Who Should be Secretary of State ?
President Elect Obama has promised that his cabinet will be bi partisan, that he will govern from the middle and listen to everyone’s opinion. He has not yet named anyone for any of the cabinet posts, but names are being floated around. Which ones would you like to see, or not see, as Secretary of State in the next administration ?
Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, who lost to President Bush in 2004. He has been elected to five terms in the Senate and has been on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for over 20 years. Would he or would he not make a good Secretary of State ?
Susan Rice is another name being put forth as a possible Secretary of State. She served as the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs and was on the Nation Security Council during the Clinton administration. She was also an advisor on National Security to the Kerry Presidential campaign.
Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico. Richardson served as Energy Secretary and UN Ambassador during the Clinton Administration. Is this enough experience to be Secretary of State ?
Republican Senator Dick Lugar. Senator Lugar has been in the Senate since 1976. He is currently the Republican leader on the Foreign Relations committee and has worked with Senator Obama on bills in the past.
Former Democratic Senator Sam Nunn. During his time in the Senate, he was chairman of the Armed Services Committee and reached across the aisle to work on bills with Senator Lugar. Currently, he is a co chairman of the Nuclear Threat Initiative.
Colin Powell has been mentioned, but he has said he is not looking to be in the cabinet.
Now, these are not coming from the President Elect’s office. They are keeping quiet about who they are considering. It could be one of these, or he could have someone entirely different in mind. He needs to fill a total of 1700 positions in a very short time. And about 800 need to be filled immediately after inauguration. A President Elect has about 70 days to get his administration structured and ready to operate. It is a big job just getting started.
Do you like any of these or is there someone else you would like to see ? Make your guess. You could be more right than the experts are. The Secretary of State is forth the line of secession to the Presidency. After the Vice President, Speaker of the House and President Pro Tem of the Senate.
Comment by Dyna Chrome on 11 November 2008:
Obamalamadingdong should go all the way and name William Ayers. After all, who better to deal with terrorists than another terrorist?
Comment by Collette on 12 November 2008:
John Kerry is the Perfect choice! Just go back and listen to his speech when he announced his candidacy. Talk about a class act. John Kerry is the profound diplomat… Who else has the depth to explore the complexity of global issues while understanding and acknowledging cultural nuance? Did I say Perfect??? The very reasons that John Kerry did not win the election against Bush (maybe he really did win if you consider the voter fraud in Ohio) are the reasons he will be an outstanding Secretary of State. Kerry wanted to have intellectual and emotional and complicated discussions with Americans and four years ago many were not ready to say goodbye to monosyllabic (black/white)conversations. John Kerry will explore all shades of gray. In order to solve complex cultural issues people need to feel that their grievances have been heard and thoroughly understood. Their greivances need to be acknowledged – even if they can’t be reconciled exactly as they’d wish – people cannot move forward to a peaceful agreement unless they feel validated. This practice even in a family takes patience as well as intellectual depth and curiosity. On the international stage there in nobody our country could offer who is better at patient, lengthy, complex, philisophical discussion leading toward peaceful resolution as the goal every time than Senator John Kerry. Senator Kerrry is an elegant speaker, understands the pain of war, and has a steel backbone. And, his wife speaks seven languages… PErfect, Perfect, Perfect… Did I mention Perfect???
Comment by Collette on 12 November 2008:
Hey Dyna Chrome… How about Sarah Palin??? Sharp as a tack that one right there… you betcha… I don’t appreciate you slamming President Elect Obama. Many of us have sat through eight years of destruction, poor judgement, robbery… Can you believe that this country bombed the Garden of Eden and televised the bombing with patriotic music accompanying the explosions… Wonder how God felt? Where we are right now as a nation compared to where we were eight years ago is beyond sickening. (And, I’ve never called PResident Bush a disrespectful name…) So basically, if you don’t like the new president — LEAVE — or at least be respectful and silent. We need citizens to get on board and rebuild this nation. So sick and tired of the schoolyard name calling tactics of the past while no one cares that this beautiful nation is crumbling…
Comment by Mike on 12 November 2008:
Collette, you’re kidding right? Kerry? Perfect? Not even close.
“So basically, if you don’t like the new president — LEAVE — or at least be respectful and silent.” To bad you and people like you couldn’t have followed this advise the past 8 years…
You people have this double standard and frankly, it’s sickening.
Comment by tj on 12 November 2008:
Lugar of the possible choices given. He has been a big critic of the war and foreign policy in general. Need a guy like that.