An old thread got mentioned in the 1 August chat and got me thinking it's time to revisit it.

Imagine for a moment that you are the president (Disclaimer for any FBI agents reading: I accept no responsibility for any campaigns to conquer the country due to over-inflation of fellow America's Debate members). You are sitting on your yacht floating somewhere in the Atlantic ocean and considering just whom to appoint to your cabinet. Also, just for kicks, imagine that during your term as president you must fill the spaces of three Supreme Court Justices, appoint an ambassador to the United Nations and maintain your sanity.


And for fun you can name people you feel are best qualified to fill the posts of (use current parties in power):

Senate Majority Leader:

Senate Minority Leader:

Speaker of the House:



Positions that need filling:

Vice President:

Secretary of State:

Secretary of the Treasury:

Secretary of Defense:

Attorney General:

Secretary of the Interior:

Secretary of Agriculture:

Secretary of Commerce:

Secretary of Labor:

Secretary of Health and Human Services:

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development:

Secretary of Transportation:

Secretary of Energy:

Secretary of Education:

Secretary of Veteran's Affairs:

Secretary of Homeland Security:

Ambassador to the United Nations:

Supreme Court Justice 1:

Supreme Court Justice 2:

Supreme Court (Chief, optional) Justice 3:


Just for grins, I put it in order of presidential secession, except that Speaker of House goes under Vice President and ends after Secretary of Homeland Security. So keep that in mind too, who exactly do you want to replace you you in the event of your,.. ergh... demise.

What the hell, I'll bite...

My choices:

Vice President: Cube Jockey (Yeah, the irony, I know. We're both socialy liberal to a point and share some common ground in foreign policy.)

Secretary of State: OverlandSailor (I need a conservative moderate that is level headed but won't let the international community pull our pants down.)

Secretary of the Treasury: Beladonna (Random post I needed another conservative to fill...we miss you Bela!)

Secretary of Defense: DTOM (Rangers always lead the way...Once he retires, of course!)

Attorney General: Sleeper (I needed a conservative here to help me push through laws that will strengthen citizens and eliminate gangs and other violent domestic organizations.)

Secretary of the Interior: Artemise (She's a liberal with a lot of concern for the environment. If anyone would know how to help preserve our wild, national landscape, it'd be her.)

Secretary of Agriculture: Jenriautter (Call me crazy, I think she'd do a good job looking out for the people that put the food on my table.)

Secretary of Commerce: Mike (Who better to fill this post than a man who fights against being screwed by bad business?)

Secretary of Labor: KMSouthern (God forbid we have to have Affirmative Action, I'd like to have someone that knows how it works firsthand will do a good job lookin out for the workin man..)

Secretary of Health and Human Services: Cyan (Holistic medicine is due for some time in the spotlight, and she's just the woman to bring it out.)

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Nighttimer (You don't have to bring out a chart to see that minorities are the ones who predominantly inhabit urban areas and that urban areas need lots of work. I don't need some rich, out of touch white guy who's gonna screw things up.)

Secretary of Transportation: Paladin Elspeth (Ok, this was a random selection, and I couldn't leave PE out!)

Secretary of Energy: Doomed Planet (...nor could I leave DP out of this list as well!)

Secretary of Education: Victoria Siloverwolf (Who better to teach kids to dream than an avid dreamer? Fundamentals, first. Then teach them how to not be conforming carbon copies in society. )

Secretary of Veteran's Affairs: Mrs. Pigpen (Because families depend on those who we depend on to keep us free. She knows vet's need the best, and by doing that, their familes will thrive as well.)

Secretary of Homeland Security: Conservpat (Needed another conservative to help me work with Sleeper and other domestic agencies to keep us safe...and to make sure jerks at the TSA don't spend $300,000 on decorating offices.)

Ambassador to the United Nations: lederuvdapac (Time to put those diplomatic and debating skills to the test, my friend. No room for failure! )

Supreme Court Justice 1: Wertz (Another chunk of irony. I need a very social liberal to keep the scales of justice at a balance. No chance of faith-based legislation from the bench here.

Supreme Court Justice 2: Jaime (Who'd have thought someone who began their career clerking as a paralegal in Savannah, Georgia would end up on the bench of the highest court of the land?)

