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Who are Your Choices for Women to Serve in an Obama Cabinet?

Submitted by meg on Fri, 10/31/2008 - 1:06pm.

BE ELECTED
by Meg White

Now, we don't want to count votes before the Sequoias and Diebolds around the country have all hatched, but the working women at BuzzFlash.com do admit to a little dreaming of late.

In all the discussions of what an Obama cabinet might look like, we feel something is missing. In a letter: "X." That's right; we feel the speculation has been a little heavy on the Y chromosome. But just because the pundits say it, doesn't mean that's how Obama will play it.

Women, in general, have an extensive reputation as coalition builders. We're characterized as listeners, compromisers, convincers, measured advisors and contemplators. These are just the attributes that make for a great cabinet.

We're not saying Obama should exclusively choose women for his cabinet. But, in this day of supposed gender equality, could we expect an enlightened man such as Obama to at least consider one woman for each position in his cabinet search? We think the possibility is more reality than dream.

So here's a list of the 14 cabinet positions, as well as six positions that are at cabinet-level in the current administration. Give us the name of the best woman for the job. And pass it around... maybe your mother, sister, daughter, or girlfriend has some names you hadn't even dreamed of!

 

_______________________________
Secretary of Agriculture  

_______________________________
Secretary of Commerce   

_______________________________
Secretary of Defense      

_______________________________
Secretary of Education    

_______________________________
Secretary of Energy        

_______________________________
Secretary of Health & Human Services

_______________________________
Secretary of Homeland Security

_______________________________
Secretary of Housing & Urban Development

_______________________________
Secretary of Interior

_______________________________
Secretary of Labor

_______________________________
Secretary of State

_______________________________
Secretary of Transportation

_______________________________
Secretary of Treasury

_______________________________
Secretary of Veterans Affairs

_______________________________
Chief of Staff

_______________________________
Attorney General

_______________________________
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency

_______________________________
Director of the Office of Management and Budget

_______________________________
Director of the National Drug Control Policy

_______________________________
U.S. Trade Representative

 

BE ELECTED

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. E.P.A.

Submitted by germane on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 11:47am.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the man to head the E.P.A. He told a group in Arcata, CA that if he was asked to serve, the only position he would consider would be EPA. As a Bay Keeper and a lawyer he was on the verge of getting coal fired power plants to stop belching mercury into our waterways just before the Bush administration got elected. He would be great for this country.
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Women in Cabinet

Submitted by regis18 on Thu, 11/06/2008 - 5:45pm.
T. Boone Pickens??? First, he's a swift boating scum bag. Second, I don't believe Boone is a woman. But, I've been wrong before.
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Revolution

Submitted by Gregory Lynn Kruse on Thu, 11/06/2008 - 1:37pm.
We need a complete do-over of the Cabinet and new people in charge of the various drawers. Homeland Security is a Republican neo-con creation and should be scrapped. I will know that we are in for real change if Obama creates a Peace Department, but because we need every Democrat in the House to stay there, Dennis Kucinich would not be the Secretary.
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Before suggesting ANY senator...

Submitted by speedbird9 on Thu, 11/06/2008 - 12:58pm.

The two senators from California (Boxer and/or Feinstein) shouldn't even be afford cabinet posts because herr gropenfuhrer gets to name the replacement. Granted both offices would be subject to an election in 2010 (like 1992, when Boxer and Feinstein were elected in the first place), but that's 2 fewer D's (2 more R's) in the Senate.

I haven't thought of too many women for an Obama Administration, but my choice for Attorney General would be Elizabeth de la Vega. I'll have to see if I can figure more.

I also hope Obama will nominate a Commerce Secretary who will treat commerce the way the previous Labor Secretaries have treated labor.

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Being an Arizonan...

Submitted by horus45 on Mon, 11/03/2008 - 2:09pm.
Being an Arizonan I would love to see Janet Napolitano get a cabinet post, but I think it might be better for Janet to run against John McCain for his senate seat in 2010. In 2010 Janet's term as Governor is up and with term limits she cannot run again, although she would be re-elected, John McCain's current senate term is up in 2010 also. Janet Napolitano is much more popular than John McCain here in Arizona!
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Clinton

Submitted by travman844 on Sat, 11/01/2008 - 6:04pm.
Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State ,or Attorney General
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Clinton

Submitted by willymack on Fri, 11/07/2008 - 3:57pm.
For Supreme Court Justice; John Edwards or John Kerry for AG.
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ok, i took this seriously, so it's a long answer

