Obama Administration shaping up
President-elect Barack Obama is huddling with staff and weighing his options for his Cabinet.
We’re getting an early look at what the Obama Administration will look like, thanks to the time-honored Washington practice of name-floating.
(Name-floating: Where Administration officials get to anonymously release the names of potential appointees, and if they go over like a lead balloon or if some enterprising
blogger uncovers embarrassing and/or unseemly information about the potential appointee, the Administration gets to say that they were never going to have anything to do with Person X anyway. It’s kind of like a shortcut to due diligence, thanks to the willingness of today’s journalists to publish information attributible only to anonymous sources.)
It’s apparent that Obama’s administration will have a flair for the Clintonian—especially when it comes to economic policy. And why not? The 90s were a modern Gilded Age in America.
But overall, I’m still waiting for that whole bipartisan thing to happen. You can review the names on this list, but I’m having a hard time believing that any of these potential appointments is credible. Consider:
Colin Powell has been mentioned as a potential Secretary of Education. I’m not sure how Powell’s expertise in education trumps his expertise in the military and defense arena—maybe they’re just looking for a place to stick Powell where he won’t be able to do much GOP damage and they can say they have a Republican onboard.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates is rumored to be weighing staying on at least for a while. It could be argued that this is because Obama is still getting his feet wet in international affairs, and continuity—even with a Republican—is preferable to wholesale (dare I say it?) change.
U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) is being considered to eventually take Gates’ place in Defense or as Secretary of State. This seems like another token GOP mention; after all, most Republicans don’t know who Hagel is. And would Obama, who basically made the entire centerpiece of his foreign policy credentials his opposition to the Iraq War really carry a Republican as Secretary of State—especially when he has Bill Richardson, who has great international experience and is superloyal, waiting in the wings? I don’t think so.
U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) as Secretary of State: See above.
Also, there are some trends that are cause for concern among folks who are hoping that the whole bipartisanship-is-coming-to-Washington promise rings true:
Seriously, the head of one of the country’s biggest labor unions as labor secretary? Seriously? Labor unions are as partisan as organizations can possibly get. This one gets a big fat F from me.
John Kerry as Secretary of State? Like that ego needs any boosting. Ugh, can you imagine four years with Kerry as the face of American foreign policy? Never mind that the man wanted to be president himself. You think he wouldn’t be constantly—even subconsciously—upstaging the new president? Maybe that’s why Kerry’s name has made this list because he’s lobbying for the job, not because Obama’s folks are courting him. This appointment is a disaster waiting to happen.
Howard Dean as Secretary of Health and Human Services? I ... I don’t even know what else to say about that other than ... Howard Dean as Secretary of Health and Human Services?? Howard Dean??? Oh, wait; I do have more to say. The chairman of the Democratic National Committee as a face in a supposedly-bipartisan administration? The man who said, “I hate the Republicans and everything they stand for…” and “This is a struggle between good and evil and we’re the good” and once drew an oblique comparison between the GOP and Serbian war criminal Slobodan Milosovic? Dean’s appointment would cost Obama all credibility on bipartisanship and a new tone in Washington; even left-leaning independents would recoil at this one.
Arne Duncan, CEO of Chicago Public Schools, as education secretary? Could Duncan overcome the obvious objection that Obama would be padding the Cabinet with homefolks from Chicago? (P.S. Right now, CPS is dealing with widespread allegations of coaches beating athletes.)
OK. Now, with all that said, just to reassure you Obama folks out there that I do have an open mind, there are some winners on this list (which adds to my confusion about why the losers are appearing). They include:
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson as Secretary of State: This one is a no-brainer. Richardson has outstanding experience in foreign relations and has been waiting for this appointment ever since he left the Clinton Administration. Yes, he ran for president, too, but Richardson strikes me as more of the please-like-me type than the I’m-better-than-you type. The worst thing you can say about the guy (reputationally speaking) is that he lied about being a professional baseball player. Chalk it up to childhood fantasies; this should be Obama’s easiest pick.
Next no-brainer is U.S. Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) for Secretary of Homeland Security. Harman has made her reputation as a tough and fair congresswoman with an eye for detail. Don’t get in an argument with her about intelligence or domestic security—unless you like to lose. Obama needs Harman—and her experience—on his team.
Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano for Attorney General: Widely regarded as a no-nonsense, level-headed executive who gets the job done, she’s wildly popular in her state. Her only stumbling block in the Senate would be her squishy enforcement of immigration laws—but with the GOP at 40 seats and possibly sinking, their objections will be mostly sound, little fury.
Alabama’s own U.S. Rep. Artur Davis even makes the list as a potential AG appointment. His personal ambitions undeniably lie more with occupying a certain mansion in Montgomery, but given Obama’s disappointing performance statewide last week, Davis may be rethinking his options. He’s forged a good friendship with Obama, but will that be enough to trump the experience of other potential AG picks—especially Napolitano? My guess is no.
One final note: If you have time to kill, try tracking down some of these lawmakers on OnTheIssues.org. Click on Arizona—-> Janet Napolitano, for example, and you’ll find a list of her positions on the issues; scroll all the way down, and you’ll find a handy political philosophy finder (bonus: It’s a graphic!). Napolitano, according to OnTheIssues.org, is a dead-on centrist. This is helpful for knowing where the folks being discussed really fall in the political spectrum. Be forewarned, though: The list doesn’t —its slogan notwithstanding—have “every elected official on every issue” (Napolitano, curiously, doesn’t have an “issue stance” on civil rights, for example). Take it for what it’s worth.
Maybe you have other thoughts on this list. Click here for the complete rundown—so far.
