ON JAN. 20, George W. Bush and Dick Cheney will not be the only ones departing the halls of power. The entire leadership of the executive branch of government will have packed and be waiting at the curb for the moving van.
There will no longer be an Attorney General Michael Mukasey, a Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice or a Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. Those jobs, so important to the administration of the nation, will be in new hands.
One of the most profound ways a president affects the nation is in the selection of Cabinet officers. Consider how different the past eight years might have been without Donald Rumsfeld or Alberto Gonzales and the people they chose to help them run the defense and justice departments.
With those examples in mind, Barack Obama can be expected to set a high standard for his Cabinet picks. Fortunately, the ranks of his notable supporters are filled with respected, competent people — the sort of people the nation always looks to for wise advice in times of crisis.
Current betting on the new Cabinet is all over the board. Here are some of the suggestions being heard:
Secretary of State: Sen. John Kerry, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and former U.N. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke.
Secretary of Defense: Expect Robert Gates to stay on, but possible replacements down the road include Sen. Chuck Hagel and Holbrooke.
Secretary of the Treasury: Billionaire investor Warren Buffett has been the center of some speculation, but he is unlikely to want to trust someone else to keep making his investors wealthy. More likely choices are former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker or New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Attorney General: The leading contender on all lists right now is Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano.
The Obama administration might also bring the Kennedy family back to the executive branch. Caroline Kennedy is rumored to be a possibility for ambassador to the United Nations, and her cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could be in line to head the Environmental Protection Agency.
Of particular interest to Kansans is whether Gov. Kathleen Sebelius will step down early to join the Obama administration. The governor was an early and energetic supporter of Obama’s candidacy. She has been mentioned as a candidate for the departments of energy, education, commerce or health and human services.
Between now and Jan. 20, Obama will make dozens of top appointments, inside the Cabinet and out. His appointments will be the first policy decisions of his administration and should give a clear idea of how he proposes to lead the nation.
As can be seen from the examples above, he has a deep field to make his selections from.
under_score (anonymous) says...
I don't know why I even read your editorials any more. All it does is piss me off. I especially like how you always pass your opinion off as uncontested fact. Brilliant!
November 6, 2008 at 12:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wookdog13 (anonymous) says...
America wanted change, now they must hang on for the roller coaster ride of a life time.
I am not convinced that the new leadership will be to the American benefit.
Have we yet seen a birth certificate of this man? Has he yet to prove the relationship with Ayers?
I just say, there is more than meets the eye.
November 6, 2008 at 1:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mythoughts (anonymous) says...
I'm just glad to have a professional, intelligent, compassionate, strong, thoughtful, broad-minded person of moral integrity and social awareness coming in for at least four years. I wouldn't care if he was green with pink polka dots.
BTW, under_score, I thought an editorial was supposed to be an opinion piece. Do you think that Michelle Malkin, George Will or Rhonda Criss Lokeman only publish uncontested facts? One of the purposes of sharing your opinion is to attempt to influence someone else's thoughts on the mater. It's how we, as a society, engage in discussions. Exchanging opinions, and revising them as we learn from one another.
November 6, 2008 at 2:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
wookdog13, Obama's birth certificate has been declared legal by Hawaii officials. The story was in Honolulu papers. You'd have found it if you wanted to look for it instead of doing nothing but spouting your racist crap!
Here's a link to the Houston Chronicle that will explain to you that Hawaii officials have indeed declared that document legal. I used a Texas newspaper for the link and not either of the Honolulu dailies because it sounds like you don't trust anything from Hawaii.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/p...
November 6, 2008 at 2:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
under_score (anonymous) says...
create,
I'm sorry but how was anything that wookdog13 said 'racist'? That is a pretty harsh word to be throwing around.
mythoughts,
I know who Micheller Malkin is but none of the others. I actually mostly read Ann Coulter. She's hillarious. From what I have read they usually offer some supporting evidence to back up what they are saying.
At any rate, anything that I read I take with a grain of salt. For instance, when I hear "Change", I say to myself: "Self, what type of change is this guy talking about" and then I look into it. What I don't do is hear "Change" and crap all over myself trying to get to the polls to vote for him because MSNBC says I should. You may agree with his politics and I do not. I had to work extremely hard to get what I have and I think everyone should take some responsibility in their actions. Many people that voted for him are looking for a handout.
November 6, 2008 at 2:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
Someone sent me this in email. I would like to share:
Two Friends
By Shane Stanford
In the last 10 hours, two friends called me. One was ecstatic. The other very worried. One friend supported Barrack Obama. The other supported John McCain.
My Obama friend talked of a new hope and brighter days. My McCain friend spoke of difficult times ahead and fears about tomorrow.
My Obama friend said that Obama would change everything. My McCain friend said the same thing, but for different reasons.
My Obama friend gushed at Obama's victory as though the stars seemed more in line. My McCain friend recoiled at Obama's victory as though the heavens had fallen.
My Obama friend considers Obama a magnetic personality, poised to the change the world. My McCain friend sees Obama as a polarizing personality---poised to change the world.
I simply listened to both of them and thought about the morning.
For you see, this morning--- the world still suffers from the broken edges of our humanity. 8,000 people will die today from AIDS. 14,000 children will die from conditions that we could have prevented. Young men and women on various sides will die as a result of various conflicts around the world.
This morning--- the complexities of our world still transcend the efforts of one man, one party or, even, one nation. People will do unspeakable things because they say they love their country or their God.