Submitted by trudy on Sat, 11/01/2008 - 3:42pm.
Given controversy, many of these "candidates" are not practical, but I'd stand by them for competence! They are ALL women, just to stay true to the request you made... Lydia Villanueva, Southern SAWG, for Secretary of Agriculture; Naomi Klein--Secretary of Commerce; Samantha Power--Secretary of Defense; Christine Sleeter, California State University—for Secretary of Education; Amy Myers Jaffee, Princeton (also has a degree in Arabic studies)--Secretary of Energy; Gloria Steinem, Secretary of Health & Human Services; Amy Goodman—Democracy Now—for Secretary of Homeland Security; Carol Galante, California Housing consortium (and global warming as housing & building concern)--for Secretary of Housing & Urban Development; Simran Sethi (work with Gore on global warming) or Hazel Henderson—for Secretary of Interior; Nancy Mills, Working for America Institute—for Secretary of Labor; Hillary Clinton, or Susan Eisenhower—for Secretary of State; Joan Claybrook (Public Citizen)--Secretary of Transportation; Rian Eisler, Secretary of Treasury; Betty Moseley-Brown (Center for Women Veterans), for Secretary of Veterans Affairs; Patty Sollis Doyle (current Obama campaign manager) –for Chief of Staff; Mary Howell (New Orleans Civil Rights Attorney) –for Attorney General; Tipper Gore—for Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; Elizabeth Galante (New Orleans rebuilding effort) –for Director of the Office of Management and Budget; Marcia Rosenbaum(Drug Policy Alliance—for Director of the National Drug Control Policy; Francis Moore Lappe (Small Planet Institute)—for U.S. Trade Representative. AND FOR PRESS SECRETARY! Rachel Maddow!!! But in truth, there are a few guys I'd love to see. Robert Reich, once again as labor secretary; Dennis Kucinich on (fair) trade policy; Glen Loury for...well, i don't know, but for something.
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Elizabeth Dole for Secretary

Submitted by Will_Kester on Thu, 11/06/2008 - 10:12am.
Elizabeth Dole for Secretary of Health and Human Services. My concern is: We will gut Congress of our brightest and best leaders as we fill these posts. We will have to replace Barack Obama and Joe Biden in the Senate, probably Rahm Emanuel in the House. In this list of appointees, I see several suggestions of members of Congress. Chuck Hagel is often suggested for Sec. of Defense. If we gut the Congress and fill the posts with appointees, doesn’t it weaken our ability to govern well?
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I'm with you !

Submitted by davy on Sun, 11/02/2008 - 5:46am.
Davy Jones a 61 year old X pat living in Scotland. Just heard on BBC Radio Scotland that Brit pols show well over 80% Obama. Not only do we need a change but we HAVE to have a change. Stay strong all of you back in "the old country".
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Women in charge, here's hoping !!

Submitted by davy on Sun, 11/02/2008 - 5:38am.
Nice one !!! Here's hoping. Just heard on BBC Radio Scotland that British pols are well over 80% Obama. Just for the record I'm a 61 year old X pat male in Scotland absolutely shocked by how willing mccain has been to sell his soul. O, the Scot's are in utter disbelief over Palin. Katrina was a MAJOR hit on American respect, as one neighbor said, "Of all countries I would think America would take care of it's own." I'm watching from behind my couch just like I watched the movie PSYCHO when I was a kid growing up in Chicago. Stay strong I believe all will be well, one way or another.
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some ideas

Submitted by magsisgreat on Sat, 11/01/2008 - 12:45pm.
Hillary Clinton-Sec. of State or Sec. of Health and Human Services Shelia Jackson Lee-Sec. of Housing and Urban Development Barbara Boxer-Sec. of the Interior Claire McCaskill-Attorney General....But, Maybe Henry Waxman would be better Chuck Hagel-Sec. of Defense Jennifer Granholm-Sec. of Labor Janet Napolitano-Sec. of Treasury Kathleen Sebelius-Sec. of Education Tammy Duckworth-Sec. of Veterans Affairs Debbie Wasserman Schulz or Debbie Stabenow-US Trade Rep. Dennis Kucinich-National Drug Control Policy Al Gore- Sec. of EPA Bill Richardson-Sec. of Homeland Security Dick Durbin-Chief of Staff Mags Teaches
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Cabinet

Submitted by lrinaz on Sat, 11/01/2008 - 10:25am.
Barbara Boxer- Sec of Enviroment, Arianna Huffington- Press Sec, T Boone Pickens- Sec of Energy, Dennis Kucinich- Sec of State, Cindy Sheehan- Sec of Defence, Dianne Feinstein- Sec of Africulture, Debbie Stabenow- Sec of Health & Human Services This is my dream team.
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Women in Cabinet

Submitted by regis18 on Thu, 11/06/2008 - 5:47pm.
T. Boone Pickens??? First, he's a swift boating scum bag. Second, I don't believe Boone is a woman. But, I've been wrong before.
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Attorney General

Submitted by antwon74 on Sat, 11/01/2008 - 10:19am.
I would suggest Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, who worked in the Justice Department under Clinton before she became Lt. Governor of Maryland.
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Here's an idea

Submitted by bettysdad on Sat, 11/01/2008 - 12:47am.
Why don't we list Hispanics to fill these spots? Pretty stupid, isn't it?
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Spoken like a true "world class feminist"

Submitted by Yman on Sat, 11/01/2008 - 9:37am.

I think I heard Christina Hoff Sommers say the same thing.

Maybe it was Anne Coulter ...

Michelle Malkin?

In any case, it was some incredibly witty, self-described "feminist".

........ just like Bettysdad (aka Mikey Davidson).

