Barack Obama Should Replace Bill Richardson in Cabinet With Kathleen Sebelius
By Bonnie Erbe, Thomas Jefferson Street blog.
When I covered Congress in the late 1980s, Bill Richardson was one of my favorite members. He was jovial, effusive, a bit outrageous and loved media attention—to the point where he pulled me aside in a Capitol hallway during the Jim Wright investigation and said, "You want a source, call me." I was dumbstruck, as I'd covered the House for some six years at that point and never had that experience or anything like it before.
For the same reason, it's probably better for the Obama administration that he not be a member of the cabinet. He's a great guy but also a loose cannon.
Who should serve as Commerce Secretary now that Bill Richardson has withdrawn from consideration?
My personal favorite among the many names being mentioned is Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.
She wouldn't be as much fun for reporters, but she's an incredibly capable person and beloved governor who deserves to be in the cabinet. She played an important role in the Obama campaign and would boost the number of women in top administration jobs, a point I've blogged on in the past.
- Read more by Bonnie Erbe.
- Read more from the Thomas Jefferson Street blog.
- Read more about Bill Richardson.
- Read more about Kathleen Sebelius.
- Read more about cabinet members.
Tags: Barack Obama | Bill Richardson | Commerce Department | Kathleen Sebelius | Obama administration
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Reader Comments
Richardson
I find your tattling about Richardson a bit disgusting because it makes him sound like an idiot which he might be, but at this point his career with Obama is over. Bill is getting what goes around comes around. He stabbed Hillary in the back and I am no Hillary supporter. I even wrote him to tell him how unnecessary that was at that time and how in the long run he would regret doing that. I bet at this point he feels pretty much all alone since he has managed to anger both the Clinton team and now the Obama team. Wow, good job Bill.
Commerce Secretary
Since Obama wants Leon Panetta to run the CIA (a post for which he is unqualified and should be rejected), perhaps he should slide him into the now vacant Commerce Secretary slot (a post for which he may actually be QUALIFIED for through his prior experience) since Bill Richardson has taken himself out of that post. I've never heard of Ms.Sebelius-- that makes her appointment to ANYTHING a problem. What would qualify her to run anything like Commerce? (or even the CIA???) Just wondering.
And BTW, I didn't support Sarah Palin for VP-- because she was UNQUALIFIED by her past experience (which is even LESS QUALIFIED than our President Elect's experience)....
Sebelius is no RIchardson
Bonnie---you've got to be kidding. One word sums up my feelings on Sebelius---ick!!! You're right, she's boring....but it's much worse than that. Outside of media people like yourself and a few people in mid-America, Sebelius is an unknown quantity to the vast majority of the country. Given what's already gone on with the Illinois Senate seat and now Richardson, Obama needs to appoint someone to the Commerce post who has solid credentials and inspires confidence. Sebelius has neither solid economic and international trade credentials, nor does she inspire confidence in a wide enough swath of America. And, while it may not be a fair comment, the last thing we need in Obama's cabinet for conservatives to pick on incessantly after Janet Napolitano is ANOTHER female governor with a narrow band of experience.
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