I wasn't thinking too much about Tom Ridge's non-news that he's leaving HLS for greener (as in greenbacks) pastures, until I surfed on over to my local paper's website. The 4pm update headline read: "Collins: Lieberman capable of replacing Ridge."
Ugh. My least favorite Democrat, after, perhaps, Zell Miller. So nice of Susan to offer up her peer from the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, (which oversees HLS) especially since the governor of Connecticut, who would most likely get a chance to appoint Lieberman's successor, is a Republican (yes, we got rid of the nefarious Rowland, but his Lt. Gov. was a Republican as well, and not up for re-election until 2006.)
But several paragraphs down in the story was a more interesting tidbit: A list of the "potentials".
Among those cited as potential candidates are Bernard Kerik, the former New York City police commissioner; former Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Joe Allbaugh; Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Mike Leavitt; and White House homeland security adviser Fran Townsend.Others are also believed to be interested in the job, including Asa Hutchinson, undersecretary for border and transportation security in the Homeland Security Department.
Joe Allbaugh's confirmation hearings could conceivably be the most interesting, particularly if Democrats are willing to dig out the skeletons from him closet.
Literally.
Allbaugh, former director of FEMA, was also a top aide to Governor Bush back in Texas. It was in his office that the events surrounding what came to be known as "Funeralgate" percolated. I've always wondered when those ghosts would come back to haunt Dubya.
I'm sure that the others might have scandal ridden pasts as well. Guess it's time to send out the Googling Monkeys, unless Wampum readers are privvy to such info.
A person I'd probably be comfortable with is one who has a history of running projects at a high level, and is acceptable to all political parties (no not Arnold, that was only in the movies). A partisan for the Bush will kill effectiveness immediately. A good cabinet appointee is one that realistically has a chance of being held over in that position should Dems retake the White House in 2008.
I'd like to see someone like Rudman of Tom Kean get called up, or at least someone who's not opposed to working for all Americans as a matter of 'principle'.
By the way, thought I'd drop in and say hello (I'm doing so to the few blogroll neighbors I have). I'm in the blogroll below you at SK Bubba. Also, Hayden told me I should talk to you over a project I blogged about archival digitalization of the Smithsonian's Bureau of American Ethnology.
http://wunderdog.blogspot.com/2004_09_01_wunderdog_archive.html#109641387548240145
Posted by: wunderdog at December 1, 2004 10:28 PM