Chief Justice: Mike* (Now I know I used him twice, but Commerce Sec. just seemed so perfect, as does a strict constitutionalist as Chief Justice.

Senate Majority Leader: Amlord (really nothing to say here but a good conservative who is needed to fight.....)

Senate Minority Leader: SuzySteamboat (...who won't rest until her role and Amlord's are reversed!)

Speaker of the House: Aquila (What, you think I'm gonna let Cube get away with my untimely demise? Stick it to 'em Aq!)

I suppose I should answer my own question now:


Vice President: hayleyanne (Would have made her Attorney General but I couldn’t imagine anyone else who I’d want to run the country in my stead in case I snuff it)

Secretary of State: Mrs. Pigpen (Well she’s the “most level-headed member” right?)

Secretary of the Treasury: Mike (Wouldn’t blow any money on an unnecessary program)

Secretary of Defense: lordhelmet (Sees a threat and begins working on a way to neutralize it)

Attorney General: Erasmussimo (He already knows the laws of Mesopotamia and Asia Minor…)

Secretary of the Interior: doomed_planet (cares about all things)

Secretary of Agriculture: SuzySteamBoat (I just wanted her to be on the cabinet, so I stuck her here)

Secretary of Commerce: Titus (needed a job)

Secretary of Labor: lederuvdapac (needed a job)

Secretary of Health and Human Services: turnea (will do good job at making sure adequate health care and provisions reach all people)

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Victoria Silverwolf (She’ll make sure no building inspectors are slacking on the job)

Secretary of Transportation: Doclotus (Because I like people from North Carolina)

Secretary of Energy: moif (needed a job)

Secretary of Education: Paladin Elspeth (I have full faith in her ability to shape the minds of the future leaders of America to my will… you know what I mean)

Secretary of Veteran's Affairs: BoF (I need a few Democrats right?)

Secretary of Homeland Security: Dontreadonme (does the name not say it all)

Ambassador to the United Nations: Cyan (would take the time to learn about other nations and actually care about them)

Supreme Court Justice 1: Fife and Drum (Because my court should be fair and balanced)

Supreme Court Justice 2: overlandsailor (we need more moderate Independents on the court)

Supreme Court (Chief, optional) Justice 3: Conservpat (I’ll need a strong Libertarian to push through my agenda)

(I repeat, they can multi-task right?)

Senate Majority Leader: Mrs. Pigpen (still the most level-headed member)

Senate Minority Leader: Paladin Elspeth (She’d actually consider an issue before jumping ship for the party platform)

Speaker of the House: Mike (In the unlikely event of both mine and hayleyanne’s early dismissal from this life I wouldn’t leave the country in anyone else’s clutches)

This is fun, here are my picks:

VP: OverlandSailor: Radical centrist/libertarian, need I say more?

Sec of State: Wertz: The most articulate and well-typed member of AD.

Sec. of Treasury: Hugo: I need a libertarian here.

Sec. of Defense: Dontreadonme: Ex-military libertarian....perfect.

Atty General: Jaime: Word on the street is she knows law.

Sec of H and H: I'd abolish this one, but if I had to pick: Turnea.

Sec of HUD: Abolished, but if I had to pick: Nighttimer.

Sec of Labor/Commerce: Amlord

Sec of Education: Abolished, then recreated, just so I could abolish it again.

Homeland Security: Merged with Defense, duh.

UN: CubeJockey

Supreme Court: Haleyanne and Erasmussimo

on edit: oops, forgot a few:

Third Supreme Court pick: Ultimate Joe

Sec of Energy: Moif

Sec. of Transportation: AbslikeJesus-wherever you are.

CP

Assuming that a non-citizen could become president...


Vice President: Hobbes

Secretary of State: Quarkhead

Secretary of the Treasury: Erasmussimo

Secretary of Defense: DaytonRocker

Attorney General: Entspeak

Secretary of the Interior: Victoria Silverwolf

Secretary of Agriculture: Jaime (I don't know why... but this makes sense to me.)

Secretary of Commerce: Amlord

Secretary of Labor: Cube Jockey

Secretary of Health and Human Services: Danya

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Nighttimer

Secretary of Transportation: Mike (he knows why)

Secretary of Energy: Unabomber

Secretary of Education: Mrs. Pigpen

Secretary of Veteran's Affairs: Mustang

Secretary of Homeland Security: Conservpat (Someone who, you know, cares about the 4th amendment.)

