President-elect Obama announced the last of this cabinet-level nominations Friday. Having run on a platform that promised to unite America, the list is notable for its ethnic, gender, and ideological diversity. It is said that compromise is a solution that pleases noone, and while these cabinet picks have already been widely criticized by both the left and the right, their expertise has been little disputed.
After eight years of Karl Rove's divisive politics of the perpetual campaign, it is refreshing to see glimmerings of a return to efficacy in public life. Obama has never been the left-wing extremist that Republican spin-doctors have portrayed him as, and it appears that he intends to make good his promise to be a president for all America -- if the "loyal opposition" gives him half a chance.
Obama says he wants to have the benefit of diverse opinions and vigorous debate before setting policy and Doris Kearns Goodwin's quotable Lincoln biography -- Team of Rivals has often been referred to in this context. Reportedly, John McCain responded: "Senator, I served with Abe Lincoln. I knew Abe Lincoln. Abe Lincoln was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Abe Lincoln." -- but I think that's just a joke.
Herewith are brief descriptions of the prospective new cabinet members, subject to Senate confirmation:
| Secretary of State | Hillary Clinton |
| Secretary of the Treasury | Timothy Geithner |
| Secretary of Defense | Robert Gates |
| Attorney General | Eric Holder |
| Secretary of the Interior | Ken Salazar |
| Secretary of Agriculture | Tom Vilsack |
| Secretary of Commerce | Bill Richardson |
| Secretary of Labor | Hilda Solis |
| Secretary of Health and Human Services | Tom Daschle |
| Secretary of Housing and Urban Development | Shaun Donovan |
| Secretary of Transportation | Ray LaHood |
| Secretary of Energy | Steven Chu |
| Secretary of Education | Arne Duncan |
| Secretary of Veterans Affairs | Eric Shinseki |
| Secretary of Homeland Security | Janet Napolitano |
Steven Chu (Energy) | |
| Chu is a Nobel Laureate in physics and the director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory where he has emphasized technology to reduce greenhouse emissions. He helped to establish Stanford's Bio-X program, which encourages a multi-disciplinary team approach to problems frequently lacking in scientific research. He has also fostered cooperation between academia and industry, brokering a deal between the Berkeley Labs, the University of Illionois, and BP. Although controversial, this consortium is advancing scientific research in an environment where alternative energy funding has been conspicuously lacking. | |
Hillary Clinton (State) | |
| Former first lady and Democratic primary contender, Hillary Clinton is on of the most recognizable names in American politics. During her college years, she supported Barry Goldwater in 1964, but by 1972 had become transformed into a supporter of Eugene McCarthy. It is therefore ironic that her refusal to characterize her vote on the Iraq War Resolution as a mistake arguably lost her the Democratic nomination. During her distinguished career as a lawyer, first lady, bestselling author, and senator, she has established herself as a strong advocate for human rights -- a reputation that should serve her well as Secretary of State. Her books include: It Takes a Village, An Invitation to the White House: At Home with History, and Living History. | |
| Read more about Hillary Clinton | |
Tom Daschle (Health and Human Services) | |
| Since his demonization by the Bush administration despite his decidely moderate voting record and his narrow defeat in the 2006 senate race, respected and popular Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle has focussed on health care. His book Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis is a mixture of sound public policy and political pragmatism that should be required reading for the American voting public. Skyrocketing health-care costs are as great a threat to the economy as the Iraq War and the lack of a coherent energy policy, and we can only wish Daschle well as Secretary of HHS and director of the coming White House Office of Health Reform | |
| Read more about Tom Daschle | |
Shaun Donovan (Housing and Urban Development) | |
| At 41, Shaun Donovan is the youngest of the Obama nominees, but he has still assembled an impressive resumé. After completing his degree in public administration at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and an advanced degree in architecture at the Graduate School of Design, Donovan served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multifamily Housing at HUD, and as an acting FHA Commisioner. In 2004 he became the head of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development. | |
