Obama's Cabinet
Rather than wasting time predicting Obama's cabinet and other personnel choices, I'll comment about on what I'd like to see.
The first big post became official yesterday when Rahm Emanuel accepted the position of White House Chief of Staff. I'M IN LOVE! Emanuel was a key advisor to Bill Clinton from 1993-1998. He was famous in the Clinton White House, and outside of it, as being an angry partisan warrior ready to "kill" his enemies. He has been in the House since 2003, and has enhanced his reputation as a man who is happy and ready to bury any opposition, GOP or otherwise.
So the first key appointment is a guy who knows where all the bodies are buries, and buried a seriously disproportionate number of them personally! He's been around, he's a partisan warrior and a big believer in growing the number of democrats on the Hill. In short, he's everything Obama says he's not. No post-partisan BS for Emanuel.
WOO HOO!!!!! On a scale of 1-10, I give the Emanuel appointment a 10. Literally. There isn't a man, woman, child or pet in America I would have rather seen named to the Chief of Staff slot. Now of course I have no idea how Obama intends to use him. But clearly it is a loud signal to democrats all across America that he won't be all sweetness and light. Look, sweetness and light has its uses, and if it can be useful for getting comprehensive health care reform, serious energy reform, and the other liberal and flat out left wing goals that I have (and that Obama ran on, in part), then I'm for it. But the GOP isn't going to roll over and play dead, they will fight much of any Obama agenda every step of the way, and friends must be rewarded and enemies punished. And if you're a Republican about to be punished, Rahm Emanuel is about the last guy in America you want to see.
Secretary of the Treasury was a big deal in many administrations, including Bush 41 (his close friend Jim Baker) and Clinton (Lloyd Bentsen, Robert Rubin, Larry Summers) and a backwater in the Bush administrations, which made all (disastrous) economic decisions from the White House, and informed the Treasury Secretary, until the varied crises of 2007-08. It is destined to be a huge deal in the incoming Obama administration, alas. According to the latest political news, there are two finalists for the job. One is Larry Summers, who's been there, done that, doesn't suffer fools gladly, doesn't always play well with others, and has angered feminists by suggesting that maybe there aren't as many women in science because women aren't as skilled in the sciences as men are. Now I have no idea whether they are or are not, but I couldn't begin to care at the moment. The nation faces gigantic economic problems, and if Robert Rubin is unavailable, my # 2 choice for dealing with them is Larry Summers. So he'd make me swoon just like Rahm Emanuel does.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15391.html
The other guy listed on the finalist list is New York Federal Reserve Chairman Timothy Geithner. I personally know nothing of him. The article says he's been involved in the current crisis. I just don't know enough about him to form an opinion one way or the other. Needless to say, I'm rooting for Summers.
As for Secretary of State, John Kerry is apparently lobbying for the post. My first reaction was an emotional "NO!" Then I calmed down. Kerry was an early supporter of Obama, endorsing him on January 10, 2008. Rewarding early supporters is good. Now SecState isn't a position you just hand out to reward someone, but Kerry's capable. I could think of people I'd rather have, and these do not include Republicans Dick Lugar and Chuck Hegal. I'd be happy enough with Richard Holbrooke. Kerry'd probably be fine. Well, mediocre actually. His instincts are cautious. Adequate.
For Attorney General, Huffington Post has mentioned Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano. With John Edwards, the obvious choice, out of the running for running for president while having an affair and lying about it, (ever seen that one before?), there's no one obvious choice. Hillary doesn't want it. Napolitano's more politician than legal brain, but that's ok. She's up to the job.
For Defense, a lot of people think Obama will keep Robert Gates, Bush's guy, on. That's actually fine with me. Gates is unique in Bush-land, a guy who is highly competent, well grounded in reality, and not a political hack. I'm comfortable keeping him on. I'd be fine with Chuck Hegal or Colin Powell, two Republicans that have been mentioned. God help me, I think my preference is for the current SecDef, Gates.
More on Obama's staff and cabinet posts coming soon.
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1 comment:
We had the same reaction on Kerry. I still don't want Kerry as Sec. State. How is it "Change" if we use the same old standard bearers. I'd like more of a fresh face. From what I read, Holbrooke would be my choice. He seems like a shrewd, tough negotiator. If not Holbrooke, maybe Bill Richardson? He has the international experience and supported Obama after he withdrew.
I agree on Gates. I did read that he won't stay in the job long though, he want to return to academia. But he'd be a good choice for the time being. He hasn't been the complete idiot and asshole Rumsfeld was. Talk about perfect timing for a job. Gates could've fallen on his face and still looked good.
For AG, I've read that Obama might tap one of his friends, Eric Holder or Charles Ogletree, one being his current top legal advisor and a former Deputy AG under Bill, the other one being one of his former law professors at Harvard. I'd be surprised if he didn't go that route. Both are black, and you'd think he'd want to add a minority to a high post in the administration.
More importantly, what is Obama going to do about the BCS? If Penn St. goes undefeated and a one loss team goes to the BCS championship game, the blue and white are going to riot!
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