Plum Job Opportunities Await Old Cabinet [View All]

[quaoar]

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=398185

Departing Members of Bush's Cabinet Likely to Have Their Pick of Jobs, Strong Earning Power

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON Jan 9, 2005 — Departing members of President Bush's Cabinet will not have to scour the classifieds to find plum jobs. Secretary of State Colin Powell can revive a lucrative book-writing and public speaking career. Homeland Defense Secretary Tom Ridge and Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson will be highly sought in the corporate world because of their background and connections.

From Agriculture's Ann Veneman to Veterans Affairs' Anthony Principi, others probably will have their pick of jobs. Book deals and the lecture circuit are among the options for former Cabinet members. So, too, are seats on corporate boards, work as consultants and television commentators, as well as positions at law, lobbying and investment firms and at universities.

"Seven figures wouldn't be a problem," said Tom Donohue, president and chief executive of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the nation's largest business lobby.

Cabinet secretaries' assets include management skills, broad experience and unrivaled contacts in government and overseas, Donohue said.