The Next Cabinet

[slapout9]

I was thinking Tom Odom for SecDef,Stan for head of DIA,Ken White for Sec of Health,Education and Welfare straighten some them young'ins out

[Ken White]

abolishing the Department...

[Ron Humphrey]

Since we are all big on integration then we mix it up.

switch SECSTATE and SECDEF and let them mix and match staff changes to their comfort zones.

[bourbon]

How much corporate experience is needed for the Secdef job? I am not asking in terms of a Jack Welsh type here. Rather, given the nature of overseeing weapon systems development and procurement on a massive scale, I imagine some private sector experience would be necessary. What is a good rule of thumb?

Could Michael Vickers end up Secdef someday? Is his background too unconventional? He does not seem to be lacking in the brains department, this much is certain.

[SteveMetz]

Could Michael Vickers end up Secdef someday? Is his background too unconventional? He does not seem to be lacking in the brains department, this much is certain.

It might be useful to have a SECDEF who could kill his opponents with his bare hands when necessary.

[Ron Humphrey]

It might be useful to have a SECDEF who could kill his opponents with his bare hands when necessary.

Are we nominating Ken

[SteveMetz]

I was thinking Tom Odom for SecDef,Stan for head of DIA,Ken White for Sec of Health,Education and Welfare straighten some them young'ins out

So what am I, chopped liver?

[slapout9]

So what am I, chopped liver?

Steve with you new kinder gentiler Mafia look.....US Attorney General

[Old Eagle]

At their base, cabinet-level departments are huge bureaucracies. In the case of defense, with millions of "employees". Leaders of those organizations, sooner or later, need the skills to make them operate. Folks with that kind of experience and expertise don't grow on trees, and don't normally come from Capitol Hill or academia (with some exceptions, in case some of your resemble those remarks). Having sat through A VERY painful transition involving an intellectually brilliant but organizationally inept SECDEF, I can tell you, I'll take age and experience any day of the week.

[tequila]

Coincidentally, a KC Star article about this very topic. Former Clinton SecNav Richard Danzig is mentioned as a possible Obama SecDef.

I think having pure politicos like Lieberman, Barbour, or Ridge (who did not exactly distinguish himself at Homeland Security, probably kneecapping him for any other high-end D.C. job in the next Admin) would be a terrible idea. In a divided Congress such a person would be subject to massive political attack by either party and would likely create more of a distraction. This is especially the case for controversial characters like Lieberman, who is despised as a neocon traitor by many Dems, and Barbour, who is nothing but a political operator.

A Gates-type figure would be best in all aspects - competent, skilled at management, and familiar with the Puzzle Palace.

Note: a McCain Pentagon would look very different from an Obama one. Clinton would be much closer to McCain.

[Hacksaw]

I will concede that this is unlikely, but I will be severely disappointed if Sec Gates resigns or is shown the door. By all indications he has provided a calm, reasoned and nuanced approach to the mess left behind by R. I think a Jack Welsh tenure would look a lot like R's. I like the idea of a former Senator with plenty of SASC time. As for State we could do far worse than Bill Richardson (N-Mex)

[Ken White]

...Note: a McCain Pentagon would look very different from an Obama one. Clinton would be much closer to McCain.

for over fifty years, served under every SecDef except the first and the last three and it hasn't looked a bit different under any of them, regardless of intentions and promises -- except to get slightly larger in population and a little more sclerotic under each new administration. Never say never but the prognosis, as they say, is not good...