Obama's Secretary of Transportation: Ray LaHood (?!?)

[Meeker]

MSNBC reports

[The Mikado]

Token Republican.

Anyone know if he's pro-mass-transit, particularly metropolitan light rail and subways and AMTRAK?

[Lief 🗽]

This is a weird choice. What are his credentials exactly?

[justfollowingtheelections]

Well this is an environment-friendly administration so he will have to be mass-transit guy, whether he likes it or not.

I wouldn't call him the token republican though.  He is from Illinois, so maybe Obama picked him because he actually knows him and feels he's the most qualified for the job.  He's actually the third republican Obama has picked (the other two are Gates and Jim Ramstad as the Director of the Office of National Drug Control policy).  Ramstad btw was a terrible choice (IMO always).

The only cabinet secretary that hasn't been announced yet is the Secretary of Labor.  The favorite appears to be Mary Beth Maxwell (who would be the second lesbian in the administration after Nancy Sutley), but I have a feeling Obama will come up with someone totally out of leftfield.

[Flying Dog]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2008/12/17/granholm-runner-labor-secretary-sources-say/

[justfollowingtheelections]

That's interesting because Granholm actually denied that she was considered for a cabinet post.  She's the democratic governor of Michigan so I assume she has a good relationship with unions, Maxwell however would have been a gutsier pick in my opinion.

[Flying Dog]

Well, of course she's going to say something like that. She doesn't want to be perceived as wanting to jump ship on Michigan if she doesn't get the post.

[Marokai Backbeat]

If Granholm gets the pick for Labor Secretary I will be very pleased.

[justfollowingtheelections]

If Granholm gets the pick for Labor Secretary I will be very pleased.

Why?  I'm just curious, I don't know much about her and I wonder why you think she would be a good pick.

[Marokai Backbeat]

If Granholm gets the pick for Labor Secretary I will be very pleased.

Why?  I'm just curious, I don't know much about her and I wonder why you think she would be a good pick.

For one thing she'd actually be a Secretary of Labor that believes in Labor.

[justfollowingtheelections]

Well yeah but how does that make her better than Mary Beth Maxwell or someone like Sebelius (who was also rumored for the post) and has often been praised by workers' organizations for her work in Kansas?

[Keystone Phil]

I love how Transportation is the spot for a token member of the opposition in every Cabinet.

[Lunar]

He's a Lebanese-American too, the first Maronite Catholic in a cabinet, no?

He got a 0% ranking from Club for Growth too

[Хahar 🤔]

I love how Transportation is the spot for a token member of the opposition in every Cabinet.

And Defense in Democratic administrations.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Didn't Bush put a token Democrat in charge of Transportation?

[riceowl]

Didn't Bush put a token Democrat in charge of Transportation?

yes; that's what was alluded to.

[Verily]

Didn't Bush put a token Democrat in charge of Transportation?

Yes, Norman Mineta. Although he resigned in 2006, and the current Transportation secretary is a crazy lady who wants to privatize the interstate system. I've forgotten her name...

Edit: Mary Peters.

[Хahar 🤔]

Didn't Bush put a token Democrat in charge of Transportation?

Norm Mineta, who is not a token, but rather a True American Hero.

[Brittain33]

LaHood has been pro-mass transit, despite being a Republican and representing small cities and farms.