As to be expected, the rumor mill is in full grind with potential Cabinet appointments. One Cabinet position that I am hoping will experience a renaissance under an Obama administration is that of Secretary of State.
As an adherent of Schlesinger's theory of the Imperial Presidency, I saw both Colin Powell and Condi Rice as nothing more than mouthpieces to spout the party line. Since Kissinger, the National Security Adviser has had more influence on the tone and direction of foreign policy than the Secretary of State.
Let's take a look at the candidates being bandied about:
John Kerry - Meh. I remain unimpressed. He's a nice guy. Heck, he's a really nice guy. I just don't find Kerry inspiring, and I don't think foreign leaders would necessarily, either.
Hillary - With healthcare apparently coming to the fore, having her in the Senate to champion the cause seems necessary. If she for some reason is wanted out of the way because of her previous involvement with the failed healthcare initiative from 1993, State is not the place for her. I am also always wary of what Bill would make out of his wife being Secretary of State.
Bill - There is no Constitutional reason why a former President cannot serve as the Secretary of State. William Howard Taft went to a long career on the Supreme Court after his Presidency. That said, I think Bill likes being a free agent more than the idea of working for anyone anymore.
Bill Richardson - endorsed by Latino caucus and an experienced diplomat, I sensed during the primaries that there'd be a "I'll endorse you, you name me as Secretary" deal between Obama and Richardson. I for one, wouldn't mind this at all.
Immigration looms large as a third-rail issue. Notice how both candidates shied away from the topic during the election. A significant part of McCain's estrangement from his base was over his immigration stance. And since McCain didn't want to talk about it, Obama was willing to avoid that minefield for another day. Unfortunately, that day is coming.
I think that as a Latino, as a former governor of a border state, and as a diplomat, Richardson is uniquely qualified to find a humane and sensible method for managing our relationship with the Mexican and Central American states. An important part of reducing the flow of illegal immigrants into the US is for the home countries of those immigrants to do more to retain them.
It's early yet, and I do expect President-Elect Obama to make excellent choices for his cabinet. I, for one, would be pleased with Richardson for State.
The WSJ article linked above does mention Lugar, but I don't think that State is a good place for a show of bipartisan-ship.