NOVEMBER 18, 2008
GOP Choices for an Obama Cabinet
By GERALD F. SEIB
WSJ
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Former Rep. Jim Leach of Iowa. Mr. Leach endorsed Mr. Obama during the campaign and has stood out in the past few days because he was one of two people named to represent the president-elect at the weekend's Group of 20 international summit to discuss the world economic slump. A former foreign-service officer, Mr. Leach was a big fan and backer of the first President Bush, but he drifted away from his party in his final years in Congress before losing his seat in 2006. Like many moderate Republicans, he believed he was increasingly on the fringes as his party moved rightward. An intriguing footnote: As Banking Committee chairman in the 1990s, he delivered early warnings about the dangers of underregulating hedge funds and financial derivatives.
Retiring Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska. He traveled with Mr. Obama to Iraq earlier this year and has broken openly and thoroughly with his party and his old friend, Sen. McCain, on the war. One question about Sen. Hagel is whether the break has, in fact, been so bitter that it would limit his ability to serve as an ambassador to other Republicans. In addition, any position Sen. Hagel takes likely would have to be in the security area. His record on economic matters is generally conservative and out of step with Democratic policies there. A job in intelligence or homeland security, perhaps?
Former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman. She's another moderate Republican and served the current President Bush as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency before resigning amid conflicts over global-warming policy. Given her interests in the environment and alternative energy sources, which in many ways parallel those of the incoming administration, she would be a logical fit in those areas. She would also be a logical ambassador to the small group of moderate Republicans remaining in Congress, such as Maine Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, whose support would be a boon to the Obama administration.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Well, technically he isn't a Republican any more. He's a political independent with a foot in both parties, and he just stirred controversy by maneuvering around a legal roadblock to allow himself to seek a third term as New York City's mayor next year. Perhaps an administration job would allow him to exit that minefield. He has in many ways become the ultimate post-partisan politician in America, running an administration known for competence rather than ideology.
Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar. He's a genuine conservative but also a genuine apostle of bipartisanship in foreign policy and a known Obama fan from their Senate work together...Political strategist Matthew Dowd. He's a longtime Republican political operative and was a top strategist for the Bush re-election campaign in 2004. But he subsequently pulled away from the Bush team and made no secret of his attraction to Mr. Obama. He would be an intriguing choice to reach out to Republicans on the political as well as policy tracks... Colin Powell. As noted, the former Joint Chiefs chairman and secretary of state was the highest-profile Republican to endorse Mr. Obama. He also claims no interest in a job, and he probably means it. But he seems open to some role, and creative thinking may produce one for him.
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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122694441542934079.html (subscription)
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