Booker Rising on Obama's Cabinet Picks

While President-Elect Barack Obama's picks are virtually all solidly liberal - I strongly disagree with moderate-liberal bloggers who claim that he has selected a centrist administration - but they are decent picks. If leftists are up in arms over his picks, they probably aren't too bad.

First, let's give credit where credit is due: President-Elect Obama has beaten President George W. Bush in assembling the most (at least racially & gender) diverse Cabinet in U.S. history: three women and two blacks, so far. And not in the marginal, usual Cabinet positions like Health or HUD either, but in inner Cabinet positions dealing with foreign policy and law. Coloreds are continuing to rise.

Eric Holder (pictured upper left) as the first black Attorney General makes sense to me. No other Democratic candidate is as qualified as he is to head up the Department of Justice. Mr. Holder is a former deputy Attorney General, and was even acting AG for a few weeks between the Clinton-Bush II transition. His background includes being a federal prosecutor, judge, and lawyer.

Sen. Hillary Clinton as Secretary Of State, OK. However, I'd have preferred Bill Richardson in that role. I wonder if it's wise for President-Elect Obama to put a rival who wants to be president in such a high-profile role. However, the appointment also keeps her busy abroad....and thus possibly makes it harder to undermine him. Obama best to keep tabs on ol' girl though. The Republican National Committee is having a field day about Obama's and Clinton's foreign policy differences, per this briefing that my RNC contact yesterday emailed to me. There is also a question about whether or not Sen. Clinton can constitutionally serve as Secretary Of State.

Susan Rice (pictured lower right), who is up for U.N. ambassador, has an impressive resume: Rhodes Scholar, former member of the National Security Council, former assistant secretary of state, etc. My one issue with her: how can Ms. Rice seriously criticize the Bush administration's response to Darfur - and I agree that criticism is warranted - when her former boss did nothing on the Rwanda issue?

However, the only pick of President-Elect Obama's so far where I respond "hell, no" is Janet Napolitano (pictured lower left) to head Homeland Security. She didn't even competently secure the borders against illegal immigration in her own state as Arizona's governor. How is she qualified to head up this department?

Leftists and a few conservatives do make one valid point regarding President-Elect Obama's picks: where's the "change"? Clinton staffers already make up 2/3 of President-Elect Obama's transition team. I'm now having déjà vu with these Clintonistas in the Cabinet. Where's the bipartisan Cabinet that was promised? He hasn't gone beyond the usual token pick of past presidents.