General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMichelle Rhee is contender for DOE secretary if Arne Duncan leaves
Barack Obama's second-term Cabinet
Health and Human Services
One contentious figure whos expected to stay in place is Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Shes steeped in Obamas health care law, and with the amount of work needed to prepare for most of its provisions to take effect in 2014, making a switch now could complicate things.
Since confirmation hearings for a new nominee would inevitably become an Obamacare retrial, the argument to keep her gets even stronger. There arent many replacement options for Sebelius if she goes. As a woman who was elected twice as a Democratic governor of Kansas, she once seemed like a natural Senate candidate back home, but her involvement with Obamacare would likely prove a fatal taint.
Labor, Education, Agriculture, HUD
Theres not much discussion about Hilda Solis who did not play a significant campaign role despite being a Latino woman with deep connections to unions. Labor isnt seen as a department thats likely to face a change soon, nor is Education, where Arne Duncan is clearly enjoying his job and can focus on the policy issues he loves while keeping his spot in Obamas regular pick-up basketball games. If he does go, former D.C. schools chief Michelle Rhee and Gov. Jack Markell are two possible contenders. HUDs Shaun Donovan has taken an increasingly strong role within the administration, and theres no sense hes going anywhere theres thinking that he might be headed for the chief of staffs office, but not quite yet. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsacks plans will most likely hinge in part on the plans of his wife, who lost her Iowa House race Tuesday.
Interior
Salazar has indicated to friends and other Democrats that hes on his way out at Interior for a private-sector job back in Colorado, where he has a granddaughter with autism whom he and his wife care for. That could leave the job open for his deputy, David Hayes, but given that the bulk of Interior jurisdiction land is out West, the departments a natural home for a Westerner former elected official. Among the options: former North Dakota Sen. Byron Dorgan, former Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal and soon-to-be former Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire.
more . . . http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/83519_Page4.html
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/83519_Page4.html#ixzz2BrSaCEXe
northoftheborder
(7,572 posts)dlwickham
(3,316 posts)+1
proud2BlibKansan
(96,793 posts)Angry Dragon
(36,693 posts)knitter4democracy
(14,350 posts)Damn.
LeftyMom
(49,212 posts)Chan790
(20,176 posts)We the people didn't just oust her boss, Mayor Adrian Fenty, primarily to get rid of her. We also mailed hundreds of letters to the new mayor, Vince Gray, when he was vacillating on keeping her to make it very clear that the main reason he was elected was to fire her. We done run that woman out of town on a rail. Her replacement has been excellent, not as committed to undoing Rhee's work as I'd like and herself a supporter of that methodology...but she's not actively trying to f**k the teachers over and harming the students.
Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)lalalu
(1,663 posts)That's an exact description of her.
Samantha
(9,314 posts)Many others are available by doing a simple Google search. I just cannot believe someone associated with ALEC could end up in President Obama's administration.
Sam
amborin
(16,631 posts)lalalu
(1,663 posts)She needs to answer questions about the cheating scandals during her tenure. She wants to privatize and destroy public education.
There will be a big battle from unions over her appointment and rightly so. I am all for education reform but she is nothing but a privateer looking to steer public education funds to private companies.
temporary311
(955 posts)with the super devil.
CurtEastPoint
(18,655 posts)Panasonic
(2,921 posts)Time to give the DoE to a real progressive.
Not some charter lover.
Public education is where the money is needed.
That's why Colorado passed Amendment 64 to legalize, regulate and tax weed like alcohol. The pot tax revenues all goes back to education funding.
Cirque du So-What
(25,959 posts)After all, this is Politico. This is nothing more than speculation based upon speculation. From page one of this conjecture:
The staff process has been gossiped about by the staff, but details have been kept secret, even from insiders.
Please, don't add another layer of speculation.
msanthrope
(37,549 posts)committment to a core constituency???
OF COURSE it's repeated here, breathlessly!!!!
HooptieWagon
(17,064 posts)amborin
(16,631 posts)NCarolinawoman
(2,825 posts)A lot of the new Democrats are suppose to be more liberal than the last crowd. Didn't some of the teachers groups support some of these Senators?
Maybe some of the Senators will balk.
proud2BlibKansan
(96,793 posts)I will definitely be contacting her if this Rhee appointment becomes a reality.
Canuckistanian
(42,290 posts)She's an extremely divisive figure and would cause howls of protest from the progressive community just for her nomination. Of course, the GOP would LOVE her.
Who's favoring her? The President?
Ship of Fools
(1,453 posts)woo me with science
(32,139 posts)K&R
CreekDog
(46,192 posts)she was campaigning against Democrats in Ohio.
i don't know where Politico is getting this, but it wouldn't surprise me if they asked Republicans insiders who Obama was going to pick and they provided this answer to mess with us.
proud2BlibKansan
(96,793 posts)And she works with elected officials on both sides of the aisle. Her organization, Students First, donates to both Republicans and Democrats.
knitter4democracy
(14,350 posts)Duncan needs to go, definitely, but Rhee, that lying, cheating, POS, needs to be gone, kicked out of any chance at any power anywhere.
She cheated and encouraged cheating on those tests she loves so much. She shouldn't be anywhere near Washington.
roody
(10,849 posts)sustained protests.
Nevernose
(13,081 posts)I've never gone for a march or protest that wasn't in my hometown (I live on the west coast), but I've got 75 sick days accumulated, a tent, and a full tank of gas.
That woman makes Arne Duncan look like John Dewey.
roody
(10,849 posts)with low cost beds.
HiPointDem
(20,729 posts)in the hell would obama choose her?
the only good thing about it might be that her nasty aggressive ways might give the scam aspects of ed deform a higher profile with the general public & wake people up.