If I were to make the VP pick now, I'd probably go with
New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, who has legislative experience with 15 years in the House, foreign policy experience as ambassador to the United Nations and experience in an area that is going to be critical going forward as President Clinton's Secretary of Energy.
But I thought it would also be entertaining to discuss other cabinet slots. All of this is incredibly premature, but it can't hurt to get the discussion rolling, since even if Dean is not the nominee, many of these choices would be applicable in a Clark or even a Gephardt administration. Here are four choices - discuss.
Secretary of State: I think this is the slot that Wes Clark is actually best suited for. I'm rereading
The Power Game by Hedrick Smith, which is of course incredibly dated, but he makes a convincing argument that the Secretary of Defense ought to be from the civilian side, and I fear Clark's long military experience actually makes him less qualified for that position.
Secretary of Defense: I'd like to see someone with management experience here, as well as experience in dealing with Congress (or being in Congress). Ironically, this might be a good fit for John Kerry. But I think a better choice would be
Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed. Reed has the right policy credentials, and an impeccable education - West Point, Harvard Law, etc. I'm not sure he has the quality of management experience that would be ideal, but he has served on the Senate Armed Services committee, and travelled to Iraq/Afghanistan with Hillary Clinton over Thanksgiving, actually visiting the country instead of just the airport.
Environmental Protection Agency:
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. This choice needs no comment.
Attorney General:
Eliot Spitzer. We don't need a tough-on-crime fearmongerer like Ashcroft. We need someone who will use the power of the federal government to straighten up corporate America and make boards responsive to shareholders, and not to their own pockets. Spitzer's tough as nails, and would be an excellent attorney general.
More to come when I have some research time.
