The Cabinet Ladies

Much has been written lately about President-elect Obama's choices for his Cabinet. I'll leave it to the pundits to talk about the Cabinet in general, but I do have some thoughts about the ladies he has chosen.

I am extremely torn about his choice of Janet Napolitano for Director of Homeland Security. While I have no doubt that she will do a fine job in that position, her vacating the Governor's seat here in Arizona is a serious loss for us. Needless to say, Arizona is about as red as a state can be, and it was quite a coup for us to elect (and re-elect) a Democratic governor. She has been superb at dealing with the legislature, which is solidly Republican, and the electorate. While we are experiencing budget problems (who isn't?) and racial strife, Napolitano has managed to steady what has often been a very rocky ship. She has advocated for children (one of her pet projects from her days as Attorney General) and our state is no longer last in education and children's programs. The State has undergone tremendous growth during her period as governor, and Phoenix has become the fifth-largest city in the nation. The infrastructure is improving, and the city has just finished the very first light rail transportation system in the state. Phoenix remains a destination center for conventions, sports events, and tourism. The economy had enjoyed unprecedented growth until just this last year, and Napolitano especially has made sure to make things palatable for corporate relocation to Arizona. Our state has thrived under this Democratic governor, and she has been the one successful beacon of power the Democratic party has had.

Napolitano will be succeeded by Lieutenant Governor Jan Brewer, a conservative Republican. Brewer does not have anywhere near the influence and popularity that Napolitano enjoys, and the Democrats fear that she will be overwhelmed by the Republican legislature and be merely a rubber stamp. Racial strife will likely increase as the War on Illegal Aliens will result in more abuses against Mexican-American citizens, as they get swept up by the likes of Joe Arpaio. Napolitano had been a voice of reason in this political minefield, while Brewer will certainly not be. And the Democratic Party in Arizona? It will probably be a long time before the party becomes anything more than an afterthought. There is no doubt that the country's gain will be Arizona's loss. I think Obama could have picked someone else for Homeland Security, someone equally competent as Napolitano. We need her here more than in Washington, and her loss will be devestating to our state.

I still haven't decided how I feel about Condoleeza Rice as United Nations Ambassador. While I applaud Obama for being inclusive, I have to wonder about Rice's loyalty to the President-elect. Abraham Lincoln tried to be inclusive with his cabinet choices, and he suffered for it with a cabinet he could not trust and which often vehemently undermined and opposed him. I like Rice and I always felt she was one of the jewels of the W presidency, but I just don't know about her as part of Obama's cabinet. Time will tell.

And that brings me to Hillary Clinton. I can't believe I just typed that name. I don't know, maybe I'm totally off-base here, but if I were Barack Obama, I would want to put as much distance between myself and the Clintons as possible. Whatever political gain is made by putting Hillary in the cabinet is more than off-set by the baggage that Hillary brings with her, the biggest baggage being, of course, Bubba. Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State; is that really reflective of the Obama vision that so captivated this nation? I think Obama blew it big time with that choice.

Oh, I'm not naive, I can understand why Obama would want Hillary right where he could keep an eye on her. And if she implodes, she will no longer pose a threat to an Obama re-election bid. I get all that. But really, doesn't the overwhelming potential for harm greatly outweigh any possible advantages? Does anyone really believe that Hillary can broker anything significant as Secretary of State? And what sort of horror will Bill bring forth, now that he will be (sort of) back in the spotlight? I just think this will be a choice that will backfire on Obama. We shall see.

NOTE TO BLOG: After posting this entry, my good friend, B After the Fact, has pointed out to me that President-elect Obama has nominated Susan Rice, not Condoleezza Rice, as Ambassador to the UN. I don't know if I made the mistake, or the news channel I was watching made the error, but I could have sworn I saw Condoleezza Rice's name listed with other Cabinet nominees. Anyway, sorry about that error. You can ignore everything I wrote in the fourth paragraph of this post. Hey, it could have been worse, I could have said Anne Rice, or Simeon Rice.