Everyone's talking about Obama's running mate. But who would you like to see in an Obama cabinet?
Today you can vote on the next Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Also, the previous rounds are still open for voting. More below the fold.
For all of you have been following these polls, I just wanted to let you know that I changed the system of the polls. The problem is that up to Sec. of Labor all polls were won by white men. It is as unrealistic as can be that we'd actually have a cabinet in which all the top positions were held by white men. It's not the 60s anymore. So the Obama Cabinet polls will have to change a little.
What I will do from now on:
I will still poll all positions and the initial polls for all positions are reopened. So you can still vote for State, AG, etc. In the end, I will look at all poll results and will compile five different cabinets including your favorite candidates from each poll (plus a wildcard where necessary). The diversity of the US population will be reflected in each cabinet. And you then get to vote on each cabinet as a whole.
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You can still vote in the following polls. Here are the links:
Please note: candidates who had won earlier polls were not included in subsequent polls. Those candidates (Richardson, Edwards) may now get wildcards.
Secretary of State (Bill Richardson will get a wildcard)
Secretary of the Treasury
Secretary of Defense
Attorney General
Secretary of the Interior (Les AuCoin's vote total will not count due to ridiculously obvious and stupid poll stuffing)
Secretary of Agriculture
Secretary of Commerce
Secretary of Labor (Robert Reich and John Edwards will receive a wildcard)
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Secretary of Housing and Urband Development
Secretary of Transportation
Secretary of Energy
Secretary of Education
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Secretary of Homeland Security
You can vote in one or all of these polls. I just ask you to please only vote once.
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Here's the list of current cabinet positions and cabinet level administration offices that will be polled in the coming weeks:
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
Director of the Office of Management and Budget
United States Trade Representative
Who will be included: a maximum of 15 candidates (max number of positions in Dkos polls), I'll try to make each round as diverse as possible, always keeping in mind competence and knowledge required for the respective position. Therefore, I'll include men and women, minorities, sitting and former elected officials, appointed officials, academics, people from the non-profit and private sectors, Obama as well as Clinton supporters, and, yes, also Republicans and Independents.
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Today's candidates for Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency are (in alphabetical order, links lead to bio):
Rocky Anderson (UT) - fmr. mayor of Salt Lake City, implemented the Salt Lake City Green Programm
Sen. Barbara Boxer (CA) - Chair of the Senate Environment Committee
Sen. Maria Cantwell (WA) - member of the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee
fmr. Sen. Lincoln Chafee (I-RI) - voted against drilling in ANWAR, has been endorsed by the Sierra Club in the past
Andre Heinz - environmentalist, co-founded the first US office of The Natural Step
Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD) - member of the House Natural Resources Committee, member of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming
Rep. Jay Inslee (WA) - member of the House Energy, Natural Resources Committees, member of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming
Rep. John Larson(CT) - member of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, co-chair of the House Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Coalition
Rep. Ed Markey (MA) - member of the House Energy, Natural Resources Committees, Chair of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming
Kathleen McGinty (PA) - Pennsylvania Sec. of Environmental Protection, fmr. chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality and first Dir. of the White House Office of Environmental Policy, longtime Gore aide
Carl Pope (CA) - Executive Director of the Sierra Club
Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) - member of Republicans for Environmental Protection
Rep. Hilda Solis (CA) - member of the House Energy, Natural Resources Committees, member of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming
Gus Speth - environmental lawyer, fmr. Chair of the Council on Enviromental Quality (Carter Admin.), founder of the World Resources Institute
fmr. Sen. Tim Wirth (CO) - fmr. Undersecretary of State for Global Affairs, fmr. lead U.S. negotiator of the Kyoto Protocol, currently President of the United Nations Foundation
Special Note: Al Gore is not included in this poll because he has categorically ruled out joining the next cabinet. I guess now that we all know he stuck to his word regarding a possible run for President we can take him at his word here as well. I do.
I would also like to ask you to nominate candidates for all cabinet positions not yet polled, for several of them I'm still well short of 15 candidates.
Enjoy voting!