the long awaited cabinet review

ok... i dont think any of you were actually waiting, but ive certainly wanted to get this done for the longest time. im not sure how im going to grade, just kind of going with the gut. i dont have any scoring system in mind.

economics:

treasury of secretary: timothy geithner
admittedly, i didnt know too much about this guy before the announcement was made, but after a little research i came to find the pick incredibly thoughtful and stunningly appropriate. the guy is a prodigy, the young former head of the new york federal reserve bank. hes very much aware of the global impact of the current crisis and has relatively extensive experience grappling with international negotiations from his time in the nineties. i think he has his finger on the pulse of this problem, the paralysis in medium sized loans and the decreased interest in encouraging private investment in crumbling (but necessary) markets. i hope something innovative comes from this guy. i think he may have the chops.

also present at the announcement of timothy geithner were

economic advisers: larry summers and paul volcher
summers worries me a bit. i think hes more focused on remedying the symptoms, trying to stop the hemorrhaging in the housing market, rushing to the aide of manufacturers. i dont much care for him. but paul volcher is a seasoned pro. the only fed chair, ive really had any respect for. he didnt just inject money he had created out of nothing into the system. he adjusted rates and kept in close contact with the private sector. i secretly think he was in the federal reserve to try to limit its sway. and that thrills me to no end for those of you who have heard me rant on economics before.


foreign affairs:

secretary of state: hilary clinton
i dont hate this choice. it was a little too political and there were a fuck of a lot more folks that i wouldve put ahead of her, but she does bring a certain level of credibility. i think she will be dynamic, and i think that she pairs well with the secretary of defense. but with such crises as what we are seeing in the former soviet union, south asia, the gaza strip, and central/eastern africa, there is no way the secretary of state really gets too much power. there needs to be a solid team around her. and i think hilary will be able to assemble such a team. so ill give her a very cautious approval. i want to start seeing this team assembled quickly.

secretary of defense: robert gates
an excellent choice. i wanted hagel, but gates has an advantage in that he doesnt strike me as a back talker. hagels too mouthy. and i think gates not only has a certain authority over his field, but also a humility in his job. with so many big heads around washington, i think that gates' biggest positive is that he may not make a splash.

national security adviser: jim jones
a conventional pick, not a bad one. i worry that he may be a little hot-headed. that he may bring too much credibility with allies and too little with others.hes phyisically imposing in stark contrast to a young waffy obama. i dont know how those styles are going to mesh. i think obama tried a little too hard to just bring in a bunch of people who hate the war in iraq more than he does without giving enough thought to how people will mesh.

commerce secretary: bill richardson
give me a break? thats all i could think to say for a second there. i dont buy for a second that richardson will have any authority, even over latin american relations and finding markets for US goods. it remains to be seen. i hope im wrong, because the little speech sounded impressive. i just dont see interstate commerce as something that will be relegated to an energy sec/ small state gov.

homeland security: janet napolitano
fuck this pick. youre going to give this job to the fuckign governor of arizona. really? because of their outstanding record on the issue. the governor has shown a complete incompetence in the field, was bound to not get elected because of the border security issue. take it back obama. take it back

health and human services: tom daschle
for some reason we're on a "czar" kick in america. we want magnanimous people to jsut run the show in certain fields. i thought this pick was moderate at best. let it be known right now, health care is not going to be improved in the next four years. we will be lucky if it is in ten years.


that should cover the big ones. ill be back with others if i get bored again.