Post-Election Fantasy Draft
this was easier when I hadn't read anything...
2008-11-17
By Brian Gilmore

Election results are in: A President-elect and Vice President are in place, as is the White House Chief of Staff. That, plus the shake-out from the campaign season signals time for our political pundits Eric Easter, Brian Gilmore and Monroe Anderson to reassess their cabinet picks of six months ago. All things being equal, most of the picks were based on sound reasoning, so revisions should be few and defensible. (Note the judicious use of the term “should.”)

At Bat: Brian Gilmore:

Secretary of State  - Bill Richardson     
Post Election Update: What did Don Corleone say? Keep your friends close, your enemies closer. But is Hillary Clinton still the enemy? It is hard to say. She campaigned hard for Obama. Hispanics are clamoring for Richardson to be rewarded for his endorsement. John Kerry is waiting in the wings as well. Hillary will likely get something; perhaps, she gets to go home to New York and work as U.N. Ambassador.
Pick: No change – Bill Richardson

Attorney General – Patrick Fitzgerald 
Post Election Update:  Fitzgerald is a good pick and he is Chicago but doesn’t look like he’s the man for this job. Everyone is calling out Eric Holder’s name.  Who knows? There are plenty of good lawyers to go around. Eliot Spitzer should actually be the guy but he is way too risky. This is a tough call. Two names come up now.
Pick: Janet Napolitano or Eric Holder

Secretary of Defense – Colin Powell
Post election update: Powell deserves it for the most powerful endorsement in the history of endorsements but he doesn’t want it. A Republican still gets this job but it has to be a Republican who was against the war and “The Surge.”
Pick: Chuck Hagel
 
Department of Agriculture - Tom Daschle
Post Election Update: Daschle could have this post but he doesn’t want it. He can have pretty much what he wants though. He stood tall for Obama going way back. But he doesn’t get this post. Another bigwig gets it.
Pick:  Howard Dean

Department of Housing and Urban Development -   Shanna Smith
Post election update:  The person in this position will have to help re-make the country’s battered housing market.  There is no room for old ideas; new ideas are in store.
Pick: Cassandra Butts

Department of Transportation -  Tim Kaine 
Post Election Update: Tim Kaine, as Kurtis Blow might say, is chillin.’ In Virginia, as governor, that is.
Pick: Jesse Jackson, Jr.

Department of Homeland Security - William Cohen
Post Election Update: Cohen is off the radar screen. If he is in the mix, it must be being kept hush-hush. An experienced person gets this critical post.
Pick: Richard Danzig

Department of Education -   Diane Shust
Post election update: On the streets of D.C., the rumor is this is Michelle Rhee’s job. I doubt it. Rhee is bold but hasn’t had enough time to show results. Arne Duncan of Chicago also seems to have Obama’s ear.  Diane Shust is a long time advocate in the education arena and a lawyer with superb credentials. The fact that she is the National Education Association’s (NEA) director of government relations bodes well to fix Bush’s NCLB Act under Obama.
Pick: No Change

Department of Veterans Affairs – Wesley Clarke 
Pick: No change

Department of Treasury -  Valerie Jarrett
Post election update: Jarrett already received her nod and it is not this cabinet post. Thus, it has to be Paul Volcker. The last time a Democrat (Jimmy Carter) had to fix a troubling economic moment, Volcker did a superb job at the Fed. This time, he will implement Obama’s program at the Treasury Department. Republicans genuinely like the guy too.
Pick: Paul Volcker

Department of Commerce – Richard Parsons
Post election update: Parsons remains in the forefront of Obama’s campaign despite his Republican credentials.
Pick: No change

Department of  Energy -   Jason Grumet
Post Election Update: No change

Department of Health and Human Services – John Edwards 
Post election update: Guess what? Edwards is out. No kidding, right? A new heavy hitter will have to take over and considering that Obama is taking health care much more seriously (Children’s Health Insurance Program – CHIPS – will be expanded), the Secretary has to be passionate about the cause. Tom Daschle fits the bill.
Pick: Tom Daschle

Department of Labor – Jeh Johnson
Post election update: Michigan has serious labor issues and a Michigan guy is in store for this post.
Pick: David Bonior

Department of the Interior – Howard Dean
Post election update: Obama picks an outsider for this post.
Pick: David Sandalow

National Security Advisor:  No pick previously.
Post election update: John Kerry

White House Counsel – No pick previously
Post Election Update: Greg Craig

Brian Gilmore is a writer and attorney in Washington, D.C.