Politico: Obama considers RFK for EPA and Caroline for U.N.

[cali]

Obama considers stars for Cabinet
by Politico.com Wednesday November 05, 2008, 12:18 PM
President-elect Barack Obama is strongly considering Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the Environmental Protection Agency, a Cabinet post, Democratic officials told Politico.

Obama’s transition planners are weighing several other celebrity-level political stars for Cabinet posts, including retired general Colin L. Powell for secretary of Defense or Education, the officials said.

RFK Jr.’s cousin, Caroline Kennedy, who helped Obama lead his vice-presidential search, is being considered for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, although some Obama officials doubt she would take it. Obama is indebted to the Kennedy family for a hearty endorsement at a crucial point in the Democratic primaries.

The selection of Kennedy would be a shrewd early move for the new presidential team. Obama advisers said the nomination would please both Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.).

It also would raise the profile of the EPA, which would help endear Obama to liberals who may be disappointed on other issues important to the Democratic left because of budget restrictions.

The EPA enforces clean air and clear water laws. Kennedy, an environmental lawyer and son of the late senator and attorney general Robert F. Kennedy, has long championed a cleaner water supply for New York City.

<snip>

http://www.masslive.com/us-politics/index.ssf/2008/11/obama_considers_stars_for_cabi.html

[Renew Deal]

1. That takes him out of the running for governor.

Which is fine with me.

[myrna minx]

2. Oh my gawd, this is REALLY happening. We really won the White House.

:cry: :hug: I am so overwhelmed.

[ipfilter]

15. Yes it is really happening, Dems for high cabinet positions.

We're back and better than before.

[Nydari]

19. Me too. I wonder if I will ever stop tearing up just thinking

about it.

[MadBadger]

3. I say no to Colin Powell, but the people here will be even angrier about it.

[RoadRage]

5. Like him or not...

he put his career, many friendships and a lot on the line to endorse Obama. I don't think he did it with a job in mind... but beyond that, Powell shows that Obama is serious about bipartisinship... and he knows what he's doing.

I know i'll get flammed for this. No need to reply to this post with how many dead soldiers in Iraq he's responsible for... but we can either continue to never forgive.. or move on and try to heal the country. Ostracizing all Republicans won't help us in the long run.. look what just happend to Bush when he tried that with Democrats.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. Well, we KNEW he was smart, now didn't we?

And those choices just prove it!

I hope he carries through on them...

Very shrewd moves, IMHO...

:patriot:

[CTyankee]

6. I saw Caroline interviewed by Diane Sawyer a couple of days ago. She didn't rule anything out so I

think she might be interested in something with the Obama admin. She did say she didn't want to leave NYC (when asked about an ambassadorship to "anywhere she wanted" as Sawyer put it). So the U.N. would be perfect for her.

What a wonderful, classy touch that would be! The dream will never die...

[Swede]

7. RFK jr would be a perfect pick.

I must be dreaming.

[Lumpsum]

8. Hm.

Caroline Kennedy should be Secretary of Education.
Powell for Secretary of Defense.

[WinkyDink]

9. RFK, Jr., would be a STUPENDOUS CHOICE!!

[Peregrine]

22. Sorry, anybody associated with anti-science crap shouldn't be at the EPA

I agree with http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2008/11/say_it_aint_so_barack_say_you_aint_serio.php#more">Respectful Insolence.

[nam78_two]

10. Oooo RFK for EPA

Someone please pinch me-this is a dream...it is too good to be true...
This is an AWESOME news item-thanks for posting it cali :thumbsup:.
This has been a victory for science and the environment among many other things :bounce:.

[leeann1317]

11. I like it. This would be a good move.

[crispini]

12. RFK at the EPA

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!

[tex-wyo-dem]

13. RFK Jr. would be a perfect choice!

Having practiced environmental law for years, he's extremely familiar with the issues and knows that we are at a critical time with regards to climate change, as well as a whole host of other issues. In addition, he is well versed enough in politics to know the art of compromise to get things done.

Excellent news!!!