Ambassador to the United Nations: Julian

Senate Majority Leader: Overland Sailor gridlock schmidlock

Senate Minority Leader: Nighttimer These two would work out good deals.

Speaker of the House: DTOM He'd probably serve republican if called



Positions that need filling:

Vice President: Ultimate Joe competent, but not with Julian's UK aura of hyper confidence (nationalism in the form of discrimination, uggh politics are brutal) But life insurance for me because who would kill a red-blooded American to put a foreigner not named-Arnold in office?

Secretary of State: Jaime She can deliver a message and deal hard diplomacy with a smile.

Secretary of the Treasury: Mike finally our money is in good hands. Just watch how he takes on inefficiency.

Secretary of Defense: Mrs Pigpen Okay, maybe hot flyboys would get too much preference, but she knows the drill. Administration policy against pink jets might cause her to refuse the office.

Attorney General: Quarkhead Risking the polling results to put someone in place who has a strong feeling about justice. With luck my children be be bigger than me before the landmark anti-spanking legislation goes through Congress.

Secretary of the Interior: Doclotus a good citizen who will embrace the privilege for the good of all.

Secretary of Agriculture: Nebraska29 the price of being from the heartland and being effective at politics.

Secretary of Commerce: Hobbes Okay, liberals just trip over themselves when they set trade policy. Hobbes will set this department on the right course and create the right amount of static for China before we have to re-grant most favored nation status.

Secretary of Labor: KMSouthern has the exceedingly rare ability to emphasize diversity while presenting it as a positive social good.

Secretary of Health and Human Services: Paladin Elspeth unfortunate to be experienced as a consumer and a survivor. Will do a wonderful job.

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Rancid Uncle may not have the experience but has the heart for getting this job done right.

Secretary of Transportation: NiteGuy knows something about travellers.

Secretary of Energy: Izdaari
Independence should serve her well in balancing the needs of the environment and the present with the need for future sources of energy.

Secretary of Education: The former teacher axes the department. A sign of more shrinkage to come.

Secretary of Veteran's Affairs: ConservPat
will ensure that those that serve are very well served.

Secretary of Homeland Security: Wertz probably would hate the call, but would come up with effective solution. Don't risk the wrath of Wertz!

Ambassador to the United Nations: Cyan and the world would remember all over once again why it admires and likes the United States, She will be a turning point in the history of the UN.

Supreme Court Justice 1: turnea solid sticktuitiveness.

Supreme Court Justice 2: Victoria Silverwolf candor may make conformation bumpy. But well suited for the bench.

Supreme Court (Chief, optional) Justice 3: not chief, I'll give that to turnea. Gray Seal
gets my vote, an open mind with a more natural balance for VS.

And for fun you can name people you feel are best qualified to fill the posts of (use current parties in power):

Senate Majority Leader: Amlord - An excellent representative of his party.

Senate Minority Leader: Cube Jockey - Will help keep Amlord honest

Speaker of the House: DTOM



Positions that need filling:

Vice President: Wertz - He's not a Democrat, so I'll buck the trend regardless

Secretary of State: Mrs. Pigpen - Yeah, she's conservative, but very diplomatic. Perfect choice

Secretary of the Treasury: Mike - This guy is a bargain guru, the deficit will vanish under his watch!

Secretary of Defense: OverLandSailor - This one was tough, but I stuck with party affiliation on this one

Attorney General: Jagwease - Doesn't post much but I'd trust him to keep things on a fair keel.

Secretary of the Interior: jenreiautter - Gotta have the Green Goddess here. Watch corporations squirm!

Secretary of Agriculture: VictoriaSilverwolf - Would be fun to see a vegetarian here

Secretary of Commerce: Hobbes - Need a sound trade policy

Secretary of Labor: KmSouthern

Secretary of Health and Human Services: Paladin Elsbeth

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Beladonna - Need her back and she'd do a great job here!

Secretary of Transportation: CruisingRam - Ok, the name fits and I couldn't resist

Secretary of Energy: BoF

Secretary of Education: Cyan

Secretary of Veteran's Affairs: OverLandSailor

Secretary of Homeland Security: ConservPat

Ambassador to the United Nations:Nighttimer

Supreme Court Justice 1: Quarkhead - Imminently reasonable and just.

