Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Jandar]

Let's get some real predictions on the shape of the new US Executive Branch.

[Gopher]

Premature.

[Milwaukiedave]

Let's talk about it on Nov 5th. While things look to be going that way, it's not over.

[Ya-ta Boy]

I'm betting Bill Richardson gets State. He's got the credentials for it and has played a significant role in bringing Latino votes to the Democrats.

I'm not sure he would nominate Warren Buffet to Treasury. He might. I am sure he wants to keep him on as some kind of economic advisor.

It would be good to ask Gates to stay on at Defense. Continuity and all that. If that doesn't fly, he could go with former Sen. Sam Nunn of Georgia.

I strongly suspect he'll nominate the little-known governor of Alaska to be ambassador to Russia and make use of her foreign policy experience.

[Jandar]

State - Bill Richardson

Treasury - Micheal Bloomberg

Defense - Wesley Clark (or gates remains)

Justice - Andrew Cuomo

Interior - Arnold Schwarzenegger (or Al Gore)

Agriculture - Jeanne Shaheen

Commerce - Mitt Romney

Labor - Mike Gravel

Health & Human Services - Caroline Kennedy

Housing & Urban Development - Jessi Jackson Jr.

Transportation - Michael Dukakis

Energy - Al Gore (or Arnold Schwarzenegger)

Education - Carol Moseley Braun

Veterans Affairs - Max Cleland

Homeland Security - Bennie Thompson

The rest can be handed out as political capital (favors).
The trick is to do it without losing seats in the House or Senate, so if you take from either of those, be sure you can get the seat filled with a proponent.

Strategically the Carol Moseley Braun selection will keep the Media in fits for few weeks while the rest get approved.

On a side not: My opinion the top jobs are State, Treasury, Defense, Interior, Justice and DHS. I'd like to see Energy, Transportation, and Commerce incorporated into Interior.

[Gopher]

I do not believe it likely that A. Gore would serve in anyone's cabinet at this point in his career. He is a highly-respected senior statesman with a Nobel Prize. Anything less than President or possibly Secretary-General at the UN seems beneath him.

[Jandar]

Others I'd like to see involved in the next administration:

Richard Lugar
Bill Cohen
Sam Nunn
Collin Powell

[Gopher]

All right, then. Mentioning Sam Nunn makes me happy. If he indeed serves in this cabinet that will go a long way toward making this a good govt. Senate confirmation would be over in ten seconds or less, too.

[Ya-ta Boy]

There are some real heavy-weight names on that list of yours, Jandar. Some of them have enough star power potential to out-shine Obama. Word is, one of his favorite books is Doris Kearns Goodwin's "Team of Rivals" (about how Lincoln put his rivals in his cabinet to maximize their talents in service to his administration).

[Gopher]

We simply call that "cooptation," Ya-ta Boy. This represents more of that hero stuff I was talking about.

[Ya-ta Boy]

Would that be the royal 'we', Gopher?

[Jandar]

Oh, I forgot Edwards he'd be another good choice at Interior, or Commerce or Energy or even AG.

[Gopher]

Let us please leave J. Edwards where he is. And where is Richard C. Holbrooke in your potential list, Jandar? SecState or DNI, I would anticipate.

Holbrooke and Nunn. Nice ring to that.

[Jandar]

Holbrooke is way too Clintonesque.

[Gopher]

He is the best qualified for the job. If B. Obama and his people want to exclude all of those "too close to the Clinton Administration," they will be cutting off their noses to spite their faces.

I would not have expected this, either, given your proposing B. Richardson's name -- also a first-rate candidate, by the way. Guess we will have to wait and see.