Politico speculates about possible Obama cabinet appointees (some interesting names)

[ps1074]

Attorney general: Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine; Eric Holder, who was deputy AG under Clinton and is now with Covington & Burling and led Obama’s vice presidential search; Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick; Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano

Supreme Court nominee: Washington superlawyer Robert Barnett; legal scholar Cass Sunstein; Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick; 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Sonia Sotomayor of New York; Elena Kagan, dean of Harvard Law School. Consensus is it would most likely be a woman.

Secretary of State: New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson; Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.); Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.)

Homeland Security secretary: Former Sen. Gary Hart (D-Colo.); William Bratton, Los Angeles police chief and former New York police commissioner; former Rep. Tim Roemer (D-Ind.), a member of the 9/11 Commission; Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.); Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine)

CIA director: Former Rep. Tim Roemer (D-Ind.), Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.)

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/15142.html

[nichomachus]

1. I think we need someone to head up a commission

to disband the ridiculous Homeland Security, which has been a horrendous money-wasting boondoggle since Day One.

[blm]

2. Homeland Security as it was ORIGINALLY INTENDED in Hart-Rudman Report on Global Terror

would have PREVENTED a 9-11 event.

What many despise is the monstrosity that BushInc created.

Hart would be the best choice as Homeland Security head, for the CITIZENRY and their rights.

[karynnj]

19. I agree Hart would be a brilliant choice there

[ErinBerin84]

3. They put in Arnold as possible energy secretary...yeah right.

Still, Obama's list was way better than the one they did for McCain...his was like "Um....Holy Joe...Lindsey Graham.....ebay lady.."

[Overseas]

6. Glad to learn it was just speculation because that Arnold thing galled me too.

Especially after his involvement with the Enron finagling.

[Kahuna]

4. Not bad.. Except Jane Harman as CIA director has got to be a joke. nt

[Donna Zen]

7. Not a joke

Harmon has been after that job for a long time. The speculation during the primaries was Harmon at CIA if Clinton won. Harmon is one of the Dems. that was torture only more. Just the thought kinda makes me puke on my shoes.

BTW, Cass Sunstein would fit right in with bush justice dept. since he's expressed similar views.

[Kahuna]

23. Harman is a hawk. It makes me puke in my shoes too the thought

of her in that position. Other than that, she's a lovely woman. :)

[dsc]

5. It would have been nice if one openly gay person had made the cut

Frank for Treasury, Attenburg for HUD to name two.

[camera obscura]

9. Frank for Treasury

would be a perfect choice a few months ago, but the Repubs would love it now, so they could pile on with the Fannie/Freddie fearmongering.

[camera obscura]

8. A few of them stand out

Tim Kaine as AG - anyone know much about his work in law? I read on Wikipedia that he worked with lower-income families which is a good start. I'd like to know more to make an assessment.

I have to say no to any sitting congressmen being in the cabinet. We need as many votes as we can get.

Why no Richard Clarke for Homeland Security?

[Alexander]

10. Janet Napolitano would be an excellent AG.

Unfortunately that would mean a Republican governor for Arizona.

[kwolf68]

11. Damn I love this one

Secretary of the Interior: Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.), Robert F. Kennedy Jr.


Makes my heart go 'bump'''...bobby jr or Jay for Interior Sec, after the wise-use fascists we've had?

I hate Energy Sec...have no desire for the Gropinator to be on the team.

Lincoln Chafee? Absolutely, he's more than welcome to be one of the Republicans.

[CADEMOCRAT7]

12. Oh... I love the idea of Tim Kaine for Attorney General.

This is so exciting !

[Warren DeMontague]

13. "Ambassador at large on climate change: former Vice President Al Gore"

I'm not sure what that job description would entail, but I'd sure like to have him involved!

[LittleBlue]

14. Want to see Chaffee and Hagel included.

Chaffee is basically more liberal than most Democratic Senators. Hagel isn't, but he knows not to send our troops into a war, and knows why we have to talk to Iran.


Both are 100% welcome.

[rvablue]

15. WTH??? Jane Harman as CIA Director?!?!?!

She must be big time pals with Arianna or something....I don't think so....

I lived in CA for more than a decade and I think a lot of CA DUers would agree with me on this.......

[tishaLA]

16. not only no but fuck no to Harman

I'd rather have Lugar as Secretary of State than Harman as Homeland Security or CIA Director.

[Sebastian Doyle]

17. The AG needs to be someone who is ready to take on corporate corruption

I heard that Napolitano did some of that in AZ, but I wouldn't want my second favorite state to get stuck with Jan Brewer as governor, especially if the state goes for Obama in this election (or even comes close) and is clearly trending blue.

John Edwards WAS my choice for AG before the National Enquirer soap opera. And if I had to guess, I'd say that's precisely WHY the story was leaked in the first place. "Somebody" didn't want to take any chances of him getting the job. If Kerry is up for a cabinet position, maybe he would be a better fit here, if Edwards is considered "damaged goods" after the so called scandal.

SOS - Richardson, definitely. If Obama is going to put a Republican in his cabinet, Lugar would probably one of the better ones, but maybe he might be better at Defense?

Homeland Security - give it to Gary Hart and let him rebuild it the way it should have been in the first place. Don't give it to anyone from the 9/11 Whitewash commission, for fucks sake.

CIA director: Valerie Plame. (as a big "fuck you" to the Bush Crime Family)

[karynnj]

22. Though Kerry has fought more corruption than any other Senator,

I think it would be a waste of his talents to make him AG, though I think they need someone very good there. (I would assume there is someone, we have never heard of, doing excellent work as a DA somewhere in the country - who has taken on tough cases, has unshakable integrity and has shown he can run his organization well (consider the accounts from 2004 of John Kerry in the late 1970s- fighting the MAFIA and - there likely are people like that NOW with even more experience than Kerry had.)

I think he would be better as Senator with the committee assignments he has (and the likelihood that they will continue to improve) or as Secretary of State where he would be able to address both foreign policy and global warming treaties.

[JCMach1]

18. I don't want to see Jane Harman anything except replaced by a progressive

...One of my most unfavorite dems...

[Bad Thoughts]

20. No Robert Reich?

I'm a little disappointed.

[Phoonzang]

21. The supreme court nominee needs to be as young and healthy as possible.

Can High Schoolers be appointed to the Supreme Court? :)