Arne Duncan (Education) | |
| Another youthful Obama cabinet designee, Duncan played basketball at Harvard, where he graduated magna cum laude in sociology. He became director of the Ariel Education Initiative, enhancing children's educational opportunities on Chicago's South Side in 1992. In 1998 he joined the Chicago Public Schools, where he became Deputy Chief of Staff for the Schools CEO in 1999, whom he succeded in 2001. | |
| Read more about Arne Duncan | |
Robert Gates (Defense) | |
Gates is probably the best Secretary of Defense one could expect from the ideologically-skewed Bush administration. Even as the impending redefinition of our middle east policy argues against an immediate shake-up of the top-level military command structure, those ranks have simultaneously been purged of those unwilling to endorse the nonsensical Bush Doctrine. Gates was nominated Director of the CIA in 1987, but withdrew when it became clear that the Senate confirmation would be hampered by his role in the Iran-Contra debacle. Daddy Bush nominated him again in 1991 and he was confirmed. He retired from the CIA in 1993 and during the Clinton years occupied several positions in academia, including president of Texas A&M University. Gates declined the junior Bush's nomination as Secretary of Homeland Security in 2001 and as Director of National Intelligence in 2005. He was appointed to the Iraq Study Group in 2006, but resigned upon his nomination as Secretary of Defense. Gates recently wrote a summary of his vision for DoD in Foreign Affairs Gates has written three books: Iran: Time For A New Approach (with Zbigniew Brzezinski and Suzanne Maloney), From the Shadows: The Ultimate Insider's Story of Five Presidents and How They Won the Cold War ,and Understanding the New US Defense Policy Through the Speeches of Robert M. Gates | |
| Read more About Robert M. Gates | |
Timothy Geithner (Treasury) | |
As president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Geithner has been in the eye of the recent financial storm, but who is he? To be fair, Federal Reserve bankers usually keep a low public profile, so Geithener's relative anonymity isn't surprising. Washington and Wall Street insiders seem to think he is an excellent choice, which doesn't exactly fill me with confidence. On the other hand, it's hard to imagine anyone being confirmed that couldn't pass muster with those groups. On the plus side, Geithner is said to be extremely intelligent, which can't hurt in the effort to correct the mess he's inheriting. He is also said to be very internationally-minded, and to view income-inequality as a serious problem -- two significant breaks from the current administration. Geithner was Undersecretary of the Treasury for Foreign Affairs under Secretaries Robert Rubin and Lawrence Summers -- two "moderate" Clinton appointees that aren't exactly blameless in the current SNAFU. Geithner is also a member of the Group of 30. Geithner has been enthusiastically endorsed by a couple of economists who do have significant public profiles: Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich and recent Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman, so I guess we'll all have to give him the benefit of the doubt for now. | |
Eric Holder (Justice) | |
Despite Holder's extensive resumé, the press has generally focussed on two things: If confirmed, he would be the first African-American Attorney General (actually he has already been acting Attorney General pending Ashcroft's confirmation), and he has publicly acknowledged that he gave former president Bill Clinton questionable advice concerning the Marc Rich pardon. I think the public should know more than that. Holder will be succeeding, in my opinion, the three worst Attorneys General in American history, and his task will be nothing less than to restore respect for the rule of law in America. He is said to be extraordinarily even-handed both as a prosecutor and as a jurist. If that means he will apply the law without prejudice to the rich and powerful as well as to the disenfranchised, great! If it means he will do the politically expedient thing to avoid rocking the boat, I fear for the Republic. Congress has already chosen that path. There is no doubt that any number of high-profile public crimes have been perpetrated on George W. Bush's watch. The question is: will the lesson be "no one is above the law", or "you can't fight city hall?" | |
Ray LaHood (Transportation) | |