[Peace Patriot]

14. Robert Kennedy, Jr., would be WONDERFUL as EPA head. No one knows environmental issues

better. Kennedy has wide-ranging, detailed knowledge--and is unafraid to call Big Corpos on their shit--as anyone who has listened to his "Ring of Fire" environmental radio show is aware. I have found him brilliant on these issues--and also on his analysis of our democratic institutions! I don't know what happened to his lawsuit against Diebold. I suspect he was asked to cool it for strategic political reasons. You can't be suing the fuckwads who will be 'counting' your votes with TRADE SECRET, PROPRIETARY programming code, and virtually no audit/recount controls. They'll getcha. But it may have been delayed by a U.S. A.G. (Bush) option to step into the suit, within a certain time period. However, I don't mind deals by smart people whose hearts and minds are in the right place. And I think that is true of RFK Jr. Whatever he decided, it was for the best. (And suicidal lawsuits do nobody any good--if that's what it was.)

Deals with bad guys, and shady Corpo/'military industrial complex' players, is another thing entirely. Which brings me to ....

----------------

Colin Powell-NO! His betrayal of the American people--and set up of a million innocent Iraqis to be slaughtered--with his 100% crapola to the UN is unforgivable. He has had a long history of toadying up to Bushwhacks and Reaganites, to further his ambitions, starting way back with his coverup of the My Lai massacre. He is totally unacceptable for ANY position. But Sec of Defense? Good God! Same with Sec of State!

Why not give it to one of these courageous generals who fought the Bushites, and got fired or quit because of it, rather than carry out their ill-considered, unconstitutional, genocidal orders--orders that furthermore resulted in unnecessary U.S. soldier carnage and chaos and vast suffering in Iraq, and of course that cost us trillions and trillions of dollars, a lot of it in outright theft? Or Wesley Clark, who was so articulate and visible in opposing the war? COLIN POWELL DIDN'T QUIT. He hung right in there, til the last possible moment, looking for personal advantage, in my opinion. If the war had been successful (and if Rumsfeld's planted WMD plot had succeeded--my theory), he'd still be there, basking in Buswhack glory. I think his "tears" at Obama winning are crocodile tears. I wouldn't trust him for a minute. He is a LIAR!

He's gotten us into TWO WARS! And was a toady on the first, and a super-toady on the second. Wars that had NOTHING--**NOTHING!** to do with us or our national security!

Obama DOESN'T NEED THIS TRAITOR in his administration. He needs people who, a) will not lie us into war, b) will not play toady to wretched policy, and c) has loyalty to something besides his vaulting ambition.

---------------

We've already had to swallow Rahm Emmanuel in the top spot in the White House--one of the DLC wrecking crew of the Democratic Party, who personally tried to sink the candidacies of anti-war Democrats in Congressional primaries. I don't know what kind of deal Obama had to make, that included this pro-Corpo, pro-war profiteer operator running the White House. But I'm already sick UPFRONT with Obama's move toward the Corpo/Fascist wing of the Democratic Party, in his choices of Biden and Emmanuel. NO MORE! PICK GOOD PEOPLE, NOT TRAITORS AND LOBBYISTS!

(Note: I think Biden is sincere, but WRONG. He's like Murtha--too tight with capitalistic war profiteers. Emmanuel, on the other hand, is a worm--a tool of the DLC. Like Powell, he'll say anything and do anything to curry favor with his masters.)

[kwolf68]

16. Please dont pinch me if this is a dream

Bobby Kennedy Jr...at the Interior Dept OR head of EPA is :toast:

[Matariki]

17. The EPA restored! Now I'm crying again. n/t

[gauguin57]

18. I thought about Al Gore for EPA, but he may not be interested, and RFK would be cool.

And Carolina is my favorite Kennedy of all time, so whatever role she can play is very cool with me!

[Reterr]

20. Christmas came early this year

:party:

[DeepModem Mom]

21. K&R

[H2O Man]

23. I believe that

for you and I, this has a special meaning. Change is possible.