan Rice
Ambassador to the Court of St. James: Caroline Kennedy
Climate change Tsar: Al Gore (Jerry McNerney)
Energy Security Council: John Podesta

Your thoughts?


2 comments:

Frank A. Spring said...

Excellent list. Susan Rice is a strong pick for UN Ambassador; consider also Bill Richardson for the job. It's a position for which he is naturally suited, and in which he served quite credibly in the past.

DCDuck said...

A couple of comments/questions:

1. You really want Lugar as Secretary of State? Don't you think we could find a Democrat who could do the job just as well, if not better? And aren't you tired of feeling as though we have to bring Republicans on board in order to have credibility of national security issues?

2. I'm also not so big on Colin Powell, although I wouldn't complain excessively if he were chosen for Education.

3. I don't want Bingaman for Secretary of Energy. I think he's a little bit too pro-drilling and a little too against us on global warming for that slot.

4. I like Daschle at HHS.

5. Vilsack would, I guess, be ok as Secretary of Agriculture, but he's a bit too corporate Ag for my tastes. I'd prefer more of a westerner, somebody who can promote profitable agriculture, and specialty crops, rather than somebody just promoting commodity payments for program crops.

6. I had always assumed that Susan Rice would be National Security Advisor.

7. Again, I think Transportation will either be Earl Blumenauer or Ed Rendell.