The Kerry Administration

OK all... Im tired of bad news, from Iraq to the economy to John Kerry only being slightly more intersting than the toenail on my pinky toe of my left foot... I want positive thoughts and optimism about the future...

And so, In line with the "Veepstakes" of which I am so sick of... I wanna see who we all want in the cabinet of the Kerry administration. Who are our favorites?  Who do we wanna see shaping the new agenda?

•  Tip Jar

  Lets see, lets see

  State: Clark
  Defense: McCain (think Democratic Senator from AZ)
  Attorney General: Edwards
  Treasury: Reich
  Education: Carol Mosely-Braun
  Interior: Nader (maybe he would shut up then)
  Commerce: tbd
  HHS: Howard Dean
  Transportation: Mineta... who really cares?
  Labor: Gephardt

  by Matt in Wisconi on Wed May 19, 2004 at 03:30:07 PM PDT

  •  Agree With Most

    I might add a few

    • State: Clark. Though Richard Holbrooke is considered a strong contender. Even Sen. George Mitchell, given his role in the resolving the Northern Ireland problem and in trying to negotiate peace in the Middle East.
    • National Security Advisor: Rand Beers. He is heading Kerry's Foreign Policy Team now.
    • UN Ambassador: Jamie Rubin or George Mitchell.
    • Interior: Nader (maybe he would shut up then). Or, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
    • White House Chief of Staff: Howard Dean. That'd make Dean the 2nd most powerful person in DC. If offered, would he do it? Not sure.

    by JekyllnHyde on Wed May 19, 2004 at 03:43:08 PM PDT

    •  RFK

      unior RFK has to be EPA.  Schumer looks to be running for Governor, so Spitzer as AG is a perfect fit.  The question is, who fills Schumer's senate seat in '06?

      by wells on Wed May 19, 2004 at 03:50:31 PM PDT

      •  Bill Clinton

        2% of the United States Senate then would be Clintons.

        by Show Me Dem on Wed May 19, 2004 at 03:58:53 PM PDT

  •  Clark will not do at the State Dept.

    Richard Holbrooke is waiting in the wings for the next DEM administration and the job is his if Kerry gets elected; he's experienced and able, and would represent the U.S. well.  Clark is better suited in a newly-created diplomatic post assigned solely to working with Europe and NATO allies to repair damge done by BushCo.  National Security Adviser would work for him as well. Also, McCain isn't stupid, he knows that with a DEM governor to appoint his replacement he would be jeopardizing the REP Senate majority by accepting any position in the Kerry admin.  He likes the Senate, anyway.  Gephardt and Reich working together at Labor and Treasury is really intriging, but you don't mention a candidate at Energy, and that figures to be a challenging job for the next four years. Nader would be a huge distraction over at Interior.

    by dwalker on Wed May 19, 2004 at 03:45:05 PM PDT

  •  I like it

    but I like Bob Kerrey or Carole Mosley-Brown for AG.

    Chances are Johnny Sunshine will have a different role. <fingers crossed>

    For Education, I really only want Paige OUT. There are any number of good candidates for this. ABP.

    by Avila on Wed May 19, 2004 at 04:02:09 PM PDT

    •  CMB was on the verge of credibility

      before she started running for president, but all credibility was lost when she dropped out and endorsed Dean days before the caucus.

      No way Kerry gives her anything.

      by Show Me Dem on Wed May 19, 2004 at 04:48:24 PM PDT

      •  Concede

        on CMB.

        What about Bob Kerrey? Any place for him in your Cabinet? This guy has won me over big time with his work on the 9/11 Commission.

        by Avila on Wed May 19, 2004 at 05:12:28 PM PDT

        •  If it were'nt for the

          name issue I would be all about him for V.P., as it is he would be fine in Homeland Security (or at State, I would be cool with a Hart,Kerrey flip in those positions)

          He deserves a position, you just have to be careful about where and when you announce it. The last thing to do is politicize the 9/11 commission. Neither the Commission nor Bob Kerrey deserve that, despite the Republicans doing it. We should be above that.

          by Show Me Dem on Wed May 19, 2004 at 05:19:15 PM PDT

          •  Agree

            with not politicizing The Commission.

            Another question: Do you think Tenet will stay on/be kept on as CIA chief?

            This may be an opportunity for Kerrey, although personally, I like Tenet.

            by Avila on Wed May 19, 2004 at 05:41:08 PM PDT

            •  I want to see Bob Graham in there

              I think that despite the fact that Tenent is a good CIA Director that he is 'tainted' and it would be best for Kerry to get a fresh start with an new clean CIA director as well as in the FBI.

              by Show Me Dem on Wed May 19, 2004 at 06:31:34 PM PDT

              •  Good idea!

                I like Bob Graham for CIA, too. Excellent picks all around, sir. :)

                by Avila on Wed May 19, 2004 at 08:21:21 PM PDT

                •  Thanks,

                  always nice to know your not crazy.

                  by Show Me Dem on Thu May 20, 2004 at 03:28:40 AM PDT

•  CMB for

  Attorney General.

  by Coloradem on Wed May 19, 2004 at 03:35:26 PM PDT

  •  Ha

    sorry I could'nt contain myself.

    by Show Me Dem on Wed May 19, 2004 at 03:42:20 PM PDT

•  Gary Hart

  at Homeland Security.

  by Coloradem on Wed May 19, 2004 at 03:36:13 PM PDT

•  I laugh everytime I read

  Dean would be great as HHS, he is one of the highest profile democrats in the party, it would be a joke to relagate him to a position no one cares about and the media doesn't even cover unless there is a Mad Cow or some other outbreak.

