What’ s the matter with Bill Richardson for SoS?
I don’t think much of Richardson anymore. He struck me as a lightweight during the campaign - making lots of gaffes and not adding much of anything substantial to the conversation. There was one interview he did on ‘This Week’ that looked like a Sarah Palin interview. He stumbled over basic facts and kept answering a different question when he didn’t know the answer to the proper one. And he didn’t go very far in the Presidential race, either. But he was one of the earliest people to endorse Obama and I think the Richardson endorsement helped Obama quite a bit, so I suppose Obama owes him something.
Reports are coming out now that say Obama’s going to make his economic picks Monday - I’m guessing those will be announced rather than these leaks, with which his people are or are not cooperating - with Geithner as Secretary of the Treasury.
The Washington Post suggested Richardson may become Commerce Secretary or an ambassador to China.
Hillary as Secretary of State! Wow! that’s going to come with a lot of bagage (Bill).
My opinion and support of Obama just plummeted.
Huh? Why would they explode? Zakaria is already a very high-profile media personality and he isn’t particularly attacked by the right:crazy or otherwise. And I really dislike the idea of giving the “crazy right” a veto power over whom Obama appoints.
Because of Hillary Clinton as Sec of State?
Really?
That seems a little fickle. It’s not that surprising a pick. She knows her shit.
Look, Obama, to govern effectively, needs some people who have experience in government – federal, executive-branch experience, such as he himself lacks, as we were endlessly reminded during the campaigning; and he needs Democrats – anyone who served under Reagan or either Bush is tainted and not to be trusted. The only people available who meet both criteria are those who served in the Clinton Admin. (Carter aides would be too old by now.) Which does not mean they’ll do just as they did under Clinton’s leadership; who is ultimately giving them their orders does make a difference, or, if you will, a change.
I’m sure the RW would be squawking even louder, if Obama had chosen to surround himself with unknown, inexperienced cronies, like Jimmy Carter did.
I don’t like her, I don’t trust her, and I think she and the country would be better served by her remaining in the Senate. The only reason I can see for Obama picking her is that he is holding to the adage that you “keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”
It’s Geithner for Treasury. He has all the right experience and abilities. The Dow gained 400 points within an hour of the report. Geithner is a well respected think-tanker, as opposed to the CEO types we’ve seen in the past decade or two. As head of the NY Fed, he’s been in the bowels of this economic crisis since it began to unravel. And Wall Street almost universally trusts him. In addition to his economics expertise, he speaks Chinese (don’t know which one[s]) and Japanese, and was a student of Asian studies. He’s also Obama’s age.
General Jim Jones has been tapped for National Security Advisor. He will serve as the hub of the national security team that will include Hillary, Biden, and Napolitano. Jones is a four-star marine general, who’s on a first name basis with leaders all over Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. He’s about 6 foot 4, and needless to say is a commanding presence. He’s the perfect choice to coordinate and discipline all these elephants.
Obama is a genius. And he’s got real balls.
He chose her because, next to Obama, she is one of the most respected American leaders among people throughout the world. She has extensive experience in brokering agreements among foreign interests, especially in human rights (most notably women’s rights), and family health. She will be the smiling face of America on Obama’s behalf. And she has pledged to represent his — and only his — diplomatic agenda.
Update: Dow closed more than 500 points up.
It’s Bill Richardson for Commerce.
Gotcha ya.
There’s been speculation, IIRC, about Bill as U.S. Ambassador to the UN. His wife as SoS would dovetail nicely with that. (And she gets him out of the house for a while. ;))
. . . I guess he’s qualified, but isn’t he an awfully big free-trader? I was hoping the Obama Admin would portend a change in that policy field, at least. Fair trade, not free trade!
I’m not at all an expert on Geithner, but I felt earlier that he was the right choice because he’s new, compared to Volker and Summers. Obama’s gone with experience in many areas and that’s a good move. Particularly if he’d picked Summers, though, I expected people to say “How is he going to guide the economy out of this crisis when he didn’t do anything to prevent it? Why is he the right pick now? This is just recycling.” Choosing someone “new” (but not inexperienced) seems more responsive to the current situation, and more forward-looking.
I’m not sure what qualifies Richardson for commerce in particular, but since he endorsed Obama and there aren’t any other Latinos in the cabinet to this point you had to expect him to end up someplace. (I don’t bring up the Latino issue to suggest he’s unqualified, but Obama wanted a diverse cabinet and I’d heard this discussed.)
To recap the potentials so far:
Secretary of State: Sen. Hillary Clinton
Secretary of the Treasury: NY Fed Chairman Timothy Geithner
Secretary of Defense: no word, but Sec. Gates may stay on
Attorney General: former Deputy AG Eric Holder
Secretary of the Interior: unknown
Secretary of Agriculture: unknown
Secretary of Commerce: NM Gov. Bill Richardson
Secretary of Labor: unknown
Secretary of Health and Human Services: ex-Sen. Majority Leader Tom Daschle
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: unknown
Secretary of Transportation: unknown
Secretary of Energy: unknown
Secretary of Education: unknown
Secretary of Veterans Affairs: unknown
Secretary of Homeland Security: AZ Gov. Janet Napolitano
Other positions named or suggested or strongly rumored:
WH Chief of Staff: Rahm Emanuel
Deputy White House Chiefs of Staff: Jim Messina, Mona Sutphen
Senior Advisers: David Axelrod, Pete Rouse, Valerie Jarrett [Jarrett is also Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Liason]
Press Secretary: Robert Gibbs
National Security Adviser: Gen. James Jones
Director of the Office of Management and Budget: Peter Orszag
Vice President’s Chief of Staff: Ron Klain
Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs: Phil Schiliro
White House Counsel: Greg Craig
Cabinet Secretary: Chris Lu
Staff Secretary: Lisa Brown
EPA Administrator: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Assuming the Clinton thing is for real, which by now I have to admit it is, you wonder who would take her spot. I am positive it won’t be Gov. Paterson. RFK Jr. might be interested and weighing the potential damage I’d prefer that solution to a cabinet post.
The reason is because it was down like 500 points the previous day. It’s been doing that a lot lately. Don’t read anything into it.
Here’s what the Dow did today. I don’t need to tell you when word of the Geithner pick got out. 
It’s not right to put it ALL on him in my opinion, since there was other stuff going on and some of it is probably just relief that ANY pick has been made, but still, you get the sense Wall Street generally approves.
I say Nita Lowey gets Hil’s spot.