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OBAMA CABINET CHOICES

Submitted by Lavins on Fri, 10/31/2008 - 10:50pm.
Secretary of State -- Senator Richard Lugar Secretary of Defense -- Senator Jim Webb Secretary of Commerce -- Governor Mitt Romney Secretary of Labor -- Senator John Edwards Secretary of Energy -- Congressman Markey Press Secretary - Rachel Maddow Director, CIA - Richard Clark Secretary of Treasury - Robert Rubin Secretary of Veterans Affairs -- Colin Powell Secretary of Health & Human Services -- Senator Bill Frist UN Ambassador - Bill Richardson Press Secretary -- Rachel Maddow First Suprme Court nomination -- Hilary Clinton
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You do know

Submitted by bettysdad on Sat, 11/01/2008 - 12:49am.
That Obama is a Democrat? You've got a lotta garbage Republicans in there. Sorry about the redundancy. If people want Republicans running departments and setting policy, they should vote for McCain.
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Repubs in Cabinet--

Submitted by rainingwolf on Sat, 11/01/2008 - 8:58am.
Obama has said he will have a bi-partisan cabinet; that SOME Republicans have SOME good ideas and he doesn't mind stealing good ideas no matter where they come from!
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But NOT Romney!!!

Submitted by kroses98 on Sun, 11/02/2008 - 2:04am.
Romney is a vicious, prejudiced jerk!!!!!!
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Cabinet Appointments

Submitted by MargB on Fri, 10/31/2008 - 6:14pm.
Marg B Hillary Clinton should be the Secretary of State!!!
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Women in the Cabinet

Submitted by kareng on Fri, 10/31/2008 - 4:14pm.
Senator Barbara Boxer-Secretary of the Interior or Head of the EPA or Secretary of Energy. Senator Claire McCaskill-Attorney General Rachel Maddow-Press Secretary
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Here's a general start..

Submitted by hazmaq on Fri, 10/31/2008 - 3:20pm.

And as a strong female activist I've thrown in two must have males;

1. General Janice Karpinski - Homeland Security Czar -(This has side benefits - she'll oversee Joe Lieberman-wheeee)

2. Stephanie Cutter -White House Spokesperson/Press Sec. -She was so sharp and quick she scared Kerry into firing her and twists Chris Matthews into a poodle.

3. Claire McCaskill Several possibilities Commerce, OMB

4. Chuck Hagel -#1 of anyone, Sec. Def.

5. Richard Clarke - #1 CIA/NIE Czar

One comment on the Chief of Staff- I only recommend Susan Rice or anyone Obama personally prefers specifically linked to his campaign for these last 21 months. ABSOLUTLEY NO OUTSIDERS- ESPECIALLY RAHM EMANUEL. Rahm showed no loyalty -until it was clear Obama could beat McCain. (think 2012)

Nationalism is not terrorism. And an adversary is not an enemy.

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No "Outsiders"?

Submitted by Yman on Wed, 11/05/2008 - 5:23pm.
A loyalty test? Sounds just like last eight years.

So much for "change".

OTOH, looks like Obama's not listening to your advice.
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My picks come from many same as above + a few surprises

Submitted by bobzaguy on Tue, 11/04/2008 - 3:07pm.
• Dianne Feinstein—Secretary of Agriculture • Claire McCaskill—Secretary of Commerce • Chuck Hagel—Secretary of Defense • John Edwards—Secretary of Education • Al Gore—Secretary of Energy • Bill Richardson—Secretary of Health & Human Services • General Janice Karpinski—Secretary of Homeland Security • Barbara Boxer—Secretary of H.U.D. • Janet Napolitano—Secretary of Interior • Jennifer Granholm—Secretary of Labor • Hillary Cliinton—Secretary of State _______________________________Secretary of Transportation • Kathleen Sebelius—Secretary of Treasury • Tammy Duckworth—Secretary of Veterans Affairs • Patty Sollis Doyle—Chief of Staff • Kathleen Kennedy Townsend—Attorney General • Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.—Admin. of the E.P.A. _______________________________Director of the O.M.B. _______________________________Director of the National Drug Control Policy • Bill Clinton—U.S. Trade Representative
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Cabinet

Submitted by gkaba on Thu, 11/06/2008 - 9:27am.
With our economy in shambles, I think Obama should consider a more FDR progressive approach rather than a centrist approach to turn things around. I also feel he should have a multi-partisan rather than a bipartisan Cabinet and that includes some 3rd party politicians. Therefore, I have a few choices: Secretary of State=Dennis Kucinich. Actually, Dennis could fill any number of positions. Treasury Secretary=Elizabeth Kucinich, who is an economics expert EPA=Bobby Kennedy Jr. Olympia Snowe=OMB. Cynthia McKinney=Secretary of Labor Attorney General=Ron Paul or Kathleen Kennedy Townsend I think Homeland Security should be eliminated but ,in its place, create an Elections Secretary responsible for ensuring fair elections. Bev Harris or Lynn Landes or Greg Palast could head that. I also favor the creation pf a Department of Peace, which Kucinich could also head and a corresponding reduction of Pentagon waste.
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