When the Democrat nominee becomes president in 2005

[Squibbie]

one of his/her first tasks will be to appoint a cabinet. Let's
hypothetically say that he/she can choose the cabinet members only from the existing roster of presidential nominees. Who would you appoint to each of the major positions. You may not appoint Bush.

[HERVEPA]

1. Bill Clinton - Secretary of State

[Squibbie]

3. Great Idea, HERVEPA

I'm with you. Think he could be confirmed?

[rock]

16. A super idea

Do you think there's any chance Bill would accept?

[Wetzelbill]

2. VP John Edwards

Secretary of State Dennis Kucinich
Secretary of Defense Wesley Clark

Now I may actually start having to think so I'll stop. :)

[Squibbie]

4. I've been impressed by the amount of

talent we have available for the next administration. Real
grownups!

[UnAmericanJoe]

5. Hmm

Sec State : Kerry (although I would LOVE Clinton here)
Defense : Clark
Labor : Kucinich (maybe Gephart)
VP : Edwards (is there any doubt that he'll be the guy?)

Now, compare these guys to who we currently have. Wow. What a positive change in Government we could be looking at.

Who is a likely new Attorney General?? That is one that REALLY needs a change!

[Wetzelbill]

7. Compare them? Night and day wouldn't even describe the difference

Kucinich would be a good labor guy.
I like the Kerry choice for State too.
Edwards would make a good Atty General, but that guy has VP written all over him.

I would love to see Bob Graham in their somewhere.

Where would Dean go?

Al Sharpton should be the next WH Press Secretary. That would be a hoot.

I heard Clinton wants Kofi Annan's job. That would be interesting.

[Squibbie]

9. Bill or Hillary?

Sharpton is a great idea. I can't wait!

[Wetzelbill]

10. Bill

[w13rd0]

6. my stab

Ok, down the line (i tried using all the nominees first):

Secretary of Agriculture - (Tom Harkin)
Secretary of Interior - ?
Secretary of Commerce - (George Soros)
Department of Justice - John Edwards
Secretary of Defense - ?
Secretary of Labor - Dick Gephardt
Secretary of Education - ?
Secretary of State - Carol Mosley-Braun
Secretary of Energy - John Kerry
Secretary of Transportation - Joe Lieberman
Secretary of Health & Human Services - Howard Dean
Secretary of Treasury - Wesley Clark
Department of Homeland Security - Bob Graham
Secretary of Veterans Affairs - (Max Cleland)
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development - Al Sharpton
EPA - ?
Trade Rep - Dennis Kucinich
OMB - ?
Office of National Drug Control Policy - Harry Browne

Ok, I'm at a loss for candidates for the ?. Of course, being small in number and recognizable, present Senators leap to mind first, but I don't want to decimate the slim margin of majority we might have (although with all the senators already running for President, I don't know that it will be an issue anyway)...

ON EDIT: I do this with NO consideration for the relative value for any of these departments in present or past administrations, but in the assumption that each department is well-defined, important, and has a clear voice, or distinct rather, within the sphere it covers. I.E. if I were looking for someone to prosecute crime and ensure the law was followed, I like John Edwards; in deference to the candidate that first 'sparked' a chord on alternative energy in this election cycle (to me at least), John Kerry...oh, and I'm just assuming that the Libertarians will once again offer up Harry Browne as their candidate, which is why he's not parenthetical.

[Squibbie]

8. w13rd0, as a former teacher, all I can say is

you get an A+ for thoroughness and thoughtfulness.
Thanks for taking the time! Great ideas....

[UnAmericanJoe]

11. I agree

Well done!
If Edwards doesn't get the VP nod he would make a wonderful Att General.

We do have some very qualified individuals on our side.
This is a nice positive thread.