Supreme Court Justice 2: Hayleyanne - Don't let it be said I didn't balance it

Supreme Court (Chief, optional) Justice 3:UltimateJoe - Gotta keep Hayleyanne honest

My choices (though in all honestly I think I would rather spend the rest of my life a as a fear factor contestant then take on this job):

Vice President: Chistopher For one, the President needs an attack dog. For another, he is a brilliant person. We sees things similarly to me, but often times when I lean one way off-center he goes the other. So Balance would be his ultimate job.

Secretary of State: Cyan The job of the SoS is that of Diplomacy. I don't know of anyone who can so diplomatically show someone how they are being an idiot as she can.

HEY You Forgot the National Security Advisor!! For this role, I would name Aquilla. I think he would do the work to ensure that information presented to me was accurate and I think he would hold the various agencies that provide it to task.

Secretary of the Treasury: Amlord Need a SOLID fiscal conservative here. Time to start trimming the fat.

Secretary of Defense: DTOM It would be about time that an SoD was an actual warrior of our armed services. His level headed, libertarian approach to things would throw the Pentagon for a loop, which I think would be a good thing.

Attorney General: Jaime I know no finer Arbitrator around here. Her ability to cut through the nonsense would quite possibly reduce the operation costs of the DOJ by a substantial amount. Also,we need someone with a liberty perspective here. And we all know she certainly has an eye for just resolution.

Secretary of the Interior: Renamed the Department of Domestic Affairs Drastically Altered. I see no reason for so many levels of government when dealing with these issues. Time to trim the fat. The New Domestic Affairs Secretary would have MANY new responsiblities (as will be seen later). Wertz. We may differ on many issues, but this new department would have huge responsiblities and effects on peoples lives. I want a voice from the left here, to keep me thinking.

Secretary of Agriculture: Gone. Time for this one to go. Role this into the Department of Domestic Affairs.

Secretary of Commerce: Renamed the Department of Economic Security. This is another Role that will have a major increase in responsibilities. Hobbes I like his thinking on business and enterprise. I think he might be able to sell the COSTCO model to other businesses. That would be good for everyone.

Secretary of Labor: Gone. Labor and Business need to be partners to succeed. So it is time to merge this department with Economic Security.

Secretary of Health and Human Services: Gone. Merged with Domestic Affairs. Though some of the responsiblities here will be shifted to Economic Security.

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Gone. Merged with Economic Security.

Secretary of Transportation: Gone. responsiblities merged with Domestic Affairs.

Secretary of Energy: Gone. Time to merge this department with the the Department of Domestic Affairs.

Secretary of Education: Gone. Once the Department of Education is reduced to a handful of accountants auditing grant expenditures and maintaining student loan records there would be no reason for a cabinet position. Over-site of the small remaining units will fall under Department of Domestic Affairs

Secretary of Veteran's Affairs: Gone. I don't see why those who oversea the current military cannot best take care of their own after they leave the service.

Secretary of Homeland Security: Gone. No need for more levels of government here. This should be merged with the DOJ.

Ambassador to the United Nations: ConservPat time to bring the idea of individual freedom to the rest of the world without hedging.

Supreme Court Justice 1: Can't quite make up my mind here. Whomever it is will have to be very, VERY old as I plan on working some backroom deals to secure this position after my Presidency is over.

Supreme Court Justice 2: Cube Jockey We need a reasonable voice from the left on the court as well. Someone that will ensure that the other side is heard, but whom will also listen. Not really knowing anyone like this I am stuck with CJ <joke>.

Chief Justice: Mike I have to agree with others here. A strong Constitutionalist voice is needed at the head of the court.

Senate Majority Leader: Since when does the President decide this one? I thought this person was elected by a vote of their peers. If the President's party is not in the Majority then the President SURELY would not choose this person.

Senate Minority Leader: Since when does the President decide this one? I thought this person was elected by a vote of their peers. If the President's party is the Majority then the President SURELY would not choose this person.

Speaker of the House: Since when does the President decide this one? I thought this person was elected by a vote of their peers.

One important thing to note. Regardless of the political leanings of every Cabinet position I would name, I would also insist (whenever possible) on the immediate under secretary of each being their political opposite. More often then not, the best option is found in the middle. But how do you know where the middle is if you only know your own thinking?

