Veep: Wesley Clark. solely for his national defense resume.
SecState: Powell. It would give State much-needed continuity across administrations and this would help our foreign policy be more consistent. Powell can be turned from the dark side.
Atty General: Bill Clinton. Hey, he still has his license, and it would be fun. Plus we need someone made of teflon to undo all teh damage done by ashcroft. Did anyone see The Practice last night?
Treasurey: Robert Rubin. Bring back the wizards, we need ethics on Wall Street again.
Energy: Al Gore. He wrote the book. Plus he can finally be Clinton's equal.
Defense: John McCain. 'nuff said.
Labor: William Daley. ok, he doesnt have the smoothest relationship with unions in Chicago, but he definitely has experience. He was Commerce Secretary in teh CLinton Admin so i think it would be a good fit.
Press Secretary: Rush Limbaugh. Rush is a master at lying and deception, and i doubt the guy woudl turn down a fat paycheck and govt power. Since its obvious he has no real conservative ideology and is simply a shill, why can't he be OUR shill?
Veep: ditto with Aziz. Wesley Clark gives him some hefty chops with foreign policy.
SecState: Powell? No way! The guy has lost all credibility. I think he has been destroyed by the current administration. Hart might be good.
Atty General: Bill Clinton. HAHA! That's awesome, but he'd never survive confirmation unless the election goes well for dems in the house and senate 
Defense: John McCain. I'd love to see this, but I can't see him leaving the senate.
Press Secretary: Michael Moore. Really give the chickenhawks a fit.
VP: Graham, maybe Edwards (need a Southerner on the ticket to balance the "liberal Yankee" tag)
Defense: Clark
Homeland Security: Gary Hart (after all, he invented it!)
VP: Bill Richardson (if he'd do it). Knows DC, knows international relations, Hispanic, governor now.
SoS: Al Gore. Need a heavy hitter
SecDef: Wes Clark
AG: VT AG Bill Sorrell. Because Howard will need a friend in DC.
Treasury: Rubin. Of course.
Amb. to UN: Gary Hart or George Mitchell
Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors: Paul Krugman. Because the man deserves it for his guerilla campaign against the misguided economic policies of Bush. And, he's a good choice on his merits.
Hart for Homeland Security! [smacking self on forehead] Of course, Hart for Homeland Security (so Mitchell as UN Amb.)
Also: former AFL-CIO political director Steve Rosenthal for Labor. Because he scares the GOP.
I like the idea of Krugman being involved in an advisory mode...
If (and only if) a Dem wins as governor in Louisiana then Mary Landrieu becomes an intersting choice for VP with Clark at Defense.
Otherwise I'm all over Clark as VP.
I'd hate to take him away but Richardson would make a great Sec of State.
After all he's been through here with deregulation, Gray Davis might be good at Energy (besides, nobody in CA would shed a tear)
We should find something nice for Linc Chaffee and Olympia Snowe
Allison Janney as press secretary [wink]
I just had the best idea ever... It should be a Dean/McCain ticket! McCain is progressive enough and he is independent enough. He is also a straight shooter like Dean as well as a staunch fiscal conservative. I'd love to see this ticket and I think America would love to see this ticket. I can't imagine that they would possibly lose.
I hope Jeffrey Sachs will get in somewhere, maybe as trade representative or secretary of commerce. He seems like the ideal guy to follow through on Dean's promise to link free trade to human rights.
I've heard that Kerry and Edwards were making noises at McCain to be their VP candidate.
I don't know though. McCain is still more conservative than Lieberman (juding by his voting record).
VP - Richardson - Dems need a strategy to win a national election and we know how close Gore came. Richardson has the foreign policy credibility plus brings in an attractive Hispanic to steal a few swing votes in Florida and Texas (Yes Texas should be in play)
SecState - Wesley Clark - Let's stay with Colin Powell model and use his experience with NATO to start healing rifts with Europe.
Treasury - Someone like Rubin with real wall street experience specifically with the bond market.
Homeland - Let's face it Gary Hart deserves this even if his half-hearte campaign stalls.
Energy - NOT Grey Davis - no personality plus was duped by Enron; signed into law the tragicallly flawed California Deregulation plan.
SecDef - Kerry - Same rationale as his campaign he's a war hero so infintely qualified plus took on the tough POW/MIA Vietnam issue
Ambassador to UN - Rep. Wexler from Fla
Many of the names you mentioned are good, but come on people! Where are the women and minorities? By the way, I'm a 27 y.o. white male.
