On Christian Democracy: Obama’s Future Cabinet
November 9, 2008 by admin 
Print This Post
By Robert Christian
Barack Obama will be the next President of the United States. I am sure that by the time that this goes to print, countless stories will have been written about how he won, what it means for the country and the parties, what challenges he faces, and what his agenda will and should be. I will not recuse myself from entering into these discussions, but first, I offer some recommendations for Obama’s Cabinet.
State: Bill Richardson. Richardson has excellent executive and Cabinet experience and is highly skilled in diplomacy. Runners-up: Richard Holbrooke, Dennis Ross, Walter Russell Mead.
Defense: Sam Nunn. Dick Lugar or Chuck Hagel are strong possibilities, but what message does it send to voters when Democratic presidents continually give Republicans control of DOD? The message is that Democrats are weak on defense. Obama should pick a tough internationalist like Nunn. Runner-up: Robert Gates
Treasury: Warren Buffett. Buffett brings a gravitas and bipartisan appeal that is particularly beneficial during such economic times. The runners-up will have plenty of other roles to fill on Obama’s economic team. Runners-up: James K. Galbraith, Tim Geithner, Robert Rubin, Paul Volcker
Justice: Eric Holder. There are a number of very skilled, very professional lawyers who would bring rectitude and high standards back to the Justice Department. Holder fits this mold well. Runners-up: Deval Patrick, James Comey, Patrick Fitzgerald
Veterans: Max Cleland. Only Saxby Chambliss would question the patriotism or military expertise of Max Cleland. Runner-up: Claire McCaskill
Labor: Dick Gephardt. If John Edwards had a modicum of self-control, this spot may have gone to him. Instead, Obama should bring back a union favorite, Gephardt. Runner-up: David Bonior, Bob Casey
Energy: John Kerry. Al Gore would likely be able to pick his Cabinet post, but I am not convinced that he would accept this spot. Kerry is an expert on energy and the environment and his appointment would show Obama’s seriousness on this issue. Runner-up: Al Gore
Education: Anna Eshoo. The intelligent and popular Eshoo has displayed an expertise on education issues in the House. Runners-up: Jim Hunt, Harold Ford Jr.
Homeland Security: Tim Roemer. Selecting John McCain would show Obama’s true commitment to post-partisanship, but it is tough to imagine both sides will think this is a great idea. Roemer, who served on the 9/11 commission, would be a strong choice. Runner-up: John McCain
Health and Human Services: Mary Jo Bane. Hillary Clinton would likely see this as a step down from her role in the Senate, though her expertise in healthcare would be invaluable. Mary Jo Bane has experience in HHS and is a good ideological fit. Runners-up: Hillary Clinton, Jim Langevin
HUD: Philip Mangano. Mangano has headed the US Interagency Council on Homelessness, which has been a quiet success under Bush. Putting a genuine compassionate conservative in the Cabinet would should his commitment to bipartisanship, without compromising his agenda. Runner-up: Bill Bradley
Interior: Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Governator has seemingly had his fill of girlie-men California legislators, while his environmental record is progressive, which should make him an attractive choice for Obama. Kennedy might be a better choice to run the EPA. Runner-up: Robert Kennedy Jr.
Transportation: Jim Oberstar. It seems like a step down for Kaine, so a Democrat from the House Transportation Committee seems likely and wise. Runners-up: Jerry Costello, Tim Kaine
Agriculture: Kent Conrad. Obama must find the middle way between someone who is disliked by the farm community and someone who is essentially owned by them. Conrad seems to have the intelligence, moderation, and integrity to strike that balance. Runner-up: Ben Nelson
Commerce: Kathleen Sebelius. As should be clear, Obama’s economic roster looks strong and deep. Sebelius is a solid choice to run the department. Runners-up: Jason Furman, Robert Reich, Gene Sperling
UN Ambassador: Chris Smith. Smith almost certainly will not be Obama’s choice, but his expertise on human trafficking, threats to religious liberty, and Africa, and his strong commitment to human rights make him the ideal candidate. It would also bring a Republican into the foreign policy process. Runners-up: Caroline Kennedy, Tony Hall, Jeffrey Sachs
NSA: Susan Rice. Rice, an Africa expert, wins out in a field of intellectual heavyweights. Obama should be certain to find other roles for Sewall and Power. Runners-up: Sarah Sewall, Joe Nye, Samantha Power
UPDATED: Dr. Mel Levine was removed as a runner-up because of sexual misconduct allegations against him.
Related posts:
- On Christian Democracy: The Catholic Obama Vote By Robert Christian Can a pro-life Catholic vote for Barack...
- On Christian Democracy: World Youth Day 2008 Pope John Paul II will go down as one of...
- Christian Democracy: The Quiet War in Africa Ten years ago a war began. Eight nations and a...
- On Christian Democracy: An Ode to Tim Russert By Robert Christian “Florida, Florida, Florida.” Tim Russert’s insightful analysis...
- On Christian Democracy: KFC & America Social Justice By Robert Christian Decades ago, Mohandas Gandhi articulated a truth...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
[...] Here is the original: On Christian Democracy: Obama’s Future Cabinet [...]
Dr. Mel Levine in Obama’s cabinet ? Are you out of your mind ? Didn’t you see the front page story in the New York Times on August 5, 2008 on the 43 men who have come forward to say that Dr. Levine sexually molested them as children ? Are you not aware that he is being investigated by the Northern California Medical Board and that he surrendered his medical license earlier this year ? Are you aware that boys have been coming forward since 1987 about Levine and the allegations were swept under the rug ? Are you aware that he is being sued by man men for ruining their lives ?
Here’s the link to the story in the Times, Star Pediatrician Fights Accusations of Sex Abuse:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/06/us/06pediatrician.html
Shame on you for not doing your homework.
Thank you, Alison. I obviously did not see the article. I had seen Mel Levine speak and read some of his work. As the NY Times predicted, I am shocked by the allegations. Very little can be found on Mel Levine’s personal life with a Yahoo! search:
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=mel+levine&fr=yfp-t-117&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8.
However, I just Googled him and there were stories of the allegations. I guess you can figure out which search engine I will be using from now on. This is why potential nominees are vetted. Thanks for the catch.
Taking him off your vetted list, I can understand that…being careful that we not cast too many stones…now that we need to take a close look at.
These are all “accusations”! None of them PROVED as being true.
We live in a society where anyone can cast stones ANONYMOUSLY and press charges ANONYMOUSLY while the accused is chopped up and spit out to media and public ridicule with his name and entire life out there for everyone to see.
No matter who the person is that is being accused of the wrong doing, he or she is due their “day in court” to vindicate themselves.
Being tried in the press, on the streets or in a blog is of no benefit of anyone; victims or accused.