WP: Kerry Exploring Cabinet Options

[kskiska]

If he wins the White House, John F. Kerry will immediately confront a difficult, divisive and deeply personal decision: which close friend will he have to stiff for secretary of state?

Kerry, who would name a national security team a few weeks after the election, is said by campaign sources to be under a fair amount of pressure to pick Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.) or Richard Holbrooke to help repair global alliances and attract new allies to assist in Iraq. Both men are seasoned diplomats, ambitious and close friends and political advisers to Kerry. And both clearly want the job.

It was once assumed that Holbrooke, who was a U.N. ambassador under President Bill Clinton, was the front-runner. But campaign sources say Biden's stock soared after the ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee played a central role in helping to turn the campaign around last month with a sharper focus on problems in Iraq. Some say that Holbrooke could be sent to the Middle East as a special envoy as a possible consolation prize.

In the end, both men might be passed over for state, campaign sources say, because Kerry has told friends he wants to tap a Republican for one of the top national security posts, preferably defense or state. Those under consideration include Sens. Chuck Hagel (Neb.) and Richard G. Lugar (Ind.), as well as former senator Warren Rudman.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52688-2004Oct21.html

[ramapo]

1. Let's not get ahead of ourselves

Noce to be confident but don't jinx it

[juliagoolia]

3. This is good news..

Gives a idea of confidence..and winning..
Nothing wrong with being positive and planning ahead.. go see this..
nothing ever happens that we want in our lives unless we dream it first.

see http://www.clowntech.com/win04/vote.htm this will help you understand how you should be thinking.. grin...

[lil-petunia]

52. Excuse me, but have you had your coffee today?

Of COURSE he has to plan about a cabinet now. There is very little time after an election.
Vetting, security background checks, etc.

Delays almost took down Bill Clinton, made him look foolish, and he is not a foolish man.

They have to start now and assign the task to some very serious non-ego people. You know, do the opposite of what cheney did in his search for VP.

[tedoll78]

2. I'm wondering what his internals must look like.

Sounds pretty confident. Like a winner.

[joanne]

5. No Democratic Senator for Cabinet post!

We need EVERY Democrat we can get!

I want Max Cleland in the cabinet!!!

Not to mention Wes Clark.

[movonne]

11. He will for sure give Max Cleland a position and Wes Clark if he

wants it. He owes them both a lot...

[alteredstate]

54. I agree!

n/t

[smiley_glad_hands]

8. Kerry in a landslide. eom

[timezoned]

33. Well, he windsurfs, seems to eat well, so

..oh, wait I get it.

[Catch22Dem]

4. I don't think Hagel or Lugar would be BAD choices

But lets face it, I'm to the point where I don't want ANY repukes in the Kerry admin. Haven't they fucked shit up ENOUGH already?

[joanne]

7. Hagel isnt all that bad

And Kerry can PROVE he really is a UNITER and not a DIVIDER.

Unlike Chimpy.

[LifeDuringWartime]

17. hagel is sketchy

he is a former CEO of AIS (now known as ES&S, a leading touch-screen voting machine company).

[Wind Dancer]

48. Hagel won in 96 and 2002 under

"interesting" circumstances. Kerry needs to support the Democratic Party - there are many qualified for the position.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

23. Hagel is grooming himself.

Don't be fooled.

[movonne]

12. I think maybe he would do it, is to try and bring this country together...

[TankLV]

28. Absolutely NO REPUKES dammit!

I want as "bipartisan" a cabinet and administration as bunkerboy's.

As "bipartisan" an administration as the repukes in Congress have been these past 4 years!

[SquireJons]

38. We must try to heal the divide

Plus it might take a pug out of congress (doubtful as that seems)

[trapper914]

47. Lugar Is A Good Choice

Here's a Republican who has been honest about the War In Iraq (no plan, not enough troops, etc.), who honestly cares about Nuclear Non-Proliferation.

