Obama Wants 'Team Of Rivals' Cabinet, May Keep Bush's Defense Secretary

Barack Obama has never been shy about comparing himself to Abraham Lincoln. He did so when he announced his candidacy at the Illinois state capitol, where both he and Lincoln served in the legislature. "The life of a tall, gangly, self-made Springfield lawyer tells us that a different future is possible," Obama said. "He tells us that there is power in words ... He tells us that there is power in hope." That was, well, audacious, to say the least--and the comparisons have continued, on issues large and small. But the most important similarity, in Obama's mind, is how he plans to govern if elected.

Obama has said he admires Doris Kearns Goodwin's wonderful Lincoln biography, Team of Rivals. "He talks about it all the time," says a top aide. He is particularly intrigued by the notion that Lincoln assembled all the Republicans who had run against him for President in his war Cabinet, some of whom disagreed with him vehemently and persistently. "The lesson is to not let your ego or grudges get in the way of hiring absolutely the best people," Obama told me. "I don't think the American people are fundamentally ideological. They're pragmatic ... and so I have an interest in casting a wide net, seeking out people with a wide range of expertise, including Republicans," for the highest positions in his government.

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Comments

[NotMcCain]

That photo tries to mock a very intelligent idea.

Kearns-Goodwin's book is great, but "team of rivals" is dependent on the intellectual and ethical caliber of the TEAM.

Emphasis is NOT on "rivals" as in "opposite party". Lincoln assembled "rivals" from his own party.

And, yes, a cabinet with Richardson, Edwards, Kucinich, Dodd, possibly Cilnton, possibly Biden could be pretty formidable. But Lincoln's model wouldn't include extremists from the other party.

I'm pretty sure Obama wouldn't consider Republicans that weren't philosophically and temperamentally compatible (i.e. Chaffee, Hagel, Powell, Snowe, and so on. Not any of the ones we've been suffering through for 7 long years.)

[riverhouse]

This is a silly supposition. Shows how ridiculous the whole process has gotten when Obama can admire and book about Lincoln and the next thing people are convinced he's going to have a cabinet full of GOPwe. Nonsense.

[abby4ever]

Huffington:

For God's sake, scrap the photo, it is just absurd. And as Mygirl says, below, it is disrespectful. What, is he going to a Halloween costume party or something?

Get some class.

Abby

[JimR]

Eh, my take is that everybody should lighten up. Seems pretty harmless to me.

[Joeblue]

Where are you going to find a smart Republican?

[AnotherTry]

Then he should appoint me liason to the lesbian and gay community.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfO7FWEYE-Y

[SEQUOIABISON]

Joan Baez Secretary of Defense.

[RRK70]

good idea! Jury is out on Gates still, but I think Baez would have definitely done a better job than Rumsfeld!

[SisterAnn]

Obama needs to appoint Democrats. We have enough republican lite 'Democrats in name only' to deal with, without adding pure republicans.

Appointing republicans. Bad idea.

[Zogtastic]

What if they're Republicans in Congress. That pulls them out of their seats. And they still take orders from Obama and he would still have final say.

[cimwright]

Ron Paul should be appointed to the federal Reserve. lol

[111]

Except the Federal Reserve is a private banking corporation that has as much to do with our government as Federal Express does - nothing. They are a group of bankers printing worthless money that they sell back to the US.

How come you don't know that? lol

[cimwright]

I wrote way too fast. I meant to say, put Ron Paul on the Federal Reserve problem so he can fix the problem. Appointed to a special project.

[McChimp]

This is what I am talking about, extending the olive branch in our government and uniting.

Obama needs not only Democrats and Republicans in his Cabinet, but third party people as well, just not Ralph Nader, dude's a joke!!!

[111]

Ralph Nader is not a joke, on any level. We'll see if Kucinich and Waxman have a place in the cabinet if he means what he says about the best the people in place. Cynthia McKinney should also have a place there as well. The fact that he is listening to Madeline Albright is not a good sign.

[JimR]

Cynthia McKinney????? There are plently of highly qualified African American women who are NOT insane. Can't we consider them first?

[TurnThePageGA]

I am an African-American living in Metro Atlanta Georgia and there ain't no way Cynthia needs to be considered for anything. In the words of Whitney Houston: "Hell To The Naugh."

[Mygirl]

The picture is just stupid and disrespectful !

[JimR]

Oh please. If he's elected, he's going to be subject to jokes on a daily basis, like every other president before him.

[MinerSam]

Clinton Had Republicans in his administration. Defense Sec Cohen,

I think Hillary would be a great oponent behind the scenes she can win without publicly humiliating him''

There seems to a stron effort under way to empower the moderate Republicans.
I am against it, in the mean time the moderates in the congress are all on the way out...before some of them are discovered on Alaska corruption.

Republicans hate our government and by their governance of it it shows.

Taking back the country for the People is about taking back the Exectutive branch.

The garbage that having Hillary there would contradict his garbage during the Primary equatng Hillary With Bush is Garbage, and Obama and his supporters need to GET OVER THESE LIES.

[kellygrrrl]

someone could use a little PhotoShop seminar.

that's really not good

[MinerSam]

Must have used the one in charge of the Hillary snapshots (now out of work)

[jimmy2001]

LOL yeah but you got to admit its funny... which i think was the intention

[Obama08Supporter]

They really need that class bad, or they can always hire me from http://www.blacktiewebdesign.com. I cannot stop laughing, the picture is childlike in creativity

[KMKY]

You are being far too generous. I'll say it: that picture sucks.

[GuyFawkes]

Keith Olbermann as press secretary.

Can you imagine the quotes?

[KMKY]

the worst november 5th ever!

[Lion24]

Director of CI-A: Val-erie Pla-me

NSA Director: Joe Wil-son

[Nardwilly]

no way. Wilson was extremely critical of Obama and a strident supporter of HRC.

[GiannaX]

OMG! that's an outrageously grand idea! Actually, I think he would be an excellent choice. I have no doubt he could rein in his opinions and the press briefings would NEVER be boring.

[Trittydi]

Agreed - but I think the service he's providing now is too critical to risk losing him. He's single-handedly reinventing network news.
*

[dingokidney]

The book is indeed excellent, and well worth reading. It makes the strategy of building a cabinet of strong, independent thinkers and former rivals seem inspired, Lincoln was a gifted observer of human nature and a very shrewd politician. There were many challenges to managing that team of rivals, in fact. To start with, he needed to prevent some of them becoming too powerful in their own right, effectively claiming the role of president, if not the title, for themselves. If Obama hopes to pull off the same achievement as Lincoln in this regard, he'd better hope for as much strength and wisdom as he can get.

btw, the article says Lincoln recruited all republicans for his cabinet because, well, he was a republican. In fact, he was the first president from the newly formed republican party which was extremely fractious over many issues. Presumably Obama would look to the field of democratic competitors for the primary. Personally, I think Edwards would be a great choice for AG for example.

[Susanfrom29]

I've admired Gates' seeming distance from the Bush WH and wouldn't mind seeing him stay in place for a while. I do agree that the Pentagon needs some stability at the top and Rumsfeld did nothing positive for it. Gates has a lot of work still to do.

[JimR]

I'd be OK with Gates, too. He's been a surprise.

[MissT]

Agreed.