Obama’s cabinet appointments are going to be very important. After running on a platform of change of leadership, integrity, and political reconciliation between warring factions, Obama needs to be very careful that his cabinet picks represent these values. This is why Obama’s first round of probable picks worries me: two of three are firm, long-time Obama backers, all three are democrats, all three are long term Washington insiders, and is not quite a lobbyist, but not quite free of the appearance of being one. Not exactly a recipe for change.

Obama’s man for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Former Senator Tom Daschle, served as Senator for South Dakota for 26 years, was the Democratic senate leader for 10, and, as far as I can tell, has very little in his resume that is specifically relevant to the position of Health Secretary. Additionally, he has worked since leaving the senate as a “consultant” for the law firm Alston and Bird, providing strategic consulting on issues of health care, energy, and taxes. While this doesn’t immediately make him a lobbyist, the appearance of close ties between a cabinet member and a law firm that has represented mortgage companies and commercial airlines is not something Obama can ill afford in light of his public criticism of lobbyists and the economic situation that involves both mortage giants and airlines. Obama is just rewarding a supporter here, which I can understand, but he shouldn’t be doing this with his first appointment

My choice for Secretary of Health would have been Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton herself. This way, Obama could have extended an olive branch to Hillary and allowed her to oversee health care reform, something she is highly knowledgeable and highly concerned with. Picking Clinton would also have allowed him to shore up his position with certain sectors of the Democratic party that backed Clinton.

Unfortunately it looks that Clinton is bound instead for the position of Secretary of State. I give it 7 to 3 for. This is a major mistake. With the Secretary of State position, one of the most important in the cabinet, Obama needs to send a clear message to the Republican party that he wants them in the tent. To this end, I believe there is a clear choice for Sec of State who already has experience in the job: Colin Powell. Powell is a universally respected Republican statesman who knows international diplomacy and knows world leaders. Powell is also a man who strikes me as very noble and patriotic; he puts the country before his own ambition, which is something I can’t be sure of from Hillary Clinton. The trick would be to convince him to take the position after getting thrown in the path of a torpedo by the Bush Administration over WMDs in Iraq.

This brings us to Obama’s probable Attorney General, Eric H. Holder Jr. Holder is the one of the three appointments that I like the best; he served as deputy attorney general in the Clinton administration under Janet Reno, and has a wealth of pertinent legal experience, including 12 years in the Justice Department’s Public Integrity section prosecuting misconduct by state officials. He also served on the District of Columbia Superior Court, and was appointed to this position by the conservative demigod Ronald Reagan, which is a good indication that he might gain approval from Republicans. Still, Holder is Democrat who has been on the Hill longer than i’ve been alive, which could generate backlash in light of Obama’s promise to shake things up.

That’s it for this round of picks. Keep an eye out here for my comments on future appointments. In closing, here’s a list of my suggestions for a few other cabinet positions.

Secretary of Energy – Vice President Al Fucking Gore.
He is undoubtedly one of the country’s primary authorities on green technology and understanding and controlling climate change, both of which Obama has made centerpieces of his energy policy. Our nation needs to dramatically rethink the way we power our shit, and who better to have at the helm than the eco-crusader and elder statesman behind “An Inconvenient Truth.”

Secretary of Defense -General Wesley Clark
Remember him? He ran in the 2004 presidential primary. He’s a smart, tough career soldier who graduated at the top of his class from West Point and served with distinction in Vietnam and was a top commander during the Kosovo conflict. Like Obama, he supported the U.S. response to 9/11 in Afghanistan but was against the war in Iraq, and he opposes using force in Iran. He endorsed Hillary Clinton in the primary, which would make his appointment another olive branch to the Clinton camp.

Secretary of Transportation – Jim Oberstar
As chair man of House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Minnesota’s Oberstar has experience and knowledge in the area. And as a Minnesotan, he knows firsthand the consequences that our neglect of our transportation infrastructure can have.

Tags: Barack Obama