New Cabinet
 

We had an interesting conversation at the office today regarding the Presidents new Cabinet.

With a little bit of research that started with "he said, she said, I heard" it seems that AG John Ashcroft will not be returning with the administration.

Condoleezza Rice sounds like she's been pegged for Sec State... IF Powell leaves that post.

I hear 2 options for Sec Rumsfeld, 1. That he will stick it out until there is some positive change in Iraq (whatever that means) or 2. That he won't be returning in January. There is no basis to confirm this, but Tommy Franks's name was mentioned as a potential replacement.

I'm hearing talk of finding a place for Rudy Guilliani in the new cabinet, a new post for Tom Ridge, Spencer Abraham, and Tommy Thompson.

Anyone have any thoughts on who is staying, leaving, moving to where, or coming into the new administration?

To continue the "he said, she said" game, I've heard Guilliani's name mentioned to replace John Ashcroft, and I've heard Paul Wolfowitz's (sp?) name as a replacement for Condaleeza Rice, should she move up to Sec. of State.

If I am not mistaken there is a federal law that prohibits General Officers from serving as SecDef during the first 10 years of their retirement. It was brough up during the specualtion during the first Bush admin when someone mentioned Swartzkopf's name. Apparently the inside track goes to the head of NASA (O'Keefe) who prior to working at NASA was the Sec of the Navy.

Ashcroft is gone as is Tommy Thompson, Norm Mineta, Rod Page and Tom Ridge. Speculation has Rudy taking over either as AG or Ridge's job and Mark Raciot taking over Thompson's. I have also deard former Dem Senator John Breaux's name thrown around but it hasn't been assoicated with any job in particular.

It is 10 U.S. Code § 113(a): "There is a Secretary of Defense, who is the head of the Department of Defense, appointed from civilian life by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. A person may not be appointed as Secretary of Defense within 10 years after relief from active duty as a commissioned officer of a regular component of an armed force."

Schwarzkopf, BTW

NASA's O'Keefe
 

Sean is an old buddy of mine. We drank our way through graduate school together (Syracuse's Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs or some such stuff). Sean is solid, because the old SP5IC says so. I wonder if I could be his driver; one grade reduction of course.

Today's WSJ says that Ridge and Thompson both are being pressured by their wives to get jobs that pay better. So they're definitely gone. LMAO

I'd like to see Ridge come back to state politics in PA, but I realize there's hardly any chance of that. Maybe he can run for the Senate in 6 years when Arlen Specter retires.

Rudy Giuliani is a possibility for Attorney General, though an outside one. Another is Judge Alberto Gonzales, Bush's White House Counsel, though he is also on a short list for any Appeals Court openings and an eventual elevation to the Supreme Court. If he is nominated for either, I expect liberal Democrats will attack him, though. Former Sen. Fred Thompson is also a long shot.

At State, Secretary Powell's departure is not a done deal. At a minimum, I expect he would want to shepherd through the Iraqi electoral process and be satisfied that he is leaving on a high note. Candidates for SecState include Ambassador (and former Senator) John Danforth, Paul Wolfowitz and Sen. Richard Lugar.

Rice has an outside chance for SecState, though reportedly she prefers policy-making to bureaucratic management (yet also reportedly she is campaigning for SecDef, which involves far more bureaucratic wrangling than State). I do not think Rice is a good candidate for SecDef. Most SecDefs have strong backgrounds in either business management or legislative policy (or both), and most have at least some military experience.

If bipartisanship becomes a mantra, Sam Nunn might get tapped for either State or Defense.

There is also the expected new cabinet-level position of National Intelligence Director. Guiliani and Rice could be candidates.

Guiliani is also a possibility for Homeland Security. O'Keefe is also a possibility there. Deputy Secretary Adm. James Loy (former Coast Guard Commandant) and Under Secretary for Border & Transportation Security Asa Hutchinson (a former Congressman).

If Rice leaves the NSC for any of these, Wolfowitz may take over that job. Scooter Libby is another NSC candidate.

Outside of the national security circle, I don't have much insight.

Mineta should have been fired long ago, but with Homeland Security up and running, Transportation lost most of its national security role. A possible replacement is former Senator Tim Hutchinson, a senior advisor at Dickstein Shapiro (and brother of Asa Hutchinson). Tim Hutchinson's name could pop up in several places, though, since as a Senator and Congressman he was involved in a number of issues. He could replace Tommy Thompson at HHS.