There’s already a lot of speculation as to President Obama’s second term cabinet. This diary is only in part intended to add to the speculation. It is also that but my aim really is to round up some of the names floated for different positions and come up with a coherent picture. I wanted to create a cabinet that both represents all facets of the United States of America of 2012 – making it half female and including the first LGBT cabinet member – while at the same time making sure that each and every person is more than qualified for the role I assigned him or her.
While this very much is an imaginary cabinet, it is not necessarily my progressive dream cabinet. I’ve tried to come up with realistic, qualified, yet diverse choices for these positions. Being realistic also means that it is likely that the President will include people with a business background and one or two Republicans. My choices below reflect this. I’ve also decided not to include any sitting Senators or Governors after last time around (with Sen. Burris, Gov. Brewer and Blago in jail). Therefore, I did not include Senators Kerry and Durbin or Gov. Patrick even though President Obama might choose to do so.
My proposal for President Obama’s second term cabinet with further individual explanations is below the fold:
President: Barack Obama
Vice President: Joe Biden
Sec. of State: Susan Rice
Benghazi, Schmenghazi. Ambassador Rice is highly qualified to this post. And I believe neither Lindsey Graham’s nor Vladimir Putin’s opposition to her should and would deter Pres. Obama from picking her. The only alternative I see is Sen. Kerry, as Sec. Clinton is a very tough act to follow as prominent as she has been around the globe in the past four years.
Sec. of the Treasury: Sheryl Sandberg
This may not be the most likely choice but when I heard her name mentioned I kinda liked the idea. She’s got a business but not a Wall Street background. She’s worked in the Clinton administration under Treasury Sec. Summers, and has sinced worked for Google and as COO of Facebook. She represents a new generation of women in finance and business and would be the first woman in this post. Most likeley alternative: current Chief of Staff and former OMB director. Other alternative include Wall Street types and Erskine Bowles – God help us!
Sec. of Defense: Michèle Flournoy
Michèle Flournoy served as Under Secretary of Defense for Policy in Obama’s first term. She has since retired but worked on Obama’s reelection campaign. Prior to this she also served in the Pentagon during the Clinton administration. Alternatives: current Deputy Sec. of Defense Ashton Carter and former Sen. Chuck Hagel (though I would see him at the CIA instead).
Attorney General: Kamala Harris
Dubbed the female Obama by the media, there’s been speculation that President Obama might appoint her to the Supreme Court when the next opening comes up. While I like the idea of having a former elected official on the Court, I’d rather see Kamala Harris at the Justice Department. Might also help raise her profile for a future gubernatorial or Senate bid in California. Alternatives: Deval Patrick, Janet Napolitano, Chris Gregoire.
A final thought on the prominent four cabinet secretaries:
Yes, these are all women. On purpose. I wanted to show that there is at least one qualified woman for these posts and in fact their names have come up repeatedly in recent articles or tv programs on Obama’s second term cabinet. The thing is no one dare says that all four of these high profile positions could be held by women at the same time. There already has been a female AG for eight years and three of the last four Secretaries of State have been women. It would take some getting used to for some. But hardly anyone would cry foul if Obama nominated John Kerry for State, Jack Lew for the Treasury, Ashton Carter for Defense, and Deval Patrick for AG. And the four women I chose here are just as qualified as the male alternatives.
Sec. of the Interior: John Berry
Berry would make history as the first out LGBT cabinet member. Apart from that he’s highly qualified for this job as a former Hill staffer, a former Deputy Assistant Sec. in the Treasury Department, a former employee at the Smithsonian, a former Assistant Sec. of the Interior Department, a former Director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and a former director of the National Zoo. He currently serves as Director of the Office of Personnel Management. John Berry’s made for this job. Alternatives: Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Gov. Brian Schweitzer (though he seems to be focused on 2016), Gov. Chris Gregoire, Sen. Byron Dorgan, to name a few.