VP: General Anthony Zinni. Read this speech http://www.mideasti.org/html/
zin...zinnispeech.htm to hear his national security vision. The really juicy stuff about why Iraq should not be a current priority is towards the end. Also he joined a few dozen former military leaders to file a friend of the court brief in the Michigan affirmative action case. Let's see the FauxNews wingbats question Zinni's patriotism or judgment.
SecState: John Kerry. He spoke for 40 minutes, yet people still couldn't understand his position on Iraq. That alone qualifies him to handle diplomacy.
RonZ
I'm as big a Dean supporter as anyone else on this blog. It's with this in mind this in mind that I say let's stop dreaming and start doing everything in our power to help our peerless candidate win the nomination first. The future of America and by extension the rest of the world depends on it!
Wesley Clark for any position he wants.
Actually Gray Davis got handed the deregulation turd that was passed by the first all-freshman legislature following term limits and signed by his precessor Pete Wilson. Nobody knew what the compainies were doing to us until it was too late. My point is that Davis would loooooove to be in a position to dole out a little payback and that could only be a good thing for consumers.
I agree that Dean should follow Clinton's lead and craft a cabinet that looks like Amercia. It's probably time to appoint a prominent LGBT cabinet member. Barney Frank and Tammy Baldwin come to mind.
I also agree that this is nice therapy but we need to get organized and hit the streets soon. I'm sure I don't have to remind anyone but make sure to sign up for and attend the Meetup in your area tomorrow night.
VP : Wesley Clark. The ultimate 1-2 knock out!
Homeland Security: Gary Hart/ Wareen Rudman
Secretary of State: Richard Holbrook
Treasury: Robert Rubin.
Amb. to UN:George Mitchell
VP: John McCain. Unfornately, it would have the reverse affect as DICK Cheney has on Bush. Nobody wants anything to happen to Bush since DICK is next in line. Politically, McCain can get the bi-partisan votes guaranteed. Ideally, positions should be based on the best person for the job not party lines. McCain was born for this. The Senate would definitely be his HOUSE!
Atty General: Bill Clinton. Wow. Perfect choice.
Energy: Al Gore. Wow another no braner.
Homeland: Rudy Guilliani (Ex mayor of New York)been there, done that. He is what police, firefighters, and first reponse personnel need on their side.
Press Secretary: Martin Sheen. Wouldn't that be a kick in the butt? Kidding aside, he is an actor and knows how to smooze the press. He may not be a politician but he plays one on TV.
As my name says, I am new to politics. How can I find more info on these guys mentioned in the threads?
What bush did for me was to register to vote for the first time in my life. I was under the delusion that the check and balances of this great nation would protect every one and no one person can bring this country down to its knees (other than prayer j/k).
What dean did for me at my darkest hour in terms of politics and government was give me hope.
Unfortunately, Dean is highly unlikely to pick Clark. He said at a fundraiser I was at that his model VP was Dick Cheney. Not because he agrees with Cheney on anything (he said just about the only thing he agreed with Cheney on was that Cheney said some things favoring civil unions until the Bush campaign told him to shut up) but because he is experienced in Washington and knows how to move stuff through Congress and deal with the bureacracy. Dean would most likely choose a very senior House, or Senate member, or preferably someone with cabinet and congressional experience. He as his eye on not just winning but governing and that is why he probably won't choose Clark as VP.
And that's why he should choose McCain. The guy pushed through the only real success in the last year: Campaign finance reform.
VP - Clark
Sec/Def - Sam Nunn
Homeland/Sec - Gary Hart or Bob Grahm
EPA - Jim Jeffords
Sec State - Richard Holbrook
NSA - Zinni
i agree clark in unlikely for veep. it makes most sense to offer the veep slot to a senator - so its far more likely to go to edwards or kerry.
if kerry gets veep, then it woiuld be another similarity to The West Wing 
(btw, I think this is a fun excercise in fantasy and essentially harmnless. we cant be gloom and doom and Donate Now! all the time.)
How about another democrat from the democratic wing of the democratic party for Secretary of State: Barbara Boxer.
