Thread: New Cabinet
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Old 11-08-2004, 10:22   #8
Airbornelawyer
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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.
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