By Jwilkes from Eyes on Obama:
Two Kennedys? Here is a look at the top candidates for the Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of Agriculture, and Attorney General if Barack Obama is elected president.
In an EyesOnObama feature yesterday, we named the top contenders for three of the highest profile Cabinet positions in a prospective Obama Administration. Today, we’ll continue on down the list with the top prospects for the spots at the head of the table at the Department of Justice, the Department of the Interior, and the Department of Agriculture.
Position: Attorney General
Contenders: Andrew Cuomo, Caroline Kennedy
With John Edwards out of the running for the Attorney General job that Democrats in Washington, D.C. were so certain he would get, a new crop of top lawyers has emerged to fill what might be Barack Obama’s Justice Department.
The first is Andrew Cuomo, the son of former New York Governor Mario Cuomo and the current Attorney General of New York. Cuomo is familiar to the presidential cabinet, having served as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. His handling of the Justice Department in the Empire State has been nothing short of exemplary, and he remains highly popular in party circles.
The other is Caroline Kennedy, the only surviving child of John and Jackie Kennedy. Hailing from one of the nation’s most prominent political families, Kennedy is no stranger to Washington. As far as Obama is concerned, she was instrumental in courting the support of Ted Kennedy during a time when the primary race between Obama and Hillary Clinton was at its tightest. Since then, Obama tapped the 50-year old lawyer to head up his vice presidential selection team. It’s likely that he’ll seek to repay her for her loyalty. This would be a likely spot for her, though others have suggested that she could be appointed Ambassador to the United Kingdom.
(Coincidentally, Cuomo was married to Kennedy’s cousin Kerry until 2003...also, the two were born just 9 days apart.)
Position: Secretary of the Interior
Contenders: Robert Kennedy, Jr.
Before we go any further, let’s get this out of the way: the administration’s top environmental job will not go to Al Gore. There is z-e-r-o chance a man who has been the Vice President of the United States (not to mention the popularly-elected President of the United States) would reenter politics after an eight year absence (and a very profitable one at that) to take a position that is lower than the one he already had.
But back to who the actual contenders might be, there really is only one: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Of course, if we’re right and Caroline is selected as AG, that would make the Obama Administration the first to feature two Kennedys since...well, the Kennedy Administration (with John as President and Robert as Attorney General).
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. just might be the most qualified man to oversee the department charged with the preservation of the environment. Kennedy is one of the foremost environmental lawyers in the country, having been a senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Counsel. He’s one of the most outspoken advocates for environmental reform, and currently sits as the co-director of the Environmental Litigation Clinic at Pace University Law School. He’s written multiple books on environmental protection, and has in recent years become a top Democratic Party figure through his Air America radio show, Ring of Fire.
Position: Department of Agriculture
Contenders: Kathleen Sebelius, Brian Schweitzer
The Secretary of Agriculture almost always comes from a farming state. Right now, it’s the former Governor of North Dakota. Before him, it was the Governor of Kansas. Bill Clinton’s appointee was a Congressman from Kansas. From where we’re sitting, Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer and Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius look like great picks.
Both of the Democratic Governors are Obama supporters, and have been virtually from the start. In fact, both were mentioned as potential VP running mates, with Sebelius getting consideration right up until the very end of the selection process.
Let’s start with Schweitzer. Who better to head up the nation’s authority on farming than a farmer? Schweitzer spent his pre-political life as a farmer. His undergraduate degree from Colorado State is in agronomy, and his masters from the University of Montana is in soil science. He’s worked on farming and irrigation projects all around the world. Most importantly, he’s familiar with the USDA, having been appointed to one of its central committees by President Clinton.
Then there’s Sebelius, who runs one of the most important agricultural states in the Union. A great deal of her job is seeing that the state’s most vital business is running smoothly. And with a huge population of farmers, farm workers, and those otherwise involved in agribusiness, she has a pretty good idea of just how important agriculture is to the American economy.
One hitch for Sebelius: because Republican Senator Sam Brownback announced his retirement effective the end of his term in 2010, she may get passed over because she’s seen as a top contender for his seat. She’s term limited as governor. But she’s incredibly popular in Kansas, which could mean she has a significant chance at adding a Democratic vote from a highly unlikely place in the Senate (Kansas is represented by two Republicans currently). If Democrats felt as though she would be more use there, Obama might lean more towards someone like Schweitzer. For his part, the Montana Governor might be the perfect candidate- with two Democrats in Montana’s Senate seats, Schweitzer won’t look to take a seat in the national legislature in the near future. However, if he were to accept a nomination from the Obama White House, the Lieutenant Governor (also a Democrat) would slide in nicely to keep the Gubernatorial mansion blue.
Check back tomorrow for our next three contenders...
If you like EyesOnObama post, click here to read more of all our writers like The Bard’s article from yesterday: The Obama Administration: The Top Potential Cabinet Appointees (Part I)
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