The Backbone Campaign
http://www.backbonecampaign.org/cabinet/
has created a Progressive Shadow Cabinet.
Users nominate individuals and vote on the nominees for the different cabinet positions.
The top 3 or so vote-getters for each position are listed below the fold.
This is a great, serious idea- though some of the nominees below obviously aren't realistic- nonetheless- its an interesting exercise.
Secretary of Agriculture
Nominee(s):
Wes Jackson
Jim Hightower
Wendell Berry
Secretary of Commerce
Nominee(s):
David Korten
Bill Bradley
Jim Hightower
Secretary of Defense
Nominee(s):
Max Cleland
Gen. Eric K. Shinseki
Senator Joe Biden
Secretary of Education
Nominee(s):
Dr. Dwight Allen
Howard Zinn
Marian Wright Edelman
Secretary of Energy
Nominee(s):
Rep. Jay Inslee
Al Gore
Helen Caldicott
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Nominee(s):
Howard Dean, MD
Rep. Louise Slaughter
Rep. Jim McDermott
Joycelyn Elders MD
Secretary of Homeland Security
Nominee(s):
Richard Clarke
Lee Hamilton
Gary Hart
(Memo: Kucinich is nominated- uhhh, I'm guessing he aint gonna fly in this position)
Secretary of Housing
Nominee(s):
Jesse Jackson
Dennis Kucinich
Roxanne Qualls
Andrew Cuomo
Carol Moseley Braun
Secretary of Interior
Nominee(s):
Robert Kennedy, Jr
Al Gore
Ed Dobson
Attorney General
Nominee(s):
Senator Russell Feingold
Drew S. Days, III
Mario Cuomo
Al Giordano
David Cole
Ron Kuby
Eliot Spitzer
(Spitzer! Spitzer! Spitzer!)
Secretary of Labor
Nominee(s):
Dick Gephart
Robert Reich
Maria Echaveste
Howard Dean
Secretary of Peace
Nominee(s):
Dennis Kucinich
Jimmy Carter
Tom Hayden
Howard Zinn
Elie Wiesel
Secretary of State
Nominee(s):
Richard Holbrooke
Gayle Smith
Joseph Nye
Senator Joe Biden
Jimmy Carter
Gary Hart
Secretary of Transportation
Nominee(s):
Michael Dukakis
Jim Oberstar
Rep. Earl Blumenauer
Secretary of Treasury
Nominee(s):
Paul Krugman
Robert Rubin
Robert Reich
Howard Dean
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Nominee(s):
Rep. Lane Evans (D-IL)
Max Cleland
Bob Kerrey
Ron Kovic
And my favorite:
FCC Chair
Nominee(s):
Bill Moyers
Robert McChesney
Jon Stewart
Jim Hightower
Sharon Nelson
Bill Maher
Michael Copps
Howard Dean
Jeff Cohen
Nicholas Johnson