[budmo]

12. What A Dream!

Dean/ Graham -President & VP
Secratary Of State: Kerry
Tresurery: Lieberman
US embassadoe to UN: Mausley Braun
EPA: Dennis K.
Labor: Gephart
Attnory General: Edwards
Defense:Clark
HUD: Sharpton:evilgrin:

Now My real Fanatasy cabinet is:

Dean/ Graham
State: Gary Hart
Defense: Clark/Sam Nunn
UN: Albright
Tresure: Robert Reich
EPA: Ariana Huffington
Attrnoy Gen: Edwards
HUD: Dennis K.
HHS: Braun

[Squibbie]

13. I noticed that Edwards is mentioned by many of you

for VP. Is there much consensus across the Dem spectrum
that he would make a good VP? And why strategically?

[Wetzelbill]

19. Edwards....

He is from the South, has humble beginnings, an even temperment, nice looking and is a fantastic speaker. That makes him valuable for bringing in votes. However, I like the guy because he says wonderful things about education, the economy and fighting to give working and poor Americans a shot at the good life too. He's a big-time populist, but just doesn't get the credit he deserves for being one. This guy has a big future.

[w13rd0]

20. Despite his war vote...

...which I understand more coming from him as a rep of a southern state and a first term senator, Edwards has really caught my attention with his passion for denouncing corporate crime and john ashcroft...

[Wetzelbill]

21. my sentiments exactly

[Justice]

14. President Clark Would Choose

VP John Kerry
Secretary of Agriculture - Tom Harkin
Secretary of Interior - Carol Mosley-Braun
Secretary of Commerce - ?
Department of Justice - John Edwards
Secretary of Defense - ?
Secretary of Labor - Dick Gephardt
Secretary of Education - Ted Kennedy
Secretary of State - Madeleine Albright
Secretary of Energy - Jeff Bingham D-NM (although I bet Gray Davis would love to have a say with energy)
Secretary of Transportation - Joe Lieberman (or John Breaux D-LA)
Secretary of Health & Human Services - Howard Dean
Secretary of Treasury - Robert Rubin
Department of Homeland Security - Bob Graham
Secretary of Veterans Affairs - Max Cleland
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development - Al Sharpton
EPA - Al Gore
Trade Rep - Dennis Kucinich
OMB - ?
SEC Commissioner - John Corzine D-NJ

Although, we need to keep Joe Lieberman, Bob Graham and John Kerry in the Senate. These three senators hail from states with Republican governors -- and their successors would undoubtedly be republicans (heck in MA Romney would appoint himself!)

[Squibbie]

15. The more I see these lists, the more

I want to work to get the Dems back in. We have
a deep bullpen!

[newyawker99]

22. Hi budmo!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[berry]

17. Please say "Democratic" not "Democrat" when it's an adjective.

This use of "Democrat" as an adjective is something Newt Gingrich and his ilk started. Some Democrats do use it this way, probably because they're tone-deaf. But it really is a stealth attack on Democrats, and whenever someone uses it, I suspect them of being RWers (until I learn differently).

Sorry to be pedantic--but it really is an irritating usage. And why should the usage of the word "Democrat" be decided by the GOP PR-shop?

[tom_paine]

18. Yes, yes...it's DemocratIC

The Repugs, along with so many of the other Nazi-style stratagems they employ, have discovered the benefit of changing "Jewish Lawyer" to "Jew Lawyer" as a slur.

Of course, since the Busheviks aim to destroy the American Republic and not the Weimar Republic, this is not an acceptable slur for them.

Amerikan Totalitarianism will not be overtly race-based. Thus the next best slur is to change "Democratic Lawyer" to "Democrat Lawyer".

Same exact tactic, semantically.

You find a lot of that in Bushevik strategies if you scratch the surface even a little.

[berry]

23. Thanks for that explanation. I KNEW it was a slur, but couldn't have

explained why. (I was raised to believe that one should allow people to tell you how they want to be addressed, what name to use--as a common courtesy. That Newt and his PR-gang want to decide what to call Democrats grates--especially when I see people picking up the usage without understanding what's going on.)

[Loyal]

25. Exactly

When the RWers use the word Democrat to describe our potential nominee, they are putting emphasis on the last part of the word: DemocRAT for example. It's typical RW attack politics, and it's pathetic. I always correct myself when I do it by mistake.

[Zhade]

24. Secretary of Defense? Dennis Kucinich.

No more offensive wars. Period.

Come on. You know it's brilliant. ;)