Build a cabinet
 

What would your Obama or McCain cabinet look like......using Congressional Quarterly's' potential appointees by the candidates. (the choices are too limited)

What I would be happy to see as an Obama cabinet.

What I would not like to see as a McCain cabinet.

This is one thing I worry about if I were to vote for McCain. They may be all 'Mavricky', but picking someone like Lieberman for Defense Secretary would be crazy.

And I'm surprised Al Gore isn't in the running for the EPA. Is that job not good enough for him now?

Gore said he was done with politics unless he was going for the Presidency. Who knows, he could change his mind though.

I'd prefer to make my own list:
Ag: Matz
Atty Gen: Jerry Brown
Commerce: George Akerlof
Defense: Wed Clark
Education: dunno
Energy: Moniz
HHS: Throw Dean a bone
I'd disband DHS.
HUD: Retsinas
Interior: Mary Bomar
Labor: I'm torn between Gephardt and someone more socialist
State: Richardson
Trans: Heminger, definitely
Treasury: dunno
VA: Rieckhoff!
EPA: kidnap Gore's daughter and force him to serve
OMB: Furman
USTR: Taurullo

I think the VP selections give us an indication of how the candidates would approach cabinet selections. Obama will go for the safe "insider" picks. McCain will have a combination of "insider" picks and will have some surprises. I would prefer the McCain approach and I would be pleasantly surprised if Obama actually took a few risks.

ace...you are all over the map.

On the thread on the transistion, you claim McCain doesnt need as much prep as Obama because he knows all these Washington insiders....perhaps he will select a few Dems, but still insiders.

Or perhaps McCain's surprises will be more outsiders who are under investigation for ethics violations at the time of the selection...found later to have violated the public trust.

Cabinet should be as follows:

Empty.

Speaking as somebody with a lot of insider information on this AND as a left leaning sort, while the origins of DHS smacked of cronyism, the things that some of the agencies within are doing, are saving our lives every day.

They're not all "Brownie".

Your comment makes no sense or it seems you are putting a lot of effort into trying to be disagreeable.

To be clear - my point about a long term Washington insider having an advantage over a Washington outsider, was generic not specific to McCain/Obama. Re-read what I wrote.

Person A in my view starting on transition about 30 days prior to person B in my view will not have a martial advantage over the other. I basically said it won't make a difference, other than to those who put some meaning into forming a transition team before the election. I think Obama publicizing his transition plans is political, done to get votes.

Obama made a safe VP pick in Bidden. McCain to a risk in picking Palin. And generally I think Obama is less of a risk taker than McCain. I think this will be reflected in how they approach appointments.

If the above makes me all over the map, then I am all over the map if you say so. In the words of Popeye the sailor - I am, what I am.

And, speaking of being all over the map, I would stand by my name, my full name with honor. If there are people in the world who would not vote for me because of my middle name, screw 'em. If my opponent tried to make an issue of it, I would take that issue away by saying that I am proud of my name and that I am proud of the people who honor our democracy by voting based on issues. Obama needs to take a stand, then the issue goes away.

It's too centralized and they have too much power. Besides, it's redundant.

I see some value in DHS....consolidating FEMA, Coast Guard, ICE, etc in one department.

The issue is the laws under which they operate, which since the creation of DHS has become closer and closer to overstepping the Constitution.

i'm a little surprised not to see hillary clinton floating about in this parlor game.
what's the status on her in an obama administration, assuming there is one.


btw the cast of characters in the speculative mc-cain cabinet is frightening.

It seems, though, that we're getting used to replacing things that are dysfunctional instead of repairing them. I worry that the same problems that we have seen recently with FEMA could be present in DHS. Can you imagine that level of inability we saw from FEMA for Katrina during a "terrorist" attack?

I'd like to concentrate on fixing FEMA, the Coast Guard, etc. And make sure that interdepartmental communications are effective. Centralization, while seeming smart in making things more efficient, allows for consolidation of power.

I would like to see Obama pick McCain for Secretary of Defense or Veterans Affairs. He would please a lot of people in the middle of the country with that gesture.