Cabinet Fever: Making the Obama Administration

With the 2008 election over, the hot speculation du jour is over the makeup of Barack Obama's cabinet. While this may lack some of the sheen of electing the Leader of the Free World, we can still have a little bit of fun with it.

While I've already weighed in with my suggestion on whom not to pick for Secretary of the Treasury (sexism hot-potato Larry Summers), I'd like to take this opportunity to help us all watch the new Obama administration take shape. He's already picked his Chief of Staff, "Parkway Salute"-challenged DLC bulldog Rahm Emanuel, but that still leaves a lot of work for us to do.

Here's my plan: I will lay out, for each post, the buzzed-about names, a reach-across-the-aisle pick, a spit-across-the-aisle pick, and my own recommendation. I'll also throw in some ideas for new cabinet agencies, for good measure. I further reserve the right to abandon this format, without notice, if I feel like it.

Building the Cabinet:

Get the new
PD toolbar!


Secretary of State: Senator John Kerry is said to be campaigning pretty hard for the post, but he's the "Spit Pick." Kerry, right or wrong, is a polarizing figure for the right.

Reach Pick: Chuck Hagel is a leading candidate from the right, and a good fit for this post. Some say that if Obama leaves Robert Gates as Defense Secretary, he'll be less likely to appoint a Republican to this post. This would put Hagel in the lead to succeed Gates once the Iraq occupation has wound down.

Others on the hot list include Greg Craig (He's a non-starter. Two first names is one thing, but the same first name?), Richard Holbrooke, and Susan Rice.

My Pick: Another Rice, current Secretary of State Condolezza. She accomplishes a lot for him politically, it's a healing pick, and she can hit the ground running. Even her critics will admit that she has almost single-handedly rehabilitated the Bush administration's diplomatic record since assuming the post.

Secretary of Defense: As I said earlier, the current speculation is that Obama will leave current SecDef Robert Gates in place until the drawdown in Iraq. Beyond that, Chuck Hagel is a leading candidate.

Also under consideration are former NavSec Richard Danzig, Senator Jack Reed, and former deputy SecDef John "Please Don't Hurt 'em" Hamre. (We would have also accepted John "2 Legit 2 Quit" Hamre.)

Reach Pick: Ashley Todd. Although she could be counted on to try and provoke international incidents, she would do it so clumsily that it would never work. Really? Kim Jong Il carved an upside-down rising sun on your cheek?

My Pick: (also a mild "Spit Pick," or "Gleek Pick") General Wesley Clark, who was pilloried during the campaign for making the most reasonable point in the world, in response to a leading question. Clark has stellar credentials, and represents a great bridge between Hillary Clinton and Obama supporters.

Clark is also very popular with the Democratic base, which would ease the sting of any other possible GOP or DLC appointments.

Secretary of the Treasury: Having ruled out Larry Summers and Jimmy the Greek, what are we left with? Another former Clinton T-Sec, Robert Rubin, heads the shortlist with bad idea Summers. Other money nerds under consideration are Tim Geithner and Paul Volcker. Warren Buffet is a longshot, but so is Jimmy. Keep that shaker of salt handy, just in case.

Reach Pick: Carly Fiorina would be a nice combo Spit/Reach Pick, since she's a Republican who was thrown under the Straight Talk Express for observing that Presidents make lousy CEO's. Makes sense, if the reverse is any indication.

My Pick: Paul Krugman. Barack Obama is bringing SmartyBack, and Krugman fits in nicely. There is zero chance of this happening, by the way. I might as well recommend Scrooge McDuck or Richie Rich.

Attorney General: My fellow Jersey guy, Mark Alexander, is a top candidate for White House Counsel, so I'll leave him off of this list. Obama senior legal adviser Eric Holder heads the list, with Mass. Governor Deval Patrick and Obama's Harvard Law professor, Chareles Ogletree, also in contention.

Reach Pick: Former acting AG Jim Comey and Scooter Libby prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald are also being bandied about. I'll kill two birds with one stone and pick Fitzgerald as the Reach and Spit Across the Aisle pick.

My Pick: Hillary Rodham Clinton. She certainly has the bona fides, and this would still keep her available for that much-talked-about Supreme Court appointment. Considering how they've fallen all over themselves to compliment her during the campaign, Republicans would be hard-pressed to oppose the appointment, and she could be counted on to remain independent from the Executive branch.

Secretary of Education: Colin Powell heads a list of Spit Picks that also includes Caroline Kennedy. Powell, had he not endorsed Obama, would have been my Reach Pick, but instead, I'll have to go with...

Reach Pick: Joe the Plumber, but we'll have to change the title to "Secretary of Edu-muh-cation."

My Pick: Alex Trebek. He has dedicated his career to smartening up American adults, and I think the "Jeopardy!" model could really work in our schools. After 8 years of Jeff Foxworthy, what have we got to lose?

Homeland Security: First order of business here is a name change. I've never liked it, it sounds very 1940's. Tim Roemer, NYPD Commisioner Ray Kelly, and ex-FEMA head James Lee Witt are under consideration.

My Pick: John McCain. He's well-suited to the job, as DHS is a huge department in need of reform, and since the agency now controls immigration enforcement, the post further plays to McCain's strengths. It would also be ine hell of a healing pick, too.

Secretary of Agriculture: Tom Vilsack is the only name being kicked around, so it would be embarassing if he doesn't get it. Still. I like the idea of...

My Pick: Willie Nelson. He could oversee a huge new cash crop, and we wouldn't even have to pay him.

Secretary of Energy: There's a pretty long list for this post that includes PA Gov. Ed Rendell (a personal favorite of mine, whom I would love to see as Press Secretary), and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

My Pick: I like Arnold as a bridge between liberals and conservatives, but in the interest of keeping to the format, I'll say Fred Thompson. The guy doesn't use much, so the savings alone are worth it.

Sources for this article, unless otherwise noted, are HuffPo, CBS News, and my head. Just for fun, let me hear your picks, and you ideas for new cabinet agencies.



Follow PoliticsDaily On Facebook and Twitter,
and download the new Politics Daily toolbar!