Now that electile dysfunction season is ahind us again - who all reckon may hook up with 44"s Posse in Diplopolititary deigns and decisions?
The short list appears as follows:
DEFSEC
Michèle Flournoy
Flournoy had been the highest ranking woman at the Pentagon and was considered an early contender to succeed Defense Secretary Robert Gates last year. As the No. 3 official from 2009 to 2012, she advised Gates and his successor, Leon Panetta, in the formulation of national security and defense policy and had oversight of military plans and operations. With a strong background in defense academia and defense policy analysis, she co-founded the Center for a New American Security, a defense-oriented think tank, and was also senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies as well as a professor at the National Defense University. Flournoy would be the first woman named to the top job, and would bring a sharp and critical mind to the position with the ability to see the small and big picture of how the military should operate post-Iraq and Afghanistan. Flournoy was an adviser on the most recent Obama campaign.
Ashton Carter
Carter is currently the Pentagon's No. 2 official as chief deputy to Secretary Leon Panetta. Prior to this, he headed weapons procurement as under secretary for acquisition, technology and logistics from April 2009 to October 2011. In that role, Carter was most noted for accelerating the urgent need for vehicles that protected troops from roadside bombs in Iraq. Carter is considered a top defense-oriented academic mind with stints at Harvard’s Kennedy school and as co-director of the Preventive Defense Project. In the 42nd administration, he was an assistant secretary at the Pentagon for international security policy. Some liken his leadership thinking to William Cohen, one of 42's defense secretaries who focused on internal operations rather than global perspectives. With upcoming budget cuts and shifting focus away from the last two wars, Obama will need somebody to guide that change in Pentagon thinking.
Sam Nunn
Nunn was a Democratic senator from Georgia from 1972-1997 and his name has been bounced around as a candidate for the top Pentagon job in numerous administrations. At 74, Nunn’s name is still out there. While in the Senate, Nunn championed defense issues and served as chairman of the Armed Services Committee and is well versed on the politics and operations of the Pentagon. He played a key role in getting landmark legislation passed in the 1980s that reorganized how the military operates and fights. He also helped to create a program that helps Russia and former Soviet republics secure and eliminate excess nuclear weapons. After leaving Congress, Nunn joined a bipartisan think tank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and continued with efforts to reduce nuclear weapons.
Chuck Hagel
A highly decorated Vietnam War Veteran, Hagel was a Republican senator from Nebraska from 1997-2009 where he was a member of the Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees. In 2008, he was rumored to be on 44's short list for defense secretary in his first term. A Hagel pick then would have illustrated 44’s willingness to reach across party lines for a big role in his administration. Hagel is currently a chairman of the Atlantic Council, a Washington think tank that focuses on international affairs, and a professor at George Washington University.
Colin Powell
Still an icon within the military ranks, he served as the first African-American chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the 1991 Gulf War. That’s where he gained much of his notoriety as the highest ranking member of the military and a strong presidential adviser. After retiring from the military, Powell focused on more social issues, starting America's Promise which pushed for advancing children's issues.
Under 43, he was the first African American secretary of state from 2001 to 2005. After the September 2001 attacks, Powell built an international coalition of countries to support the U.S. role in the war on terrorism. There is little doubt Powell would be a home-run pick because of his credentials and his ability to navigate the political and civilian-military demands of the top job. A question mark, however, is whether Powell’s role in making the case for invading Iraq – publicly backing evidence that was later discredited – would hobble his chances.
SECRETARY OF STATE
John Kerry
The most frequently mentioned possible successor is the 2004 Democratic nominee for president. As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee since 2009, Kerry has been heavily involved with the U.S. response to the Arab Spring revolutions – most prominently the civil war in Syria. Kerry has also played a role in U.S. relations with Pakistan, having traveled there to mend fences after a series of incidents, including the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, set back relations. As head of the committee that questions diplomatic nominees, Kerry interacted with those heading U.S. embassies.
Susan Rice
As U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Rice is steeped in almost every foreign policy issue facing the United States. From the Palestinian bid for statehood to pushing Russia and China to support a strong resolution on Syria at the Security Council, Rice has been an important figure on national security. Her role, however, in the early attempt to explain circumstances surrounding the deadly terror attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, was criticized by some in Congress as the description of events changed, and could pose a problem at any confirmation hearing.
Tom Donilon
As national security adviser, Donilon is the president’s top aide on those issues and is widely regarded for his managerial skills. His name repeatedly comes up in Democratic foreign policy circles as a possible secretary of state. A lawyer and a former senior official at Fannie Mae, Donilon joined 44's campaign in 2008 as an adviser on foreign policy and helped prepare him for those presidential debates. Donilon is a protégé of former Secretary of State Warren Christopher.
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR
Denis McDonough
As the current deputy national security adviser, McDonough is a longtime foreign policy adviser to 44 going back to his days as a U.S. Senator from Illinois. If current National Security Adviser Tom Donilon were nominated for secretary of state or decided to leave the administration, many have said McDonough likely would be likely promoted. McDonough's first role in the administration was deputy national security adviser for strategic communications, and then was chief of staff for the National Security Council. McDonough travels frequently overseas on behalf of the Obama administration, most recently to Iraq and Afghanistan to discuss bilateral issues.
Susan Rice (see Secretary of State)
DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE
James Clapper
The word on the street is that James Clapper will likely leave the job he has held for more than two years, but it's no sure thing. If he does go, his possible replacement might be:
James Cartwright
After 40 years in the military, the four-Marine Corps general retired last year, last serving as the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the second highest position in the military. In that role, he developed a close relationship with 44 and has been referred to as his favorite general. Nicknamed "Hoss," Cartwright also lead the U.S. Strategic Command and is said to be a master of complex technical issues. After leaving the military, he joined CSIS as an expert in defense policy and serves on the Defense Policy Review Board, which provides advice to the defense secretary.
C.I.A.
P4
As the current director, Petraeus is expected to stay in the job he has described as one in which he is "living the dream." The retired four-star general had a distinguished 37 year career in the military, helping turn the tide against insurgencies while he served as commander of forces in Iraq and then Afghanistan. He has won the praise of both Democrats and Republicans alike. He took the helm of the CIA in September 2011. And unlike his time in senior military positions, he has kept a low key profile.
Pic - "Still reeling from his administration’s botched handling of the deadly terrorist attacks on diplomatic targets in Libya, 44 is no doubt seeking a deft and versatile replacement to guard and advance Great Satan"s interests in a volatile Middle East, where creeping fundamentalism undermines longstanding influence."
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