He is beyond reproach in Republican circles, and he is respected by Democrats. I hope Kerry finds a place for him.

[Laelth]

49. Agreed.

Shrub said he wanted to be a uniter, not a divider. He lied--and we get nowhere trying to prove we're "better" than they are. I say, "Show no mercy!" Only way I would ever consider giving a cabinet position to a Republican is if we could pick up a Senate seat in the process--i.e. pick a Republican from a state with a Democrat governor who then gets to appoint a replacement.

I have only one endorsement to make: Eliot Spitzer for Attorney General.

-Laelth

[THUNDER HANDS]

6. I'd go with Holbrooke and make Biden Sec. of State

[joanne]

9. Nope We need EVERY Democrat in the Senate

[deadmessengers]

13. Delaware

Delaware has a Democratic governor - she'll appoint a Dem to replace Biden, if appointed to a Kerry cabinet position.

[whalerider55]

20. howevah....

the dem controlled legislature here in Massachusetts just chnaged the law that would force an early election so that our republican governor couldn't appoint himself to the senate...

so i'd have to ask- who owns the Delaware legislature?

whalerider55

[deadmessengers]

53. Good question

A little judicious Googling tells me that the Democrats control the Delaware Senate 13 seats to 8, while the House is overwhelmingly Republican (29 seats to 12).

So, I would think (ok hope) that the Dem majority present in the Senate could stop any legislation like that from passing.

Of course, I know exactly NIL about Delaware state politics.

[Orangepeel]

14. doesn't Delaware have a Democratic governor?

[Guaranteed]

46. LOL NOW it makes sense that he's thinking of picking a Repuke...nt

[Catch22Dem]

10. sec of state was the post we were talking about...

Where would you put Holbrooke?

[Nicholas_J]

15. Well Wesley Clark would be a good choice for Secretary of State

His position with NATO mankes him a good choice to mend fences with the members of "OLD EUROPE" as it was so eloquently called by the Bush Administration. And he also has strong relations with the Balkan members of "New Europe" He is widely respected in Europe and in particular among NATO members. This is the first set of relations we have to mend.

[joanne]

16. Ok then I will quit worrying about Biden

but he HAS to pick Max Cleland for cabinet!!!!!!!!

[morcatknits]

18. Isn't it Great

To have such an array of talent to speculate about, instead of which one might do the least harm? Wes Clark is my pick for Secretary of State. I'd really like to keep Biden in the Senate. He's turned into one of the pillars of the Senate. I certainly agree with Max Clelland. If they are going to take out a senator for a cabinet post, why not take a Republican?

morcatknits

[PATRICK]

19. What amazes me

is the awful timing of WP speculation. To think Kerry has time for serious final decisions right now is ridiculous. The WP is flexing its interference and insufferable pundit muscles to see how it can begin tweaking the Kerry honeymoon to breed discontent- as it never did with the simplistic, ruinous Bush "dream team" and its Powell shadow man.

Why can't they shut up or report the news as it is? What competence do they have for pouring sour milk on the tea leaves?

Holbrook is a very hardnosed negotiator. He is the one to do the direct toughest work and is a little less reliable on the broad policy front I should think. Hagel may indeed be angling for the future and an excellent reason to keep him at arm's length in favor of a Lugar or perhaps a Rudman. Remembering false bipartisan friends in the past I hope this really tired advice is put way underneeath the stack of priorities. When the GOP starts talking bipartisan and acting it they can be considered and not by the wise advice of the WP. Dems have trusted and been betrayed or disappointed by several GOP appointees in their cabinets. The GOP only trusts actual schmoes and traitors, at the least wheedling careerists for show. Tell the WP to shove it with their bipartisan healing crap and go get their flu shots.

[Lakerstan]

21. Can the BIG DAWG get a post?

I don't know the laws on a former President getting a cabinet position.

[Skittles]

22. OMG

the repug freaks would FOAM AT THE MOUTH. I LOVE IT!!!!!!!

