mods: if this is more of IMHO territory, consider this pre-paid postage
So on top of the who would you pick for PotUS, I am curious how people would fill out the rest of the spots in the administration, but using the current crop of candidates as a starting point. Fill more cabinet spots too, I’m only starting with the ones that I’d have an idea of what to do with, but I would like to learn more about the other spots. I guess I went with sort of an All-Star since I had to go with people I knew. Though it might not be a bad strategy for Obama either, given the whole ‘inexperienced’ thing
President: Barak Obama
Vice President: Brian Schweitzer or Russ Feingold
Attorney General: John Edwards
Sec of State: Bill Richardson
Sec of Defense: Chuck Hagel
Sec of Peace: Dennis Kucinich
Sec of Treasury: Michael Bloomberg
Sec of Health&HS: Mike Huckabee
Sec of Veterans Affairs: John McCain
Sec of Homeland Security: Thad Allen
Sec of Interior: Maria Cantwell
Sec of Education: ???teach me- I’d want some one who believes, not only in evolution(sorry huck), but a strong focus in liberal arts.
Sec of Energy: Al Gore**
UN Ambassador: Bill Clinton**
*Let me have this one. If you listen to his Dept of Peace plan it is really quite a good idea. I would like to think a deal was struck to establish this and that is the reason that Kooch backed Obama over Edwards.
**Could you imagine?
Feel free to criticize where fit; I’d love your feedback. I’m a bit nervous here in GD territory, but I can take it. Oh, and bonus- in regards to my brilliant posting back in '03, I assure you I have since learned how to spell congratulations…or at least learned to use a spell check. :rolleyes:
ETA: I’m gone for the weekend but I promise I won’t post and run. I’ll be back to answer any posts later.
What I like: Obama and the Bill Clinton thing…
Huckabee overseeing Health and Human services scares the (expletive deleted) out of me. He would want to politicize family planning and I’d think he wouldn’t be able to tow the line in good conscience.
I would like to see Biden do SOMETHING, but he already is in the Senate. It’s just that you don’t usually get a Democrat with that kind of history in foreign relations… Sec of State seems unlikely, but so does VP.
I don’t know if most of these people would agree to give up what they are doing to take these positions…
I wish I knew more secondary names and such to recommend some better names…
I think they usually give AG to someone who has a decent amount of relevant experience. The current guy used to be a judge, Alberto was the head WH lawyer guy (and also a judge in Texas, I think), Ashcroft was assistant AG in Missouri, Reno was a lawyer for the Miami State attorney’s office. I think it’s a stretch to say that Edward’s years as a personal injury lawyer give him the same sort of background.
Plus his passion seems to be for programs that help the poor and lower middle class, if you wanted him in the cabinet, I’d put him in Health and Human Services (which no Dem will put Huckabee in charge of in a million years, for the reason Reading mentioned)
My thinking with Huckabee was in his talk of promoting preventative healthcare, fighting obesity, diabetes, and such through healthier living. Though thinking more about this, his qualifications for this role are probably no better than a contestant on Biggest Loser, and they probably would not also try to promote a ‘no condoms, no abortion’ sex policy. Point taken. I do like the consideration of Edwards for this role though; good thinking.
Edwards- I just like the fire he would bring to the position in contrast with Gonzo, as well as the fight he would be willing to bring against corporate interests. Right again though, not really the experience the position would call for.
I like Biden, and hey, I already pulled Cantwell out of the Senator pool so why not? Where would he go?
Quartz- that is not a pamphlet of ideas that I think I would care to subscribe to.
Bloomberg, McCain, Allen, and Gore- what of these? Fitting? Likely?
I certainly wouldn’t mind Gore as head of DoE, but I don’t think he’d take it. He seems to be enjoying his current role as elder statesmen/Global Warming rockstar, I doubt he’d want to get back into the daily grind again.
McCain would be a good choice for VA, though if he gets the GOP prez nomination, I can’t imagine an eventual Dem prez would be able to select him to run anything after having spent the last year campaigning against him.
I only hear good things about Allen, though that may just be because his predecessor was such a schmuck that anyone looks good in comparison.
Another thing to think about is that control of the Senate may still be a close thing in 2009. Pulling senators out for cabinet positions may affect that. Arizona has a Dem governor for example, so McCain may be replaced by Dem senator of he resigns for a new job (assuming resigning Senators are replaced by the Governors appointee in AZ, I don’t actually know if that’s the case).
