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I stumbled on this Top 5 list earlier today. Not much new information, but still good discussion fodder.

I'm ok or ambivalent with the first three, although none of them inspire anything. The second two are laughable-so one is probably it.

Richardson-jello spined sycophant unworthy of dogcatcher.

Kerry? Talk about a gold starred loser.

Seriously, can't we do better than this?

Just some alternate nominees:
*Sam Nunn
*Bloomberg
*Some serious enforcer guy.
*My neighbor who can negotiate anything with anyone.

By the way, can I be the first to nominate Bill Clinton as UN ambassador? Seriously.

In 2004, the Democratics could have run nearly anyone and won the White House. But, they managed to find someone that couldn't in John Kerry.

Please, don't let him be the Sec State. I thought he came off as an aloof rich New Englander, when he wasn't coming off with as much personality as a dead fish. I also wonder if Kerry would take it. In some ways, he might have more juice by staying in the Senate.

I've always liked Bill Richardson, even if I don't agree with all his politics. I'm sure that means he won't be it.

Maybe Powell would come back for a second tour as Sec State. I doubt it, I think the DNC would have a heart attack, but he's probably the best option out there.

Clinton will be, I expect, a special envoy to Israel. That mess needs to be put to rest before they do something stupid... again.

As for SecState. My personal pick Holbrooke. He's a sharp guy with a lot of patience. Perfect for what is effectively the office of the chief US diplomat.

Richardson would be my second choice. Lots of experience, intelligence, and has a kind of back-biting personality which could do well on the job.

I wouldn't mind Lugar either. He's a friend of the administration with a good background, and he's part of the GOP. Something which will really play towards the bipartisan agenda.

Nunn should be kept as far away from the White House as possible. The man has priorities, and perceived threat level, deeply askew. He thinks too much like a Neocon.

Bloomberg is just straight up crazy. "It's America's responsibility to protect people around the world who want o be free." What? Woodrow Wilson is dead and gone dude.

Do you seriously want someone who sucked up to both Clinton and Obama in the debates, then grew a beard to appear more "ethnic" to increase chances of being picked for VP. The man's a worm.

Holbrooke is ok, but boring and not change.

Clinton won't be envoy to Israel. he's the one that brokered the horror with Arafat. But they better do something quick, there are lots of rumors now of an Israeli attack before the inauguration. Biden's statement that Isreal should get used to an Iran with nukes hasn't gone down well.

Has Obama said anything about the Russians moving up missiles yet?

Frazzled wrote:Do you seriously want someone who sucked up to both Clinton and Obama in the debates, then grew a beard to appear more "ethnic" to increase chances of being picked for VP. The man's a worm.

As my SecState? Absolutely. His job is to be a policy projector, not a voice of public dissent. The man knows the issues, and can keep his mouth shut when he has to. Let us not forget how effective the worm-in-chef Henry Kissinger was for the Nixon administration.

Frazzled wrote:
Holbrooke is ok, but boring and not change.

In what way? The man is a strong advocate of civilian diplomacy. That is almost a complete 180 with respect to the last 8 years, and far beyond.

Frazzled wrote:
Clinton won't be envoy to Israel. he's the one that brokered the horror with Arafat. But they better do something quick, there are lots of rumors now of an Israeli attack before the inauguration. Biden's statement that Isreal should get used to an Iran with nukes hasn't gone down well.

A lot rests on Livni's ability to pull together a government. If she can keep Nitenyahu out of power it should be ok.

Either way, Clinton is voice that will be respected on either side of the issue, and that's what is necessary in diplomatic resolutions. We have to stop this nonsense of siding with Israel as a matter of principle. They are not in danger of imminent destruction, and will not be in the foreseeable future.

Frazzled wrote:
Has Obama said anything about the Russians moving up missiles yet?

No, and he really shouldn't. The ABM screen is a thinly veiled power play by the Bush administration. It is, in effect, a purely offensive system due to its reliance on low-accuracy KEP warheads. I suspect he'll just scrap ABM and be done with the entire matter.

Clinton will not be respected in Israel. They've been living with the repurcussions of that mistake for years now. I'd give even money at this point of a major airstrike by Israel on Iranian targets before mid January.

Personally I'm ok with the ABN shield going down. My concern for Europe is statistically insignificant, especially as they have been supportive of Iran in the past.

Frazzled wrote:Clinton will not be respected in Israel. They've been living with the repurcussions of that mistake for years now. I'd give even money at this point of a major airstrike by Israel on Iranian targets before mid January.

The mistakes were their own making. The desire of the Israelis to rely on a hyper-militarist definition of security is virtually the entire reason for their current predicament. Certain elements of the Israeli state are beginning to realize that their only hope for peace is a two-state compromise; something which Clinton has long favored.

Either way, if Israel strikes Iran I can only hope that either administration will leave them to twist in the wind for that kind of stupidity. Its about time for an ultimatum: "Resolve the issue in 5 years, or fight the good fight alone".

How about "We just invented Cold Fusion. Screw all you guys. We're outta here."

Frazzled wrote:Do you seriously want someone who sucked up to both Clinton and Obama in the debates, then grew a beard to appear more "ethnic" to increase chances of being picked for VP. The man's a worm.

He's not a worm, just a politician! There's no need to insult worms!

I don't see Clinton being the special envoy to anything under President Obama. I think Bill's still mad that Hill lost the primary and his chance to return to the Oval Office, with even less responsibilty and even more young interns. Also, Bill is running his charity, which gives him a lot more reach than being an envoy or ambassador. And, I hate to say it, but his foundation is doing a lot of good things. Last time I saw him talking about it, they helped some ER doctor round up extra surgical supplies from US hospitals to ship overseas. Plus, no one cares if he still hasn't figured out how to keep it in his pants.

I wouldn't be surprised if it was Sen. Richard Luger, even though he's a Republican. Obama talked him up a lot in "The Audacity of Hope" and has worked and traveled with him in the past. Luger also has announced he will not be running for the senate again in 2012.

Frazzled wrote:How about "We just invented Cold Fusion. Screw all you guys. We're outta here."

Good luck to them getting enough Helium-3 to make it work.

Annie Vinnick should be SecState.

I mean John McCain.

Which one was fictional again?

BYE

"As for SecState. My personal pick Holbrooke. He's a sharp guy with a lot of patience. Perfect for what is effectively the office of the chief US diplomat. "

A diplomat as SecState?

How novel.

dietrich wrote:
Maybe Powell would come back for a second tour as Sec State.

I heard he's on the short list for Secretary of Education. I think he's well suited for the job.

BloodofOrks wrote:

dietrich wrote:
Maybe Powell would come back for a second tour as Sec State.

I heard he's on the short list for Secretary of Education. I think he's well suited for the job.

I'd nominate him for SecDef. Besides being career army and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff his main role as Sec State was rebuilding the morale and human infrastructure of the Department after Helms and Clinton pretty much gutted it in the 90s.

And after the 2000s DoD is going to need a lot of rebuilding.