Who is your pick for Attorney General?

[yebrent]

Poll question: Who is your pick for Attorney General?

This is is the 2nd of 5 polls for top Cabinet positions in a 2009 Democratic Administration.

The Cabinet positions being polled are as follows:

1. Secretary of State (Finished: Wes Clark is the winner with 51%)
2. Attorney General (current poll running through 2/27)
3. Secretary of Defense (2/27-3/01)
4. Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (3/01-3/03)
5. National Intelligence Director (3/03-3/05)

(Yes, I know the National Intelligence Director isn't an official Cabinet Position, but it is a highly critical position in the administration that oversees 16 separate intelligence agencies)

Why start this so early?

Glad you asked, for a couple of reasons:

These cabinet positions require strong public support for the individuals appointed. We trust these individuals to serve the US Constitution and “We the People” first, not the President or the Party. This is an opportunity to voice that trust.

Secondly, I don't think it hurts to show the depth of the Democratic Party's bench. There are many excellent Democratic candidates for cabinet seats, and holding these party leaders up for comparison against Gonzales, Condi, Gates and the rest of the Bush Cabal only helps our eventual Presidential nominee and national party image. Also, the sooner this party can think of itself as a team, the better. America is looking for a team to lead, not another neo-dictator and his yes-men and yes-women.

The 2nd poll up is for Attorney General. The winner of this poll will be excluded from the remaining polls.

Wes Clark is excluded from this poll and the remaining polls since he already placed 1st for Secretary of State: (Results: Clark 51% / Kerry 40% / Holbrooke 4% / Biden 2% / Graham 2%)

I've omitted the following people from all polls:

Leading Presidential Candidates:

Hillary Clinton
Barack Obama
John Edwards
Bill Richardson

Others:

Al Gore (may run and probably wouldn't take a cabinet position)
Nancy Pelosi (why would she give up what she's got?)
Harry Reid (Harry might be more willing than Pelosi, but I would be surprised)
Bill Clinton
Jimmy Carter

The nominees for Attorney General are listed randomly below. If you don't see your favorite, nominate them, and I'll add them next time. I hope to update this poll quarterly through the 2008 elections.

[More Than A Feeling]

1. I nominate Russ Feingold!

I know my last choice, John Kerry for Secretary of State, didn't win, but nonetheless, with Kerry as SecState and Russ as Attorney General, the new administration will have integrity coming out of its ears!

[hippiechick]

29. I second that nomination ...

... except of course, that he's going to be Vice President during the Gore Administration from 2008-2016 ... :)

[PresidentObama]

2. John Kerry n/t

[marmar]

3. I already selected my Guv, Jennifer Granholm....

but what about Mike Papantonio? He'd go after corporate criminals with vigor.

[baldguy]

4. Ralph Nader

[zeemike]

9. That would be poetic justice

But they would probably assassinate him.

[depakid]

17. Better for Nader would be to head up the FTC

[hippiechick]

30. Or FCC ... Or EPA ...

:shrug:

[election_2004]

37. Or the FEC

Just saying...

[win_in_06]

31. promise him a cabinet job as long as he doesn't run for POTUS

[longship]

5. Vincent Bugliosi

He's been there and done that. The man is fearless.

[Metta]

6. Ralph Nader, a tireless servant of progressive politics.

And on our side, no matter what else you may think of him.

[Apollo11]

14. Not on our side. Remember 2000.

Let's all find ways to show our support for Al Gore! :patriot:

Read Rolling Stone magazine: WHY GORE SHOULD RUN -- AND HOW HE CAN WIN
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/13248532/why_gore_should_run__and_how_he_can_win

Get ready for Al Gore's next book - The Assault on Reason - out in May!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/16/AR2006091600877.html

Visit the following websites:
www.algore.com
www.algore.org
www.draftgore.com - Sign the petition! :)

:kick:

[Hippo_Tron]

36. How is Nader on our side?

He's not a member of the Democratic Party and doesn't support the Democratic Party. Therefore he's not on our side. It's that simple.

[hippiechick]

38. Look at his record from *before* all the insane grandstanding ...

... there would be no automobile safety if it weren't for him.
No Freedom of Information Act.
Probably no EPA or FCC, toothless as they currently are.

He was one of the first and leading consumer advocates = probably long before you were born.

What got into him in 2000 ? I have no idea. But he's still done some great things for the people.

[Hippo_Tron]

40. I'm aware of his work as a consumer advocate, doesn't mean he's on our side

If he's actively working against the Democratic Party (which he is), then he is not on our side. He did some great things as a consumer advocate and I would say that back in the 70's he could be considered on our side. No longer is this the case.

[Adelante]

7. I would love John Kerry for AG nt

[Warpy]

8. John Kerry, hands down, for his investigations into BCCI

and Iran Contra. He's got a great reason to go after these crooked bastards and I think he would.

The only other one would be Eliot Spitzer, but I think he's better left as a two term Governor of New York. He's got a proven track record of going after corporations the SEC won't touch...and winning.

[liberalpragmatist]

10. Chances are it'll be someone none of us have heard of

A former assistant attorney general in the Clinton White House or a well-regarded U.S. attorney or top law enforcement official.

[yebrent]

18. you mean Jamie Gorelick?

She was Deputy Attorney General during the Clinton administration and she was a member of the 9/11 Commission. I almost included her.

[liberalpragmatist]

35. I had no idea

I have never heard of her, so I guess she would fit the criteria I laid out!

I wasn't getting at anybody in particular. It is quite possible the Attorney General will be someone prominent, but it's equally possible that it will be somebody most people aren't that familiar with.

