Obama-Powell: Now that’s a dream ticket

Few publications get the historic aspect of having the first African-American leading a national presidential ticket better than Ebony and Jet. So when they rolled out their dream cabinet for Sen. Barack Obama yesterday on the EbonyJet.com site, we listened. The headline: Obama should pick Colin Powell, President Bush’s former secretary of state, as vice president. “Forget about Hillary Clinton,” they write. “She can’t be trusted to watch Obama’s back and besides—he’ll get two for the cost of one with hubby Bill.” Powell has long dodged higher office, but could being part of the first-ever all-black ticket be tempting enough? Most of the picks make sense, like having internationalist Sen. Joe Biden as secretary of state and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who’s had many jobs in politics, as chief of staff. But one would cause angst: Lani Guinier as attorney general. Former President Bill Clinton tried her, but failed under a withering conservative attack. “The president caved, kicking his former Yale Law School classmate under the bus,” says EbonyJet. Here’s their full list

• Vice President—Colin Powell.

• Chief of Staff—Gov. Bill Richardson.

• Secretary of State—Sen. Joe Biden.

• Attorney General—Lani Guinier.

• Secretary of Defense—Sam Nunn.

• National Security Advisor—Susan Rice. She now serves as the Obama campaign’s senior foreign policy advisor.

• Secretary of Veteran Affairs—Rep. John Murtha.

• Department of Energy—Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire.

• Secretary of Commerce—Columbia University’s Jeffrey Sachs.