  Dean wouldn't be in talks with Paramount right now for his own TV show if he cared at all or expected to be in Kerry's cabinet. The only position I could see Dean taking would be Sec. of State, and I couldn't see Kerry giving that to him.

  by ECH on Wed May 19, 2004 at 03:36:39 PM PDT

  •  Different position

    I think putting Dean in charge of the Treasury would be an excellent idea. It certainly may change the deficit problem. Remember, Dean has balanced a budget.

    by Dem 724 on Wed May 19, 2004 at 03:40:38 PM PDT

  •  well...

    One could argue that creatively taking on the challenges facing our health insurance "system" is a leadership task for Dr. Dean.

    It's a mess and it's a problem uniquely suited to his "rallying the people" gift, and his skill in grasping policy details.

     

    by Chance the gardener on Wed May 19, 2004 at 03:50:36 PM PDT

    •  I had thought of that myself

      something like the position that Hillary filled unofficially in the first Clinton administration.

      This is NOT the same as Secretary of HHS.

      by ScientistMom in NY on Wed May 19, 2004 at 04:00:58 PM PDT

      •  problem is...

        Devising the plan is a lot easier than implementing the plan, and we need help implementing the plan!

        That, and there is no single "plan," other than thinking of health care in terms that reach beyond commodification.

        by Chance the gardener on Wed May 19, 2004 at 04:11:53 PM PDT

•  Blogger Cabinet

  State: Juan Cole

  Defense: KOS

  Treasury: Brad DeLong

  Commerce: Kevin Drum

  Labor: Nathan Newman

  Attorney General: Jesse at Pandagon (well, he might not be a lawyer... yet...)

  by JimTXDem on Wed May 19, 2004 at 03:41:03 PM PDT

  •  Very good

    That's a good one. But you do know that DeLong was an actual deputy Treasury Secy under Clinton, right? It would be pretty neat if he got back in there under Kerry and continued to blog!

    A word after a word after a word is power. -- Margaret Atwood

    by tmo on Wed May 19, 2004 at 05:20:53 PM PDT

  •  No Drum

    Kevin Drum has no place in a Democratic cabinet.

    by eugene on Wed May 19, 2004 at 05:37:02 PM PDT

•  Clinton

  Put Bill Clinton at State or as ambassador to the UN. God knows we'll need to pull out our big guns to get the world back on our side.

  by SusanG on Wed May 19, 2004 at 03:50:40 PM PDT

  •  great Idea

    I thought Clinton sucked on domestic affairs but he is loved in the international community and we need some love after what W's done to our name.

    by ctkeith on Wed May 19, 2004 at 03:58:34 PM PDT

•  the list

  State: Gary Hart
  Defense: Max Cleland
  Attorney General: Spitzer
  Treasury: Fritz Hollings
  Education: Jim Hunt
  Interior: RFK Jr. or a Udall
  Commerce: Bill Daley
  HHS: Olympia Snowe or Susan Collins
  Transportation: Mineta or Birch Bayh
  Labor: Harkin
  

  by Show Me Dem on Wed May 19, 2004 at 03:56:36 PM PDT

  •  I'm fime with Cleland because hes a Dem and he's

    Smart.We must put a Dem in charge of Defense.Clinton made a huge mistake putting a Repub in charge.Not because of any other reason but it butressed the "Dems are weak on Defense "meme.

    by ctkeith on Wed May 19, 2004 at 04:03:43 PM PDT

    •  I think William Cohen

      was a fine SOD. I see no problem with appointing one when the fit the admin. I just don't see a republican fitting the bill right now.

      by Show Me Dem on Wed May 19, 2004 at 04:10:12 PM PDT

      •  he was OK

        But the message sent by having a republican in that particular position is something the Dem party is still paying for today.

        by ctkeith on Wed May 19, 2004 at 04:16:26 PM PDT

        •  I disagree

          Cohen was never posterchild of the Republican party and because he was'nt a John McCain (I.E. Republican everybody associates as such) I don't think most of the voting populace shares your opinion that he re-enforced the weak democrats story.

          by Show Me Dem on Wed May 19, 2004 at 04:25:17 PM PDT

•  I'm dubious on Edwards as AG

  He has little record on Civil Liberties, and what there is is not so hot. He'd be great heading the Consumer Product Safety division at Justice.

  by ben masel on Wed May 19, 2004 at 04:15:30 PM PDT

  •  Edwards as AG

    I really like Edwards, but for this cabinet, I want an AG who has a big appetite for crooked liars within the current, un-elected administration.

    by Avila on Wed May 19, 2004 at 04:25:51 PM PDT

•  FCC or EPA -- Al Gore

  Dean for HHS secretary and Sid Wolfe for FDA commish. Revenge!

  by Septic Tank on Wed May 19, 2004 at 04:26:38 PM PDT