I would also add a new Cabinet position / Department. That of Scientific Advancement. I would like to see this department developed by moving all R & D (other then military) government projects under it. We need to stop the duplication and start working together on our future. To make this work will Require and Iron Fist in the Beginning. As a Result, I would name Titus. Once fully established I think it would be better to look to leaders in science and technology for this position.

This is a tough one for me because as I see it I occupy some rather unique space around here, especially in the foreign policy arena.

In typical analytical and not at all pretentious form ...

I look at the decison as analogous to Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development.

When it comes to foreign policy I am, of course, a stage 6.


Universal Ethical Principle Orientation

That is to say, were I ever in charge decisons would not be made merely on consideration on what causes the most practical benefits for the United States.

Concepts of universal right and wrong would be key.

Hard to find a fellow crusader but interestingly enough I think the closest may well be.

Vice President: Doclotus: Never have I seen him take the "what's in it for me?" tack so we'd probably get along.

Sec. of State: ConservPat: he can be respectful of other nations without being a pushover.

Sec. of Treasury: overlandsailor: No worries about funds sneaking off to fund "mariachi classes" and other necessities.

Sec. of Defense: Mustang

Attorney General: Nighttimer: Americans can sleep safely knowing they won't become "enemy combatants" sometime during the night. Where is Padilla anyway?

Secretary of the Interior: Cyan: Calm, reasonable, principled.

Sec. of Agriculture: jenrejautter: keeping an eye on those "frankenfoods"

Sec. of Commerce: bucket: free trade can make a comeback

Sec. of Labor: quarkhead: Has an impeccable grasp on the position of the "common man" in society. Hint: as he says most of us work in companies, not own them.

Sec. of Health and Human Service: SuzySteamboat: Won't try to treat this as a business venture. People need healthcare and people will be her first concern.

HUD Secretary: CruisingRam: Seems to understand poverty and economic success equally well.

Sec. of Transportation: Cube Jockey : Will work to improve public transportation and fuel efficiency.

Sec. of Energy: Sleeper

Sec. of Education: BoF: Those kids will learn something so help me!

Sec of Vet. Affairs: Azure-Citizen

Sec. of Homeland Security: DTOM

UN Ambassador: Ranciduncle: Quick, what's the capital of Mongolia?

Supreme Court Chief Justice: Mrs. P

Supreme Court Justice 2: Wertz: This will give Rush Limbaugh a fatal heartattack, but that's the price we pay for justice.

SC Justice 3: Hobbes keeping government's nose where it belongs.

Senate Leaders: Amlord and Eeyore.

Should keep things interesting.

Vice President: I would have to go with Nightimer on this one- first, he would not hesitate to tell me when I start "believing my own press" - and second, he would tell me "stop trying to understand race relations and just do what is right"

Secretary of State:Wertz- he is the arbiter of all information, and would make sure I get the correct information, without spin or ideology

Secretary of the Treasury:I would have a foreign national in this position: Julian who grasps economies in the viceral and intellectual level

Secretary of Defense:DTOM- a soldier, a hawk, "bring the fight to the enemy" kinda guy- good to have an enlisted man as a SOD guy- keep the flim flam artists and lobbyists at bay for ya!

Attorney General: [/B]Turnea this one was very difficult for me, I had thought more of Turnea as UN ambassador because of his knowledge ESPECIALLY of Africa and such- but I think he would be better in this job, since his sense of justice is in part of his posts- I personally think a sense of JUSTICE is more important in this position than the knowledge of the law- I don't think we have had an AG since Bobby Kennedy that had a lick of sense of justice- though Reno really tried IMO

Secretary of the Interior:

Secretary of Agriculture:

Secretary of Commerce:

Secretary of Labor:

Secretary of Health and Human Services:

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development:

Secretary of Transportation:

Secretary of Energy:

Secretary of Education:Erasamusio (sp) - he would make education go back to logical thought - I like it!

Secretary of Veteran's Affairs:Mustang[B]

Secretary of Homeland Security: Gone= merged with DOD

Ambassador to the United Nations:

Supreme Court Justice 1:

Supreme Court Justice 2:

Supreme Court (Chief, optional) Justice 3:

I need more time to think on the rest- will either edit this later or post later.