Aziz I thought my message was very hopeful and an attempt at keeping everyone's feet on the ground...we Democrats are famous for dreaming, remember, I am just trying to make sure our REM sleep doesn't run too long
But to answer the question, I think Clark has something worked out with the DNC leadership, possibly the VP slot. He spoke with Terry McAuliffe and others a few months ago about his chances of running for Pres. I would guess Clark was told at those talks either 1) we can't risk your losing stature in a failed Pres. campaign so sit tight in 2004, or 2) if all of our possibilities aren't looking too great, we will need you to jump in the Pres. race in late Summer/early Fall 2003. My bet would be on choice #1.
Does anyone really think Kerry would accept a position in the Dean administration? He doesn't seem to like the way Dean is using him as an example of how Democrats ought not be.
DEAN and Grahm would be a great ticket!Grahm would get florida for Dean and the rest of america is Dean country!
I'd love to see Boxer in the Dean administration but I think she'd be better off in charge of Interior or a new dept of the Environment. She's been kicking serious butt lately on environmental issues.
Fun discussion...
VP - Mary Landrieu
Secretary of State -Bill Richardson
Secretary of Defense - Wesley Clark
Attorney General - John Edwards
Secretary of Health & Human
Services - John Kitzhaber
VP: Clark-- The slogan (as I'm sure you all have seen)= Economic Security/ Homeland Security
SoS: Al Gore-- It would be great to see him back.I don't think he gets enough credit and he could really shine as our nation's top diplomat.
Sec. Defense: McCain-- Why the hell not?
Homeland Security: Hart-- Who better than this guy?
white, white, white, white people everywhere... I don't want to start a debate on race, but we need to have a diverse cabinet!
State- George Mitchell. Obivous expertise and credibility, and I wouldn't discount the value his Arab heritage, given the mess that we'll see come 2005.
Defense- McCain. I think the man would be happy to finish off his career in this position. And I think he'd do a fine job.
Treasury- dig this- Bill Bradley. He was sort of like the dear departed D.P. Moynihan's lieutenant on the Senate Finance committee, and his best legislative acheivements were largely concerned with the economy. (Tax Reform, etc.)
Clark must be VP. Failing that, Graham.
Giuliani for AG/Homeland Security?
shane,
I agree, but name some alternatives. Nobody is deciding anything. We're just discusssing. Who do you have in mind?
VP - Bob Graham. Dean will not pair with
an outsider, and he has already quoted
Graham on the Iraq issue. Graham also
brings Florida. A no-brainer if he's healthy.
Hart - Sos/homeland/UN ambassador -
looking forward to Hart raising the level
of debate about our country's future.
hope he runs.
Clark - sec defense
Powell? might have gone along with it,
until he lied to the world repeatedly about
Iraq's arsenal and terrorist connections.
VP - Graham, see above. Plus who is going to raise his health as an issue? Cheney?
SoS-Gore
Edu Sec-Cornell West
Agri Sec-Jim Hightower
Press Sec-Molly Ivins
Atty Gen-Erin Brockavich (sp?)
You folks seem to be picking up way too many senators. Lets remember Kerry,Graham, Jeffords,Edwards are all from states with Repub governors. I actually want President Dean to actually be able to pass some of his proposals through the Senate. As much I don't like it I would appoint Mccain to a position but not Defense(why keep on giving the GOP an edge on defense/security concerns) and not Veep(he's prety conservative) but AZ has a Dem. governor.
If Vt elects a Dem. governor in '04 Jeffords should get the Sec. of Ed. since he said his switch was because our dear leader didn't give him special ed. funding. Also, if we can afford Patrick Leahy would be very kool as AG. NY's Spitzer/ Conn.'s Blumenthal/Eric Holder would also work.
Giuliani? Puhleeze. Like there is no Dem. out there for the job? Not to mention his racial problems.
As far as way too many white males - I agree. Jeanne Shaheen,Gary Locke,Harold Ford,Bob Menendez for Transportation/HUD/Labor/Commerce/Education/
Interior
Gray Davis - at energy/interior/commerce so that Cruz Bustamante can become Governor of Ca giving him incumbent advantage in '06.
Depending on how bad the economy is in '04 Robert Rubin may be a better Veep pick. Clark if it's a war issue election. Clark for defense if not Veep.
Oh, and for SOS - Bill Clinton. The way GW is going,we will be literally SOSing for Clinton's diplomatic skills and smarts.
It would be a demotion for him but Barney Frank would make a great press secretary. He would cut down to size, Fox's folks.
K, nuf dreaming.