[DU9598]

11. Roxanne Barton Conlin

Civil Rights Attorney, Former President of American Trial Lawyers Association, former US Attorney Southern District of Iowa, and recently settled the Iowa Class Action Anti-Trust suit against Microsoft.

[AJH032]

12. Janet Reno

n/t

[AX10]

13. John Conyers.

[cali]

15. Why bother putting up people who would never take it?

Why bother putting up folks who aren't qualified? In fact, why bother with this at all? Odds are the next AG under a dem is going to be someone you've never heard of.

[yebrent]

20. Well, you're no fun.

Please read the OP for the reasons behind this.

I have no idea who would and would not take the job and am not going to try to speculate.

Who exactly do you think is not qualified? Kennedy may not highly qualified, but the rest are for sure. Anyway, they are ALL far more qualified than Ashcroft and Gonzales.

[AtomicKitten]

16. tough choice between RFK, Jr and Fitz

RFK, Jr has the edge

[Czolgosz]

19. In what universe is Bill Richardson a "Leading Presidential Candidate"?

I think he'd have been a much better option as Secretary of State (with Gen. Clark as Secretary of Defense if not VP).

[yebrent]

21. well...

Many people claim he is the only second tier candidate currently in the running with any hopes of moving up to the top tier with Obama, Clinton and Edwards. That is all it is based on. No alternate universes that I am aware of.

[Czolgosz]

22. Even Biden and Vilsack have (or had in Vilsack's case) broader support and Dodd has raised much more

in campaign funds (which is at least some measure of how long he can run with the hope that his campaign will catch on).

I'm having a hard time believing that Richardson isn't just running to be Hillary's VP (Richardson and the Clintons are very, very close).

[yebrent]

23. To be perfectly honest...

I am using kos' Dem Weekly Cattle Call. In his opinion, Richardson is the most likely to break into the top tier among second tier candidates.

[yebrent]

24. Clark is disqualified from being Secretary of Defense...

until sometime in 2010. You need to be out of active military service for at least 10 years before becoming eligible to be the Secretary of Defense. Clark retired in 2000. Also, unless the next VP has as much power as Cheney, then I would rather have Clark as SoS. I have a feeling that the office of the VP will go back to being what it was before Cheney, a mostly ceremonial position.

[Czolgosz]

25. I did not know that so I'm officially smarter than I was 10 minutes ago.

[LaPera]

26. Michael The Terminator Moore!

[SteppingRazor]

27. I voted Spitzer, but I doubt he'd take the job...

governor of NY is a better springboard to the White House, where I'm guessing Spitzer will be headed in 2016 (or at least trying)

[Bullet1987]

28. Definently RFK Jr.

[Auntie Bush]

32. I like RFK too but we need him working on Environmental issues at the EPA..

He'd certainly do a heck of a lot better job than Whitman!

[Infinite Hope]

33. RFK Jr. n/t

[PhilipShore]

34. Other: Mark Green

Mark J. Green
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_J._Green

Mark J. Green (b. March 15, 1945) is a public interest author and lawyer and a retired Democratic politician who lives in New York City. He is probably best known for several high profile but unsuccessful campaigns in New York City and state, most notable of which was his run as the 2001 Democratic candidate for Mayor of New York against Republican novice Michael Bloomberg. He has written several books, including Who Runs Congress? (1972) and Selling Out: How Big Corporate Money Buys Elections, Rams through Legislation, and Betrays Our Democracy (2002). He has collaborated on published works several times with consumer advocate Ralph Nader. He was a regular guest on the show Crossfire on CNN, and also appears on the show Firing Line on PBS and Inside City Hall on NY1, usually representing the liberal point of view.

Political career

During the 1970s, Green worked as one of "Nader's Raiders" at Ralph Nader's Public Citizen, including working on a suit against the administration of Richard M. Nixon. In 1972, he attended the Democratic National Convention in Miami Beach as a delegate for Ramsey Clark (see his photograph on dianamarahenry.com). In 1981, he founded the New Democracy Project, a public policy institute in New York City, which he ran for several years. During the 1984 presidential election, he served as chief speechwriter for Democratic candidate Senator Gary Hart, who ran second in the primary. Green's first run for office came in 1986 when he ran as the Democratic candidate for the United States Senate seat from New York held by Alfonse D'Amato, who defeated Green and won re-election.

[Tellurian]

39. Eliot Spitzer..

Our worst AG...Janet Reno was disastrous.

[JNelson6563]

41. It would be great if

it could be someone who didn't have to leave an elected position. I'd hate to lose one of our great Senators.

Julie

[yebrent]

46. Senators are the most difficult to replace...

however, a real bozo would have to be nominated to lose Democratic Senate seats in some states, like California and Massachusetts for example. Governors have term limits, so they are often looking for a cabinet position while they are in their final term. Members of the House don't have much power, unless they hold committee chairs. It can be difficult to make progress on your agenda as just 1 person of 435.

Being in the administration can provide more instantaneous progress than being a member of Congress. For example, I imagine that Jim Webb might be getting pretty frustrated at the slow pace of progress in the Senate. I wonder if he would be interested being the Secretary of Defense in 2009? He could do far more as SoD to stop the war in Iraq and protect and care for the active military and veterans than he could ever do as the junior Senator from Virginia.

[Sparkly]

42. Whoever President Clark picked would be fine with me.

;)

[Adelante]

43. Heh

:hug:

[Larry Allen]

44. Thom Hartmann

[noonwitch]

45. Attorney General-Dennis Archer (former Detroit Mayor and MISC justice)

Dennis Archer's legal experience would make him a fine pick as Attorney General.

[NoPasaran]

47. Ronnie Earle