redblueamerica.com

Now that Hillary Clinton is in the rear-view mirror, Barack Obama has his work cut out for him.

High on his agenda should be putting together a remarkable cabinet. After seeing the debacle of the Bush administration, one of the strongest arguments for a Democratic president is the strength of the team he can assemble to do the real work of the Executive Branch.  

 Here’s one man’s view of what the Obama Dream Team might look like:

Vice President: Jim Webb (Senator, Va.)- A major part of the choice for VP is the individual’s ability to “fill in the blanks” of the presidential candidate. Webb’s strong military record, his macho demeanor and his affable, good-ol-boy nature, make him very attractive to the kinds of voters who Hillary Clinton claims would never vote for Obama.

Secretary of Defense: Chuck Hagel (Senator, Nebraska)- Sure he’s a Republican, but Obama wants a bi-partisan presidency and Hegel is as ethical and principled as they come. a member of the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee, he has been the most vocal anti-war Republican.

Secretary of the Treasury: Michael Bloomberg (Mayor, New York City)- Bloomberg is clearly getting bored with his mayoral duties and is looking for a new challenge. Nobody questions Bloomberg’s financial expertise and if there was ever an economy in need of some serious financial expertise is is the one that will be inherited by Obama.

Secretary of State: Joe Biden (Senator, Delaware)- This is a no-brainer. Biden’s decades on the Foreign Relations Committee, his knowledge of every hot-spot in the world and his natural inclination towards diplomacy make him the man for the job.

Attorney General: Henry Waxman (Congressman, California)- Waxman is brilliant and a pit bull. There will be so much cleaning up to do after the Bush presidency and Waxman is the one to do it.

Secretary of the Interior: Governor Kathleen Sibelius (Kansas)- From the heartland, terrific executive, broadbased expertise. (A tempting choice for VP, as well).

Secretary of Agriculture: John Tester(Senator, Montana)- Tester has been a lifelong famer, working on the farm that has been in his family for 100 years.  Tester’s knowledge of agriculture may be unmatched in the Senate.

Secretary of Labor: John Edwards (Former Senator, North Carolina)- May seem like a step down, but Edwards has been the Senate’s biggest supporters of the union movement and the working man.

Secretary of Health and Human Services: Elizabeth Edwards (Attorney, advocate)- A brilliant lawyer and advocate, Elizabeth Edwards has been speaking out of health issues ever since going through her own battle with breast cancer. A charismatic speaker, Edwards can become the face of Obama’s massive heath-care reforms.

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Bill Bradley (Former Senator, NJ)- Bradley came out early for Obama and has been a staunch supporter. Cerebral and practical, Bradley can be a key advisor in the Obama cabinet.

Secretary of Education: Ruth Simmons (President, Brown University)- Simmons , a Harvard PhD, has served as President of Brown University since 2001 and is one of the most respected members of the educational committee. As a Black woman, she also adds to the diversity of the Obama cabinet… but earns her spot in the cabinet based on brains and talent, not race and gender.

Secretary of Energy: Al Gore (Former Vice President)- While this may seem like a come-down for such an international superstar, under an Obama presidency, this position would wield enormous power. There is already talk about changing the name of the post to Secretary of Energy and Climate Change.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Max Cleland (Former Senator, Georgia)-  Cleland lost three limbs in Viet Nam. A longtime advocate for veterans’ rights, Cleland can help to undo the disgraceful treatment of veterans that has been the hallmark of the Buch Administration. 

Secretary of Transportation: Federico Pena (Former Cabinet member, Former Mayor of Denver)- Pena already held this post under Bill Clinton and will have his hands full cleaning up such critical probels as the crisis in the airlines industry. It is no secret that Obama needs help with the Hispanic community and Pena has been working hard on Obama’s behalf (as co-Chair of his campaign).

Homeland Security Director: Colin Powell- Powell brings a lot of baggage to the table, but there may not be a better choice for the job. Powell’s military and diplomatic experience cannot just be tossed aside because of mistakes made in the name of loyalty to George Bush.