[JolietDem]

29. UN Secretary General?

That's the rumour du jour, Clinton wants to HEAD THE UN...awesome idea, if he can finagle it, I know there'd be no one better. He'd at least make an awesome UN ambassador. I heard a suggestion that Anthony Zinni could be NSA...which strikes me as awesome, because he's a genuine combat commander, etc. and is universally recognized as a hardass BUT says he will not vote for BUSH because of the supreme incompetence of Rumsfeld, et al...just thinking about a Kerry cabinet excites me!

[Tight_rope]

36. Hell yah...Clinton fore Head of UN!

[A Simple Game]

43. I think UN Secretary General doesn't come up until 2006,

but who better to get the Europeans to help out in Iraq. The Europeans love the Big Dog! Just appoint him to a temporary position with some sort of special envoy title. This could also help him get the UN job he wants.

[absolutezero]

24. hes already going to have one

secretary general of the UN...theres a rumor going around

[timezoned]

31. Oh god would that not be brilliant

totally impossible, but brilliant.

Give him Rove's job.

Ooops, sorry. He's President again! Guess your bullshit REALLY didn 't work, eh?

[troublemaker]

25. This article is the most important campaign press release of the day

Very nice play for the sober, responsible crowd. Will generate a lot of buzz about how Kerry will have a Republican at defense or state. Very reassuring. Bob Rubin at Fed ought to be reassuring too.

Does a lot to neuter Bush's main line of attack, that Kerry as president would be like turning the country over to a Martian.

[timezoned]

32. I agree. I've been hoping this would be talked about

right now. Exactly why you said.

[grasswire]

41. it isn't a press release...

...as I'm sure you know. It's all speculative, and some of it might be misinformation. I'm not crazy about this reporter.

[TheDonkey]

26. Don't let Rethugs take the sercurity positions!

playing into the stereotype they are strong on defense and security which is bullshit.

Biden would be the clear choice.

[pdurod1]

27. Add McCain into the mix

he is a close friend of Kerry.

[TankLV]

30. Oh, sure, the sellout repuke McCain. Are you nuts?!?!

I should expect as much from another sudden low post count poster.

We ain't buyin what you're sellin.

McCain is a dirtbag of the highest order.

He's been fucked by bunkerboy, and still stumps for him!

He fucked Kerry big time on the swift boat liars and many other instances.

We've been down this road before - and WE have long memories.

And I seriously doubt YOU are part of WE.

I think you are lost.

But enjoy your brief stay here.

[Name removed]

34. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Wind Dancer]

50. Poster elite?

Ummmm, interesting choice of words.

[Tansy_Gold]

42. Don't forget, Tank, that there are lots of long-time DUers

who haven't gotten the message about McCain yet either. I'm in AZ, I know what the jerk is like, and there are still Dems here who think McCain is still human.

Go easy on the newbies. :D

Tansy Gold, who is as aware as anyone of the massive influx of newly registered

[Tight_rope]

37. McCain kisses too much ass...We need someone to be a "MAN"

[pdurod1]

39. Korean Vet: Charles Rangle

[saracat]

44. He has denied he is Kerry's friend .Publicly.

He said he has never invited him to Az and has only visited Kerry's home once. He said "it is not as if we were friends".

[demokatgurrl]

51. PLEASE, CAN WE GET OFF MC CAIN???? HE IS

a staunch supporter of Dubya, what does that tell you about his judgment???? SURELY there are others at least as qualified.

Besides, I can't stand him.

[alteredstate]

55. I hope not

McCain was a great friend - until it interfered with his ambition. I've lost all respect for him.

[Tight_rope]

35. Too bad Clinton was already president and Powell is repuke!

[grasswire]

40. argghhhhh!

Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) is a possibility for homeland defense, as is Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine).

[Kolesar]

45. Holbrooke was pro-Iraq War and sticks to that position

I don't like him.