• Obama's cabinet: Who's in, who's out, who's contending?
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[QUOTE]As President Obama prepares to begin his second term in office, he's expected to make some changes to key positions in his cabinet. Here's a look at the current cabinet, and who may be under consideration to serve in the next term. [quote][h2]Secretary of State[/h2] [img]http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2012/11/politics/obama-cabinet/media/clinton.jpg[/img] [B]In the job: Hillary Rodham Clinton[/B] Obama's former political foe has filled the top diplomatic post since the beginning of his administration. However, she has previously said she will not serve another four years, even though she is open to staying in the job through her replacement's confirmation. Questions about a future presidential run abound despite her insistence that her job at the State Department will be her last in public service. [B]Withdrawn: Susan Rice[/B] Rice was considered a front-runner for the top job at the State Department until she withdrew from consideration after meetings on Capitol Hill with high-ranking Republican senators intended to alleviate their concerns raised more questions among them. Republican Sens. John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Kelly Ayotte questioned comments Rice made when she served as the administration's public face after the September 11 attack on the U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya. In multiple TV appearances in the days after the attack, she cited a hateful video and mob attack as the reason for the deaths. Officials said she relied on an intelligence assessment for her assessment. The attack claimed the lives of four Americans, including the U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens. Intelligence disclosed later suggested that the attack was planned. A knowledgeable Democratic source said of the meetings, "That really hurt her. She probably underestimated the club." In a statement released after Rice's withdrawal, Obama said, "I have every confidence that Susan has limitless capability to serve our country now and in the years to come, and know that I will continue to rely on her as an advisor and friend," the statement read. "While I deeply regret the unfair and misleading attacks on Susan Rice in recent weeks, her decision demonstrates the strength of her character, and an admirable commitment to rise above the politics of the moment to put our national interests first." [B]Contender: Sen. John Kerry[/B] CNN confirmed in that Sen. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, the Senate Foreign Relations committee chairman, will get the nomination to become the next secretary of state. Kerry also sits on the Senate Finance, Commerce and Small Business committees. Kerry was first elected to the Senate in 1984. Prior to that, he was Massachusetts' lieutenant governor. Kerry is also a decorated Vietnam veteran and ran for president in 2004. It is no secret that Kerry has long wanted to be secretary of state, but he was also being considered as secretary of defense, a position that he has said he didn't want. Former Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel is now one of the front runners for the defense top spot. He is expected to get a smooth and quick confirmation from the Senate, which would be welcomed at the White House. After news broke of Rice's withdrawal, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said that Kerry would be a "popular choice with the Senate." If Kerry is confirmed, he would give up his Senate seat. Massachusetts' Democratic governor Deval Patrick would then appoint a replacement and then hold a special election, required to take place 145 to 160 days after the vacancy occurs.[/quote] [quote][h2]Secretary of the Treasury[/h2] [img]http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2012/11/politics/obama-cabinet/media/geithner.jpg[/img] [B]In the job: Timothy F. Geithner[/B] Economist Tim Geithner assumed the role at the Treasury Department in 2009 after serving as president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Geithner has been a crucial adviser on global economic woes, U.S. recovery from recession, the auto bailout, and efforts to toughen Wall Street regulation and deal with shaky credit and housing markets. Geithner has said that he would step down after the inauguration. [B]Contender: Jack Lew[/B] Two Democratic sources say that Lew is likely to be nominated to replace Tim Geithner, but one knowledgeable source says that any changes on the economic team are likely to be put on hold until there is a clearer picture of fiscal cliff negotiations. Lew is greatly trusted by Obama and would bring with him extensive knowledge from his time on Capitol Hill, at the State Department and in the White House.[/quote] [quote][h2]Secretary of Defense[/h2] [img]http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2012/11/politics/obama-cabinet/media/panetta.jpg[/img] [B]In the job: Leon E. Panetta[/B] Leon Panetta assumed his role as defense secretary in 2011 after serving as CIA director at the start of the Obama administration. A White House chief of staff to former President Bill Clinton has said he would leave following Obama's re-election, but recently said he would remain in the job until the question of military spending cuts, which are part of political wrangling over the "fiscal cliff," are resolved and a long-term plan is in place for winding down America's involvement in Afghanistan. [B]Contender: John Kerry[/B] The defense job would be something of a consolation prize for Kerry. It is no secret that he has long wanted to be secretary of state and has said he doesn't want to head the Defense Department. But his relationships and knowledge could prove invaluable in navigating Congress during a time of budget austerity. In all likelihood, he would also experience a smooth and quick transition, which would be a welcomed at the White House. However, the president does not seem to award jobs as prizes and has said he would like a bipartisan Cabinet. In response to reports that Kerry was being considered for a Cabinet position, his spokeswoman, Jodi Seth, said Kerry's "only focus right now is his job as senior senator from Massachusetts and chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee." [B]Contender: Former Sen. Chuck Hagel[/B] One Democratic source called the former two-term Republican senator from Nebraska "the frontrunner" for the top Defense spot. Another Democratic source said Hagel is "very much in the mix." Part of the appeal of nominating Hagel might be his party identification, since it would continue a tradition of nominating a secretary of Defense from the opposing party, like Bob Gates, who Obama got to stay on after the George W. Bush administration. But Hagel's reputation for working across the aisle and foreign policy decisions will no doubt draw questions from Senate Republicans. During his time in the Senate, Hagel was a vocal opponent of Bush's foreign policy and the war in Iraq. Hagel also opposed the troop surge in Iraq in 2007, which was credited with helping to stabilize the country. In 2012, Hagel continued his pattern of crossing the aisle when he endorsed Nebraska Democratic Senate candidate Bob Kerrey, who lost. Hagel is a decorated Vietnam veteran and served as a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, and Intelligence committees. He has remained engaged in public policy since he retired from the Senate in 2009, currently serving as the chairman of the Atlantic Council and working as a professor at Georgetown University. Before his time in the Senate, Hagel worked as the president of McCarthy & Co., an investment bank in Omaha.[/quote] [quote][h2]Attorney General[/h2] [img]http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2012/11/politics/obama-cabinet/media/holder.jpg[/img] [B]In the job: Eric Holder[/B] Eric Holder reportedly will stay in his post for the next year, according to Fox News. The outlet reported that Holder will stay on at the request of the president to prevent a "mass exodus" of Cabinet officials at the beginning of his second term. Following the year, possible replacements for Holder are being circulated. [B]Contender: Deval Patrick[/B] The two-term Massachusetts governor is often mentioned as a replacement should Holder leave, but he recently told The Boston Globe that he intends to keep his promise to his wife that he'll return to the private sector once he leaves office. He was a former assistant attorney general in the Clinton administration for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, the top civil rights post in the country. In the private sector, he earned a partnership in the Boston law firm of Hill & Barlow and also worked as Texaco's and Coca-Cola's general counsel. [B]Contender: Janet Napolitano[/B] Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has the credentials, of course. As a U.S. attorney, she helped lead the domestic terrorism investigation into the Oklahoma City bombing. As Arizona attorney general, she helped write a law to break up human-smuggling rings. And her homeland security background is extensive: In seeking approval for the Department of Homeland Security's $59 billion budget for fiscal year 2013, Napolitano stressed the importance of her agency preventing terrorism, securing the borders, enforcing immigration laws, strengthening aviation security, safeguarding cyberspace and providing a coordinated response to disasters. USA Today, NPR, National Journal and Daily Kos all suggest Napolitano is in the running.[/quote] [quote][h2]Secretary of Education[/h2] [img]http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2012/11/politics/obama-cabinet/media/duncan.jpg[/img] [B]Arne Duncan[/B] Duncan, who served as secretary of education during all of Obama's first term, will not likely step down at the beginning of Obama's second term. During his four years in office, Duncan has worked on initiatives expanding Pell grants and working on reform efforts like Race to the Top program as well as Investing in Innovation. Duncan has also worked to improve relations between labor and management at a time when teaching labor unions have faced public fights from the right, including the Wisconsin effort to end collective bargaining. Before taking the top education spot, Duncan had served as CEO of Chicago Public Schools since 2001.[/quote] [quote][h2]Secretary of Homeland Security[/h2] [img]http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2012/11/politics/obama-cabinet/media/napolitano.jpg[/img] [B]In the job: Janet Napolitano[/B] The quadrennial game of musical chairs is buzzing with guesses about whether Janet Napolitano will stay on for Obama's second term. How does Attorney General Janet Napolitano sound? It's certainly a possibility if one reads the tea leaves. Attorney General Eric Holder has suggested he might be leaving. Napolitano might be interested in Sen. John McCain's seat in 2016 or a possible Supreme Court nomination. [B]Possible replacements[/B] Politico reports Judge Merrick Garland of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and Matthew Olsen, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, could be in the running to fill Napolitano's position. The National Journal also suggested a list of possibilities: New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen and Bill Bratton, who ran the New York, Boston and Los Angeles police departments.[/quote][/quote] Sauce: [url]http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2012/11/politics/obama-cabinet/index.html[/url] I didn't post all of them, only those I thought most important. Click the link for the rest.
[img]http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2012/11/politics/obama-cabinet/media/duncan.jpg[/img] gonna secretary the shit out of that education
[QUOTE=Joazzz;38907434][img]http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2012/11/politics/obama-cabinet/media/duncan.jpg[/img] gonna secretary the shit out of that education[/QUOTE] [img]http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2012/11/politics/obama-cabinet/media/geithner.jpg[/img] Seriously?
[QUOTE=smurfy;38907485][img]http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2012/11/politics/obama-cabinet/media/geithner.jpg[/img] Seriously?[/QUOTE] [img]http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2012/11/politics/obama-cabinet/media/holder.jpg[/img] Wha
Old obama has moustache.
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