This morning--- families from all backgrounds will struggle, marriages will fail, and parents will worry about their children. The most local of our circumstances and problems will still seem overwhelming and hopeless for so many, no matter what the political landscape looks like.
This morning--- the poor are still poor; our prisons are still full; our schools are still in need. People still judge too many of our brothers and sisters because of the color of their skin. People still awaken to lonely homes and even lonelier lives. And, people still believe that one more dollar, or one more purchase, or one more title, will make the ache go away.
This morning--- our brothers and sisters in the faith still fight over the least of what we can agree upon. And, people continue to believe that our answers exists somewhere among our own abilities, gifts and graces-a lie told, and believed, from the Garden until now.
continued....
November 6, 2008 at 2:56 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
continued....
And, so, this morning--- we need not create another Satan. That job remains taken.
But, on this morning--- we need not create another Messiah either. That position is also filled.
And because of that, this morning--- the solutions to our problems remain vested in our ability to look past our differences and trust the best of what we can agree upon.
This morning--- the Table remains, as it has for 2,000 years and through countless elections, as the real center of hope for both how God sees us and for how God intends for us to see each other. While the world casts its hope in the extraordinary---buildings made of marble and granite; God delights and offers real hope in the ordinary--- bread, juice, and stables made of straw and hills made of jagged rock.
This morning--- the message of the Good News remains for those who have and have not, for those who vote left or right or not at all, and for those who consider faith a burden or a crutch.
This morning--- the family of God remains bigger than boundaries and nationalities and ideologies. And, we still pray that men and women of all ages, nations and races, will make good decisions for the good of the world for the right reasons. Because, our hope remains in something more sacred than even an election, a president, a congress or the concept of democracy.
This morning--- our God still reigns, still loves unconditionally, still offers forgiveness, still calls us to do good and seek justice, still encourages us to live faithfully, still insists that we make peace, still favors the poor whether of material or spirit, still comforts those who mourn, still draws close to those who hunger and thirst for Him, still believes in the communion of the saints, and still prepares a place for when the journey is over.
Yes, this morning--- much is different, but little has changed.
And, so, for my two friends--- and for all of us--- the real question on this morning--- or any morning--- is what shall we do with THIS DAY--- that the LORD HAS MADE---I say let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Be salt and light... you matter.
Shane
November 6, 2008 at 2:56 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
So, for instance, Obama's first person named, to be his Chief Of Staff, has a reputation for being EXTREMELY non-partisan. Someone who is in no way willing to reach across the aisle.
WHAT does that tell us? Mr. Kelley's "deep field" is looking strangely shallow after only 1 pick.....
November 6, 2008 at 3:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dale011 (anonymous) says...
Shane, get a life.
November 6, 2008 at 3:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodoleboy (anonymous) says...
Epic whining is indeed epic
November 6, 2008 at 4 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
OutsiderJ (anonymous) says...
Presidents campaign on the left or right, but they all move to the center once they take the job.
Dont worry.
November 6, 2008 at 4:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
I'm just curious, dale & goodoleboy, what did you find so offensive about what Shane wrote? Is it because he said the Messiah job is already taken? Or his thoughts regarding God? Just curious....
November 6, 2008 at 7:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
Ah, yes, the era of good-feeling, reaching across the aisle, working together in partisanship, putting the country ahead of the party has begun..... (sigh).....
From http://www.rr.com/view/content/story....
"Reid looking to remove Lieberman as committee head"
"While I understand that Sen. Lieberman has voted with Democrats a majority of the time, his comments and actions have raised serious concerns among many in our caucus," Reid said.
Democrats in the past had tolerated Lieberman's political straddling because he held their slim 51-49 majority in his hands. Now that Democrats have strengthened their hold in the Senate to at least 55 seats as a result of Tuesday's election, Lieberman no longer is vital to their majority control.
Despite splitting with most Democrats on the war in Iraq, Lieberman tends to vote with them on domestic issues such as health care, education and the environment."
November 6, 2008 at 8:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
LifeGoesOn (anonymous) says...
As I have said on other articles, it is no wonder our government can not seem to work together when the people of the little town emporia still can do nothing but points fingers, place blame and argue over who is a better person,who has good ideas and who has the best plan for moving this country in the right direction. It is a sad sad thing and does not surprise me the shape that America is in.
just in this forum alone, we get comments like
" All it does is piss me off"
"Epic gloating is expected!"
"Have we yet seen a birth certificate of this man? "
"You'd have found it if you wanted to look for it instead of doing nothing but spouting your racist crap!"
"Many people that voted for him are looking for a handout."
" get a life"
"Epic whining is indeed epic"
As open eyes has said "Ah, yes, the era of good-feeling, reaching across the aisle, working together in partisanship, putting the country ahead of the party has begun..... "
Yeah Right....
November 6, 2008 at 9:23 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
under_score (anonymous) says...
I've been a moderate independent for all of my voting life until this election. I have voted for Democrats and Republicans equally so long as they've been moderate. That changed this election based on a single factor. The Democratic leadership tried to sell out our troops while pandering to the far left of their party. I consider it borderline treason the way they tried to sabotage the war effort and pin everything on Bush as though they played no part in the vote to go to war.
Democrats can forget about getting my vote for the near future.
However, I promise as soon as Obama takes the Presidency I will get behind him and give him the benefit of the doubt. This is because I love my country regardless of who is leading it. Can some of you claim the same?
November 7, 2008 at 7:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
historian1982 (Nick Gronseth) says...
wow, another completely unbiased editorial (sarc. off)
November 7, 2008 at 10:02 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )