Howard Dean for Sec'y of the Interior

[Stoic]

I was just thinking where Dean would best fit in when Kerry assumes office next January.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

1. HHS?

[MissMillie]

11. That would be a good pick

I think.

[DaveSZ]

2. I'd rather have Gore (@ Interior)

:)

Kerry needs some women and minorities though in his cabinet too, as BUsh has the most diverse cabinet ever.

[Stoic]

3. Gore for Chief Justice of the Supremes

I want to see Gore in the Supreme Court.

[DaveSZ]

4. Yeah that would be great too

Is he a lawyer?

[Stoic]

6. Doesn't have to be.

There were a lot of appointments over the centuries who weren't lawyers.

[Blue Wally]

5. Would Dean in the cabinet be of any use to Kerry??

This isn't a parliamentary government where you hand out portfolios to different memebers of your coalition to keep their supporters happy. Kerry wants people who will advance his agenda, not some bomb-thrower. If Dean needs to be "paid off" it will be with something like Ambassador to Japan.

[Stoic]

7. Dean ain't a fuckin' "bomb thrower"

And, yes Virginia, people are often appointed for "political" reasons. The difference is, Dean would be a good choice for a lot of positions.

[Blue Wally]

12. He is in the sense that he and Kerry........

don't see eye-to-eye on everything. Not exactly the kind of guy you want to have around when you are governing in a time where you may be working with an opposing majority in congress and trying to make it on moral suasion, the bully pulpit, and a thin mandate. Kerry will make the obligatory gestures in cabinet appointments to women and minorities, but don't expect any Lani Gunniers or Jocelyn Elders. Kerry will play it very, very safe and Dean would rather wait and see if Kerry stumbles and he (Dean) has a viable candidacy in the future.

If Dean takes a cabinet positions and then feels constrained to oppose Kerry, he would have to resign which would be a political disaster for Kerry. Kerry shouldn't touch Dean with a ten-foot pole. Clark is a little more acceptable in that regard.

[LuminousX]

8. Dean doesn't fit in with Kerry's administration

He needs to be on the outside of the administration, not pigeonholed into a Secretary position where he can't effectively rally the forces of the Democratic faithful.

[Stoic]

9. Ah, but if he was IN the Kerry Admin.

That would help define it as more Progressive. Which is a GOOD thing, isn't it? It would really help Kerry redefine himself away from the DLC types.

[Radical Activist]

10. Bad Bad Idea

Dean had a mediocre record on the environment as Governor. Kerry has a much better outlook on environmental issues and will want someone with more passion about the issue than Dean has.