Sec. of Agriculture: Rajiv Shah
Rajiv Shah, at first glance, seems an unlikely choice for Agriculture. Taking a closer look though you will learn that Shah has worked as Under Secretary of Agriculture in the Clinton administration, as Director of Agricultural Development at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and is the current Director of USAID. Not hailing from one of the agricultural heartland states makes him an unlikely but in my view a more interesting choice for this job. Alternatives: Sec. Vilsack might stay on, but I doubt it. Former Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Blanche Lincoln might have a shot.
Sec. of Business: Olympia Snowe
You might raise both your eyebrows at this one: Olympia Snowe? Sec. of Business? Yes and yes. Pres. Obama has recently said again that he intends to united Commerce, US Trade Rep, Small Business Administration (therefore no mention of either of these posts in this imaginary cabinet) and other agencies. I think it’s a good idea, could be included in the “grand bargain” as a cost saving and goverment cutting measure and would create a stronger agency. It’d be easier to get through Congress with the announcement that one of their own would head this Department. Apart from being a Republican Snowe would be highly qualified as a former Chair of the Small Business Committee and a member of the Commerce and Finance committees.
Sec. of Labor: Hilda Solis
There has been no indication that Sec. Solis would leave and it appears she will stay on. I like her in this post.
Sec. of Health and Human Services: Kathleen Sebelius
After advocating for and planning Obamacare, it’d be great to see Kathleen Sebelius fully implement it as well. Pretty much everyone in DC expects her to stay in this post.
Sec. of Housing and Urban Development: Shaun Donovan
I’ve read somewhere that he might get another job like Chief of Staff in the future but for now it appears Shaun Donovan will stay at HUD.
Sec. of Transportation: Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Villaraigosa seems to want to join the cabinet badly. Everyone appears to think Transportation is his and I don’t really mind, though I also wouldn’t someone like Rep. Earl Blumenauer from Portland, OR, in this post.
Sec. of Energy: John Podesta
Former White House Chief of Staff, former Chair of the Center for American Progress, former Obama-Biden transition co-chair. You could put him in almost any post, but I’d like someone influential and progressive at Energy. Alternatives: Brian Schweitzer, Jennifer Granholm.
Sec. of Education: Arne Duncan
Duncan’s poised to stay on and a close friend of Obama’s. No change here.
Sec. of Veterans Affairs: Eric Shinseki
Sec. Shinseki is also likely to stay.
Sec. of Homeland Security: Janet Napolitano
Maybe Obama will choose her to lead the Justice Department. If not, she’ll probably stay on at the helm of Homeland Security for a few more years.
Chief of Staff: Nancy-Ann De Parle
There’s been talk that Jack Lew would follow Sec. Geither at the Treasury, I’ve also read that he may leave the administration altogether. A few outside names have been mentioned such as Tom Daschle. With all the changes going on though, I think Obama would rather go with someone from inside the White House. I doubt Valerie Jarrett would give up her special role as advisor to run the White House. I rather think DeParle, current Deputy Chief of Staff and former Director of the White House Office of Health Reform, would be a good fit. Also the first woman running the White House.
Dir. of the Office of Management and Budget: Kent Conrad
Sen. Conrad did not run for reelection and is leaving the Senate in January. As Chair of the Senate Budget Committee he’d be highly, if not over-qualified choice to head OMB. At the current time he’d be a very powerful and good fit though.
Dir. of the Environmental Protection Agency: Raúl Grijalva
I first had him at Interior before I stumbled on John Berry. The Arizona Congressman, co-chair of the Progressive Caucus and member of the House Committee on Natural Resources, would be a great fit for the EPA as well. Alternative: Jennifer Granholm.
Ambassador to the United Nations: Samantha Power
If Amb. Rice is nominated for State or if she might be appointed National Security Advisor the post at the UN would open up and who better than Samantha Power? She currently serves as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs at the National Security Council in the White House.
Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers: Alan Krueger
Krueger, who followed Austan Goolsbee, as Chairman of the CEA has only been in this position for a year and I’d expect him to stay.
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So, that’s it. What do you think? Where do you agree with my choices? Where would you see alternatives? I’m looking forward to your ideas for a second term Obama cabinet!