Pre-emptive Fantasizing

We are not long from the days that will set Kossack against Kossack against Kosmopolitan against Kosmic.  The primaries.

It is helpful to think of who the entire team might be, not just who your choice for president is.

To start us thinking about the team, here is a pre-emptive fantasy.

President - Barack Obama
Vice-President - Dennis Kucinich
Secretary of State - Hillary Clinton
Secretary of Defense - Bill Richardson
Attorney General - John Edwards
Secretary of Energy - Al Gore
Secretary of Health and Human Services - Elizabeth Edwards
Secretary of the Treasury - Howard Dean
Secretary of the Interior - Dave Freudenthal
Secretary of Agriculture - Kathleen Sibelius
Secretary of Commerce - Janet Napolitano
Secretary of Labor - Christopher Dodd
Secretary of Education - John Lynch
Secretary of Homeland Security - Kathleen Blanco
Secretary of Veterans Affairs - Paul Hackett
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development - Shirley Jackson
Secretary of Transportation - Joe Biden
Chief Trade Negotiator - Richard Holbrook
Middle East Envoy - Wesley Clark

Now for the dose of reality.  Who are the heavy hitters of the Democratic Party that have the administrative and negotiating capabilities required, can work as part of a team, and have detailed knowledge of the specific issues addressed by each of the cabinet departments?

We have an outstanding bunch of people in the Democratic Party.  Where exactly are their talents best applied to help get us out the hole that the Bush administration has created

•  Shirley FRANKLIN?

  Secretary of Housing and Urban Development - Shirley Jackson

  Our wonderful Atlanta mayor, you mean? I've got my fingers crossed that when she "retires" from her second term here she will indeed be heading to DC and the Cabinet.

  by pat208 on Thu Aug 30, 2007 at 05:37:32 PM PDT

  •  But Shirley JACKSON might be...

    ... an ironic choice for the head of the Selective Service. She's been dead since 1965, though, do no actual draft lottery would take place.

    by pat208 on Thu Aug 30, 2007 at 05:41:25 PM PDT

  •  Dang

    I got it wrong.  Exactly.  Shirley Franklin.

    by TarheelDem on Thu Aug 30, 2007 at 06:55:58 PM PDT

•  unfortunately?

  Kucinich will not be a positive campaigning.  My fantasy has Clark on the ticket--and he would help Obama on the trail.

  by melvynny on Thu Aug 30, 2007 at 05:40:47 PM PDT

  •  Obama / Clark

    Would win so big.

    by Inventor on Thu Aug 30, 2007 at 06:36:03 PM PDT

    •  That may be

      But is Clark in VP, the best use of his experience and talents?

      by TarheelDem on Thu Aug 30, 2007 at 06:58:28 PM PDT

  •  That is an assumption and a belief

    Kucinich will not be a positive campaigning.

    Remember, Lieberman was supposed to be this great campaigner in 2000.  And Edwards was supposed not to be that great a campaigner.

    It ain't over until it's over.

    by TarheelDem on Thu Aug 30, 2007 at 06:57:52 PM PDT

•  Hahahahahaha

  The day Dennis Kucinich is on a national ticket anywhere on this planet, yet alone elected to the Vice Presidency, yet alone Obama picking him to be his running mate, is the day I kill myself.

  by Delaware Dem on Thu Aug 30, 2007 at 05:58:56 PM PDT

  •  Thank you

    Senator Biden :)

    by TarheelDem on Thu Aug 30, 2007 at 06:59:20 PM PDT

  •  A more serious response

    Vice Presidential candidates and Vice Presidents serve a number of purposes relative to an administration, in addition to their Constitution role of being a "spare".

    Vice Presidents as candidates can bring voters that the President might not get by themselves.

    Once inaugurated as Vice President, the VP becomes assassination/impeachment insurance.  The Clinton impeachment failed primarily because Republicans did not want to guarantee Gore the Presidency.  Cheney has played this card well; part of the reluctance to impeach is the number of people who would have to be impeached.

    And the VP can carry out oversight of aspects of the Administration agenda that they both agree on so that the President can look to the more thornier issues.  Carter and Mondale, Clinton and Gore played this perfectly.  Both were the progressive voice to a moderate President.

    I cannot understand the hatred of Dennis Kucinich, to the point at which you would endanger your life.  You have lived with George W. Bush and not killed yourself.  Why Dennis Kucinich?

    by TarheelDem on Fri Aug 31, 2007 at 04:58:11 AM PDT

•  Further, you have too many presidential

  candidates in the cabinet.  There is no way Obama has most of his primary competitors in his Administration.  One, maybe, and usually that person is the Vice President.  The only other time I can think of a primary competitor being in an Administration is Aldai Stevenson being UN Ambassador for Kennedy.  

  by Delaware Dem on Thu Aug 30, 2007 at 06:01:23 PM PDT

  •  Too many candidates

    What you are saying is the most talented people in the Democratic Party have egos that are too big to work together in a cabinet.

    It is unusual, but then we are in unusual times.

    by TarheelDem on Thu Aug 30, 2007 at 07:00:59 PM PDT

•  Attorney General John Edwards

  has a nice ring to it. He's qualified, unlike the previous holder of this office, Alberto Gonzales.

  by jhutson on Thu Aug 30, 2007 at 06:22:25 PM PDT

•  Some of this makes no sense

  Dr Howard Dean would make a good HHS to revamp the health care system.

  Jon Corzine would make a better Secretary of the Treasury.

  Gary Hart would have long overdue appreciation as Secretary of Defense rather than Richardson.

  Or a special dispensation to put Joe Sestak in charge of the Department of Defense.

  Or Jim Webb for Vice President or Jim Webb for Secretary of Defense.

  How about Robert Kennedy Jr for Secretary of the Interior?

  I like Elliot Spitzker or Patrick Fitzgerald for Attorney General.

  Kucinich can be the Secretary of Peace

  with Wesley Clark President or Vice President under John Edwards.

  by phillysuse on Thu Aug 30, 2007 at 06:41:26 PM PDT

  •  You have some good points

    Please create a full list of your fantasy team.

    I fully think that Howard Dean has or can get an understanding of the Department of the Treasury to make it a good fit.

    Would Corzine be better?  Can New Jersey spare him as Governor for another term?

    Gary Hart would be a good choice too.

    I'd want to keep as many in the Congress as possible, given how many I've taken from the Congress for the cabinet.

    Robert Kennedy, Jr. would make an excellent Secretary of the Interior, but probably would be more valuable as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

    Elliot Spitzer and Patrick Fitzgerald (despite being a Republican) are excellent picks for Attorney General.

    Kucinich could also be Secretary of Labor.

    by TarheelDem on Thu Aug 30, 2007 at 07:08:05 PM PDT

•  Trust me, Jersey can spare Jon Corzine

  I wish we had Acting Governor Richard Codey back instead.

  by phillysuse on Thu Aug 30, 2007 at 07:29:44 PM PDT

  •  Ooooh

    So that's why you want to bump him to DC.

    Haven't we had enough of upwardly mobile incompetence for a century or two?

    by TarheelDem on Thu Aug 30, 2007 at 07:37:45 PM PDT