Barack Obama lines up a cabinet of stars

[questionmark 11,371]

October 19, 2008

Barack Obama lines up a cabinet of stars as John McCain struggles on

The Democrat may recruit some big names, including Republicans, to see America through the crisis

Sarah Baxter in Roanoke, Virginia

With the economy on the brink of recession and the country in the midst of two foreign wars, Barack Obama is considering appointing a cabinet of stars to steer America through potentially its worst crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s if he wins the presidency on November 4.

Obama has a well-regarded, close-knit team of domestic and foreign policy advisers who would follow him into the White House and key administration posts. But he is also being urged to make some high-profile appointments who would command the confidence of the country at such a troubled time.

“It’s important to send a signal,” an Obama adviser said. “With a comparatively new person in office and the awful mess we’re in, these appointments are going to resonate around the world.” Obama, 47, has been warning his supporters that the election is not over yet. “Don’t underestimate our ability to screw it up,” he said last week. But should Obama win, he will not be short of big names to choose for his administration.

A host of well-known figures, including some Republicans, have indicated they would be willing to serve in some capacity as Obama begins to acquire a winner’s glow. From Senator John Kerry, the 2004 presidential candidate with hopes of becoming secretary of state, to Larry Summers, a former US Treasury secretary under President Bill Clinton, and Chuck Hagel, the Republican senator who has been tipped as defence secretary, there are plenty who have signalled their availability.

Obama is thought likely to cherry-pick a few high-profile names, while rewarding the loyalty and discretion of advisers such as his foreign policy expert Susan Rice who have served him so well throughout the campaign.

“He has no patience whatsoever with prima donnas,” said one leading Democrat policy adviser. “He’s surrounded himself with people who are pretty smooth in dealing with each other.” All eyes were on Colin Powell, the former secretary of state under President George W Bush, to see if he would declare his support for Obama in an interview on Meet the Press, the flagship political television programme, today.

Powell is unlikely to return to the cabinet after the mauling he received over the Iraq war, but could serve as a special envoy abroad. He is regularly consulted by Obama on foreign policy and military matters, and said last year: “I always keep my eyes open and my ears open to requests for service.”

Full story, source: The Sunday Times

[Guardsman Bass 0]

From Senator John Kerry, the 2004 presidential candidate with hopes of becoming secretary of state, to Larry Summers, a former US Treasury secretary under President Bill Clinton, and Chuck Hagel, the Republican senator who has been tipped as defence secretary, there are plenty who have signalled their availability.

I can see Kerry being Secretary of State, although not necessarily a good one. He's been on a number of diplomatic missions (not as an ambassador or diplomat, but as part of his Senate duties) to foreign countries, and he's on a whole bunch of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's subcommittees.

Chuck Hagel would be a terrible choice for Secretary of Defense. He was very vocal about the Surge not working back in 2007, for example, and more importantly has no background in Defense matters. In fact, he'd probably be better as a Secretary of State, although he's an inferior choice to John Kerry.

[ravergirl 7]

I don't even know what to say about this. at all. this is ridiculous.

[AROCES 2]

I don't even know what to say about this. at all. this is ridiculous.

It's like a dope, people take it to feel good temporarily.

[Mr Honeybadger 2]

It's like a dope, people take it to feel good temporarily.

Cabinet of Stars ?

Maybe if it was like the television show " Dancing with the Stars ". Then we could vote them off one by one if they do a lousy job.

[ravergirl 7]

It's like a dope, people take it to feel good temporarily.

Do they understand that this ridiculous sideshow contains our next leader?

[SQLserver 2]

Excellent. Just put in Al Gore as the science director.

Even better: Richard Dawkins.