Obama's Cabinet

[Kane C Gruber]

Who would make a great Secretary of State? Secretary of Education? Attorney General? Make your opinions known.

[Kane C Gruber]

I think Clinton as Attorney General would be a good spot for her as well, but given that her pet focus over her entire career (going back 35+ years) has been children's rights, maybe Health & Human Services?

[John S Cole]

I agree that she would make a fantastic AG.

[Kane C Gruber]

Wesley Clark for Secretary of Defense?

[Mark-Allen West]

Just because I really think the guy is good.....

SoD - Colin Powell

[Kane C Gruber]

1. He would never accept. 2. He's done politically. 3. What did he do that was so good?

[John S Cole]

Actually, Powell's political views are not that far off from Clark's or Obama's but he is not a hardcore partisan for either party. For this reason alone he's at least worth a look. But to answer your question more specifically, here's some information about him from wikipedia:

As an officer, Powell also valued loyalty very highly. As a military strategist, he has advocated an approach to military conflicts that maximizes the potential for success and minimizes casualties. A component of this approach is the use of overwhelming force, which he applied to Operation Desert Storm in 1991. His approach has been dubbed the "Powell Doctrine". Colin Powell's experience in military matters made him a very popular figure with both American political parties. Many Democrats admired his moderate stance on military matters, while many Republicans saw him as a great asset associated with the successes of past Republican administrations. In 1997 Powell founded America's Promise with the objective of helping children from all socioeconomic sectors. Powell often wears the logo of the organization in the form of a red wagon pin on his lapel.

Political views

A moderate Republican, Powell is well known for his willingness to support liberal or centrist causes. He is pro-choice regarding abortion, and in favor of "reasonable" gun control. He stated in his autobiography that he supports affirmative action that levels the playing field, without giving a leg up to undeserving person because of racial issues. Powell was also instrumental in the implementation of the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy.

The Vietnam War had a profound effect on Powell's views of the proper use of military force. These views are described in detail in the autobiography My American Journey. The Powell Doctrine, as the views became known, was a central component of US policy in the Gulf War (the first U.S. war against Iraq) and U.S. invasion of Afghanistan (the overthrow of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan following the events of "9/11"). The hallmark of both operations was strong international cooperation, and the use of overwhelming military force.

Powell was the subject of controversy in 2004 when, in a conversation with British Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, he reportedly referred to neocons within the Bush administration as "fucking crazies". In addition to being reported in the press (though generally, the expletive was censored in the U.S. press), the quote was used by James Naughtie in his book, The Accidental American: Tony Blair and the Presidency, and by Chris Patten in his book, Cousins and Strangers: America, Britain, and Europe in a New Century.

In a letter to Sen. John McCain, General Powell expressed opposition to President Bush's push for military tribunals of those formerly and currently classified as enemy combatants. Specifically, he expressed concern of Bush's plan to "amend the interpretation of Article III of the Geneva Conventions." He also pointed out that perception of the War on Terror may be losing moral support saying, "The world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism."

In July 2007 Powell revealed that he spent two and a half hours trying to persuade George W. Bush not to invade Iraq but that he did not prevail. At the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado[27] Powell stated, "I tried to avoid this war. I took him [Bush] through the consequences of going into an Arab country and becoming the occupiers."

Powell went on to say that he believed Iraq was in a state of civil war. "The civil war will ultimately be resolved by a test of arms. It's not going to be pretty to watch, but I don't know any way to avoid it. It is happening now." He further noted, "It is not a civil war that can be put down or solved by the armed forces of the United States," and suggested that all the U.S. military could do was put "a heavier lid on this pot of boiling sectarian stew".

[Kane C Gruber]

Is he better than another candidate? I still have my doubts.

[Mark-Allen West]

This is all opinion and conjecture at this stage. I like Powell because I feel he is a strong leader and is an excellent diplomat. He held together a coalition of Forces that included western-middle eastern units, muslim-christian forces, and also garnered the support of the Isrealis to boot. Yes, Bush Sr. put together that coalition, but it took the diplomacy of a good leader to keep it together and running. I think Clark is also a good choice, however, my personal preference is for Powell. There were issues with the GWBush administration. Then again, anyone who had serious problems working for Bush, is okay in my book.

[Mark-Allen West]

Secretary of Education - Laura Roslin

[Kane C Gruber]

Tell me more about this Laura Roslin. Who is she and what does she do? </ahnuld>

[Kane C Gruber]

Interesting notion. He'd most likely be a fine AG.

[Kevin Hayden]

I agree with Kenneth. John Edwards for AG. John Kitzhaber for HHS. Wes Clark for SecDef. Hillary for Supreme Court. Joe Lieberman as Janitor.