VP: Graham
SecofState:Holbrooke
Treasury: Corzine
Defense: Cleland
AttyGen: Spitzer
HomelandSec: Hart
Commerce: Gore
UN Ambassador: Jackson
VP: I'd love to see Barbara Boxer (a woman from California could help, and he may have been hinting during the Cali Convention Speech). Another possibility (I think) could be Rep. John Conyers of Michigan.
SoS: Hard one. I want to say Hilary Clinton, but she'd never do it (promised to finish Senate term). Maybe old Maddy Albright?
Education: Ted Kennedy.
Energy: Gore (Duh.) If not, then there would have to be a Northerner (that's where most of the energy crisis is..you know, cold winters), so, Jeanne Shaheen.
AtGnrl: NOT Edwards, he'd never do it, and I'm not sure we'd want it either. Can't really decide on this one, I'll get back to you.
Defense: Maybe John M. Shalikashvili, Clinton's Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff?
HlSec: Gov. Pataki.
Interior: Bob Menendez
Treasury: Rubin (or Bradley, I like that idea)
Although I earlier stated Clark as my choice for VP, there is probably a stronger and more realistic case for Graham. Refering to "Lavoisier 1794" comments above, Dean did indeed sight Cheney as a model for a VP choice, largely for Capital Hill legislation navigation and Washington insider connections. Graham is a popular Senator and former Governor of Florida, will stimulate the Florida checkbooks early on with his own campaign, and there is no way the Repugs can win in the electoral calculation without Florida. Graham is respected by his peers and across the aisle, is articulate, measured, is not a polarizing polititian, and may add some balance to the firey style of Dean. Most of all he is fully consistant with Deans position on the Iraq Resolution of last fall. Although the corporate media will bring up the issue of his health, I don't forsee it being much of an issue because of Cheney unless there is new complications. How well of a campaigner on a national stage is yet to be seen, and if not the most inspiring of candidates, he has a likable personality. No matter who gets the Dem Party nomination, Graham will be an excellent choice for a VP running mate.
From teh discussions above, I've changedmy mind on several points. I think that the critique of too many white males is valid, but these white males I simply must have:
VP: Graham (MG made the case best. Clark would be great for a slogan, but Graham is superior for serving).
SecState: Clinton. We need him. Draft him, dammit. I think the comment above (i forget who) mafde a good point - Clinton woudl be wasted as AG (which was my original pick). As SecState, he woudl be able to render far more service - and live up to his brilliant dream of "think globally, act locally".
Energy: Gore. We need him. Draft him, dammit. I think Gore is at his best as a policy man, and there isnt any other department that has as much potential to affect the gtreatest change, through policy. Funding for the 40mpg SUV, alternative fuels, fusion energy... it needs a visionary. Not an oil man.
Some diversity-driven picks I'd like to see are Gen. John Abizaid, a lebanese american serving as 2nd in command right now for the Iraq war. Also i think Mosely Braun has a lot to offer, as well.
VP: Fair points about Clark. Graham would be very good. And on the health issue (ie if a Repug blasts him), they can just cite Cheney.
DEFENSE: Clark (see above)
HOMELAND: Hart or Rudman but I'd lean toward Hart.
STATE/UN: Richardson. Mitchell is a good choice, too, altho he's make a fine UN Ambassador, too.
TREASURY: Krugman would be brilliant! I also like Corzine.
I'd keep McCain in the Senate where he can do more good, frankly. Same for Ted Kennedy.
INTERIOR/EPA: Boxer would be an interesting choice.
I like the idea of Barney Frank or Tammy Baldwin.
JUSTICE: John Lewis.
I can't see Kerry taking a post in a Dean Admin...
EDUC: Jeffords would be cool. See HHS for other options.
HHS: Top choice would be Chellie Pingree who ran unsuccessfuly for US Senate in Maine last yr; her big issue when in the state legis was health care. She's dynamic, great speaker, etc. Other ideas: Almost any member of the Cong Black Caucus would be great, or the Cong Hispanic Caucus. There are some strong leaders there who'd be ready to make the leap to Cabinet level.
No thanks on Guiliani or Pataki. Ugh. There are lots of moderate Repugs who have way more credibility (ie Olympia Snowe, Chafee). I'm not a big fan of Sam Nunn, either.
AGRIC -- Hightower haha! That would be bril.
LABOR: Bob Reich
Bill Bradley shld def be in a Dean Admin...not sure where.
