My Dean/Kucinich Fantasy Cabinet

[Michigander4Dean]

Secretary of State: Graham
Treasury: Krugman
Defense: Clark
AG: Rep. John Conyers, MI
Homeland Security: Lieberman
Interior: Nader
Agriculture: Harkin
Commerce: Winona LaDuke (Nader's running mate)
Labor: Ron Gettelfinger (UAW head)
HHS: Edwards
HUD: Sharpton
Transportation: McCain
Energy: Gephardt
Education: Braun
Veterans Affairs: Cleland

What would YOUR dream Administration look like?

[Vikingking66]

1. hmmm,,,,

A few thoughts on your pics.

What does LaDuke have in the way of commerce experience?

Labor leaders tend to do poorly as Labor Secretary - you need someone whose committed ideologically to labor rights, but who has an independent viewpoint. Bob Reich was an excellent example of this.

What does Edwards bring to Health and Human Services?
Wouldn't someone with a medical background be preferable?

Ditto with Sharpton. Sure he cares about the issues, but he
doesn't bring any technical or administrative skills to the
table.

Ditto McCain, Gephardt, and Braun.
They'd be ok, but isn't there someone better?

Cleland is a natural. He's got the experience as a veteran and as a senator who served on the committee for Veteran Affairs.

[JohnKleeb]

5. Gephardt or Kucinich then by your standards would be good for labor

[Vikingking66]

12. yeah, they'd be pretty good n/t

[rucky]

2. Good Lineup, but I'd change...

Braun for Sec of State
Nader or Waxman for AG
Graham for Homeland Security
Hillary for Education or HHS

[BattyDem]

8. I was thinking the same thing ...

Braun for Sec of State. The lady is intelligent, articulate and level-headed - everything we're going to need in a Sec of State if we want to reconcile with the rest of the world. But ... I think Bill Richardson would be a good choice, too.

I like Conyers or Waxman for AG - hadn't thought of Waxman before. Not sure about Homeland Security, but I wouldn't pick Lieberman - he seems more interested in Israel's security than ours.

I think Hillary would be wasted in Education or HHS. Cleland for Veterans Affairs is perfect!


edited for spelling

[hezekkia]

15. hillary

HRC would draw too much attention away from the top of the Administration. she needs to stay a quiet but strong voice in the Senate.

[rucky]

18. Realistically, I wouln't take ANY Sen or Rep from their seats...

we need every last one. But this is just a fantasy cabinet.

[newyawker99]

24. Hi hezekkia!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[hezekkia]

3. Dean/CLARK dream cabinet:

President: Dean
Vice-President: Clark
Secretary of State: Bill Richardson
Treasury: Robert Reich
Defense: Bob Kerrey
AG: Jennifer Granholm
Homeland Security: Jay Rockefeller
Interior: Rep. Harold Ford
Agriculture: Anyone opposed to massive farm subsidies, esp. to corporate farms.
Commerce: Mark Warner (governor of VA)
Labor: Dick Gephardt
HHS: Olympia Snowe
HUD: Cynthia McKinney
Transportation: Napolitano
Energy: Gray Davis (just for a laugh)
Education: Jim Jeffords
Veterans Affairs: Cleland

:dem:

[UrbScotty]

7. First of all, welcome to DU, hezekkia.

Interesting choices.

Let me be honest, though: Gray Davis might not go over well in the Senate, even if we win back the Senate. I'd doubt he'd get 60-70 votes. I think he'd be confirmed; I just think he'd be the Ashcroft of the Dean administration.

I see you have Granholm as AG. Are you from Michigan?

[hezekkia]

9. well...

Actually I'm from West Virginia. I've just been impressed with Granholm, and I think she'd be good on the national stage.

As for Gray, I would never *seriously* appoint him Energy Secretary. I think Arianna Huffington would be much better, though I'm not sure she has the expertise and technical know-how.

[Vikingking66]

13. wow

That damn near empties out the Senate.

[hezekkia]

16. ???

I only took 1 Senate Dem (Rockefeller), 1 Republican (Snowe), and 1 Independent (Jeffords). how bi-partisan of me. ;-)

[Vikingking66]

20. erased

erased

[pruner]

4. Lieberman for Homeland Security?

America's or Israel's?

[UrbScotty]

6. Don't forget, maybe, Rubin (again) for Treasury Sec

Maybe Eliot Sopitzer for AG.

Where's Kerry? Chief of Staff, maybe?

[hezekkia]

10. kerry

Kerry will be the junior Senator from Massachusetts.

>>Where's Kerry? Chief of Staff, maybe?

[pruner]

11. Elliot Spitzer would be good for AG

I also like Edwards for the position since he's already given up his Senate seat.

I really don't think we oughta be looking to raid the senate for cabinet secretaries. we have enough problems electing Dems (and holding on) to those seats in the first place.

[hezekkia]

14. Senate Dems

good point on Edwards... He should get something, i'm just not sure what.

I fully agree with you on raiding the Senate Dems. Maybe we should appoint both Snowe and Collins so the Democratic governor of Maine will appoint two actual Democrats to the Senate. hehehe.

[Hippo_Tron]

22. Politician = bad choice for chief of staff

If I were president my chief of staff would be my current chief of staff (If I were a congressman, senator, or governor) or some sort of advisor I knew from previous experience. BTW nobody chose their national security advisor.

[Syrinx]

17. here's my first try (subject to change, after I think it over)

State: Wesley Clark (assuming he's not president)
Treasury: Paul Krugman
Defense: Sam Nunn
Attorney General: John Edwards (if not prez)
Homeland Security: Gary Hart
Interior: Walter Mondale
Agriculture: Charlie Stenholm
Commerce: Robert Rubin
Labor: Richard Gephardt (if not...)
HHS: Jim Jeffords
HUD: Charlie Rangel
Transportation: Robert Menendez
Energy: Jan Schakowsky
Education: Al Gore
VA: Max Cleland

[Lydia Leftcoast]

19. Definitely not McCain for Transportation!

He's too into cars as the only form of transportation. My nominee is Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon), who realizes that our changing world requires alternative forms of transporation for both environmental and sociological reasons.

I'd give McCain Veterans Affairs or Homeland Security.

Braun would be a great Ambassador to the UN if not Secretary of Education.

Others I either agree with or find strange. Why Gephardt for Energy?

[Hippo_Tron]

23. I'd feel like such an ass for giving the Republican the last cabinet post

But I think John McCain is very suited for veterans affairs considering that he is not only a veteran himself but seems to be in touch with veterans and has opposed Bush administration policies.

[Hippo_Tron]

21. Well I guess I'll give it a shot

Mine...

President: Kerry
VP: Clark
Secretary of State: Bill Richardson
Treasury: Sen. Baucus
Defense: Sen. Biden
Attorney General: Sen. John Breaux
Interior: Gore
Agriculture: Nader
Commerce: Dean
Labor: Gephardt
HHS: Kucinich
HUD: Cruz Bustamante
Transportation: McCain
Education: Braun
Veterans Affairs: Ted Kennedy

I couldn't think of people for a lot of positions so at the moment this is the best I can do. I hate to intentionally diversify my cabinet but I think I definately need more women. Oh yeah there's no homeland security in my cabinet because I would do my best to get rid of it if I were president.