Bipartisanship was a theme of the Obama campaign, but many were suprised by his nomination of outgoing Republican Congressman Ray LaHood for Secretary of Transportation, not so much because of his party affiliation as because of this relative lack of transportation credentials. LaHood is one of those populist Midwestern Republicans, said to be a decent man and a good manager. He has voted with the Democrats on a number of transportation-related issues. One clue is that in Washington-speak "transportation" boils down to the ongoing feud between roads and rail. (Can't we have both?) In that regard, LaHood and his associations in the House of Representatives might be helpful in implementing a long-overdue overhaul of the nation's rail system. Beyond that, this one's a puzzle to me. | |
Janet Napolitano (Homeland Security) | |
| Janet Napolitano received her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia Law School, which certainly signals a new direction for the heretofore mostly useless Department of Homeland Security. She has been an outstanding two-term Governnor of Arizona and a rising star in the Democratic party. Since her appointment will cede the Arizona governor's mansion to Republican Secretary of State Jan Brewer, one can only assume tha Obama intends to make Homeland Security a real department. | |
Bill Richardson (Commerce) | |
Democratic presidential contender and Governor of New Mexico Bill Richardson is no lightweight, and many considered him a more logical choice for Secretary of State than Hillary Clinton. Speculation is rampant that his selection for the Secretary of Commerce spot signals an increased role for Commerce in the coming administration. Commerce touches upon several key areas of the Obama agenda, including foreign trade, technology, and environment. Richardson's skill as a negotiator will certainly be useful in reshaping the American landscape as we move away from an oil economy toward something new and more sustainable. Richardson is the author of two books: Between Worlds: The Making of an American Life, and Leading by Example: How We Can Inspire an Energy and Security Revolution | |
| Read more about Bill Richardson | |
Ken Salazar (Interior) | |
Environmentalists are less than pleased with the appointment of Ken Salazar, whose record on green issues is described as "mixed." The mainstream position on environmental issues as regards the Department of the Interior has long been that we should have a "balanced" approach combining environmental protections with "constructive" use of public lands. While this sounds reasonable, this approach has led us to the brink of gloabl catastrophe, with the best available science indicating that if we could magically reduce our carbon emissions to zero today considerable damage would already have been done which would play out over the next several decades. Salazar will not be operating in a vacuum, though, and depending upon the policies he is asked to implement, he could be a tolerable choice. At least there is no indication a Salazar Department of Interior would exist solely to trade cocaine and hookers with representatives of the most egregious despoilers of the land. | |
| Read more about Ken Salazar | |
Eric Shinseki (Veterans Affairs) | |
| Former Army Chief of Staff General Shinseki is the first of many high-ranking officers demonized for telling the Bush administration the truth -- in this case that it would take hundreds of thousands of troops to stabilize post-war Iraq. He is a capable and dedicated officer who will doubtless do what he can with the antiquated mess that is the current Veteran's Administration. I'd like to see the VA buy up the Afghani opium harvest, but that would upset the pharmaceutical companies, wouldn't it? Whatever else happens, look for Shinseki to develop innovative approaches to old problems and to rock the boat if necessary to get the job done. | |
| Read more about Eric Shinseki | |
Hilda Solis (Labor) | |
Hilda Solis is arguably the only genuine liberal in a cabinet notable for its centrist politics. As a representative for the 31st and 32nd California Congressional districts from 2000 to the present, she has had an excellent record on labor and civil rights issues. After decades of vigorous Republican Union-busting and luke-warm Democratic support, Solis just may be what the Democrats (and the country) need right now. | |
| Read more about Hilda Solis | |
Tom Vilsack (Agriculture) | |
| Tom Vilsack is the first Democratic Governor elected in Iowa for 30 years. He is another centrist, pick and some would say on matters of Agriculture leaning to the right. In the past he has come down on the side of large corporate farming operations on a number of issues. Note that the "free-market" zealots are strangely silent on the huge farm-subsidy budget, which although touted as friendly to the family farm actually favors agri-business. There doesn't seem to be much change in the offing here. | |
| Read more about Tom Vilsack | |