Clinton as SoS is positively inspired. I would weep with relief and gratitude if this ever came to pass. I also love the idea of Gore heading the Energy Dept. Unfortunately, I'm betting that both of them will end up endorsing Lieberman out of loyalty, which may not go over well with the Dean team.
Am I correct in thinking that generally candidates do not announce their intended nominees for cabinet posts?
Has an ex-President or Vice-President ever gone back to serve in another President's cabinet before. I'm sure it occurred in the early days of our country, but what about the last 50 years or so?
For VP, I'd pick Zell Miller.
Why? Several reasons:
1. He's a conservative democrat. He'll help Dr. Dean win by bringing some more centrist voters to the ticket.
2. Miller drafted and passed the first HOPE scholarship here in Georgia. This makes it so college is FREE for anybody who keeps above a 3.0 GPA and wants to go to school in state.
3. Miller can carry Georgia, Tennessee, and other key southern states. If Dean clenches the nomination, his big issue is going to be the south. Dean will need a VP candidate from the south if he even wants to think about winning.
State: William Jefferson Clinton. I saw that somebody put him down for attorney general, and that might be a good idea, but Clinton has been the best President we've ever had at maintaining excellent relationships with foreign countries.
Defense: Sam Nunn, former Senator, currently the co-chairman and CEO of the Nuclear Threat Initiative.
Energy: Al Gore would be good, and I know we're dreaming, but lets be realistic. I'd say Christopher Dodd would be a good one. He introduced legislation to invest one billion bucks in Fuel Cell technology.
Homeland Security: Colin Powell. Nuff said.
Remember, this guy was chair of the joint chiefs.
I just wanted to remind people that Wesley Clark is himself an Arkansas native...
VP: Lincoln Chafee- creates a bipartisan ticket, Chafee is fiscally moderate & socially liberal & anti-war (like Dean); I know this creates a Yankee ticket and can't secure a crucial state (like Graham does for FL) but I think its a winner by securing the moderate/independent vote without giving up ideological consistency (like McCain would do)--they are a perfect fit
State: Bill Richardson
Defense: Wesley Clark
AG: Janet Napolitano
Homeland Security: Gary Hart
Joint Chiefs: Anthony Zinni
Education: Jeanne Shaheeen
Interior: Barbara Boxer
Treasury: John Corzine
Energy: Olympia Snowe
HHS: Barney Frank
HUD: Harold Ford, Jr.
Commerce: Ron Kirk
Labor: John Lewis
Agriculture: Jim Hightower
Transportation: Gary Locke
EPA: Christie Whitman
Veterans Affairs: Max Cleland
U.N. ambassador: Richard Holbrooke
Okay, here goes.
VP: First Choice: McCain. I love this idea, as a die-hard McCain supporter. However, McCain would probably not take it as he is too loyal to his party. This brings me to Second Choice: Bill Richardson. He's an insider-turned-outsider and a governor (like Dean) who can work Washington, has foreign-policy credentials, and can pick up votes in the West and among Hispanics. Also, I just want to put in a plug for Janet Napolitano, Arizona Governor and former Attorney General, as the top Western candidate after Richardson. Napolitano is a rising star -- keep an eye out for her! As for Clark, keep in mind that he is to some degree disgraced by his removal before the end of his tour after Kosovo.
Secretary of State: only one legit choice here, the man Clinton and Gore felt was the best foreign policy operator in American history: smooth-talking, smart-as-a-whip Richard Holbrooke.
Secretary of Defense: Why have we never had a general as Defense Secretary? I nominate Colin Powell. Also good would be McCain, again if he'd take it.
Attorney General: Kudos to the person who nominated Napolitano! Another great Arizona candidate (can you tell what state I'm from?) is moderate Republican Grant Woods, who was in line to be AG under Dole in '96. But I think the best candidate is the ever-popular, ever-populist Eliot Spitzer.
Homeland Security: Forget the questionable Clark or the disgraced Gary Hart. There are many better candidates here.
Treasury: Have we forgotten that Rubin doesn't want to be involved in government? An equally good choice is Larry Summers.
Interior: how about Al Gore, the greatest environmentalist politician in history?
Energy: Just a thought but -- Ralph Nader?
EPA: Definitely NOT Whitman, who is better than your average Republican but not nearly environmentalist enough. Winona LaDuke? Erin Brockovich? Bruce Babbitt?
Ambassador to the UN: Bill Clinton.