ducks
10-07-2004, 07:00 PM
Big Changes Likely in Bush Cabinet if He Wins
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - If President Bush (news - web sites) defeats Democrat John Kerry (news - web sites) on Nov. 2, Republicans expect many new faces in a second-term Bush Cabinet.
Many Republicans think both Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) will leave, if not immediately, then after a reasonable interval.
Treasury Secretary John Snow may also depart after a period of time, possibly replaced by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick or White House budget chief Josh Bolten, and Attorney General John Ashcroft (news - web sites) will depart, with his former deputy, Larry Thompson, a likely successor, Republican officials said.
Commerce Secretary Don Evans, Bush's best friend, has been considered a possible successor to White House chief of staff Andy Card if Card leaves. Evans would also be a candidate for Treasury secretary or could even stay on in his current job, but he could still decide to go back home to Texas.
Also believed to be gone in a second Bush term: Education Secretary Rod Paige and Health and Human Services (news - web sites) Secretary Tommy Thompson and Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta, among others.
"I would imagine a pretty big turnover," said Republican strategist Scott Reed. "I think you'll see a lot of deputies move up."
A key question is what happens to Bush's trusted national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites). Does she move to State or Defense, take another top-level administration job, or go back to California?
Many administration officials believe if Bush were to ask his close confidante to stay on in some top capacity, she would do so. But Rice, weary of the long hours, has often talked of going back to Stanford University.
Her low-key deputy, Stephen Hadley, is a possible successor to Rice as national security adviser.
Powell, 67, has long made clear his desire to depart if Bush wins again, along with his close friend and deputy secretary of state, Richard Armitage.
Powell, who was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the first Gulf War (news - web sites), argued internally to give diplomacy more time in the run-up to the Iraq (news - web sites) war, and rightly or wrongly, is viewed by many in Washington as a lonesome dove surrounded by neoconservative hawks.
Lately there has been a storyline developing among some insiders that Powell might want to stay on for a while and retire at a time of his choosing.
The theory is that if a second Bush term is more about diplomacy than war, since Washington can ill afford more wars, Powell would take a lead diplomatic role, get his good name back and go out on a high note.
The same could be true of Rumsfeld, who was the hero of Washington in the early weeks of the Iraq war but whose reputation took a dive over the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal and other accusations, chiefly that he did not send enough U.S. troops to Iraq.
The theory as floated by some insiders is that Rumsfeld would like to keep pursuing for a time his over-arching goal of transforming the U.S. military into a lighter, more agile force.
Rumsfeld's deputy defense secretary, Paul Wolfowitz, would be considered a candidate to replace Rumsfeld, but as a leading voice for the Iraq war, his confirmation by the U.S. Senate could be difficult.
Opinions are split about whether Paul Bremer, who headed the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, would get a top job.
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Some Republicans say with his long diplomatic background he could be a contender for secretary of state, particularly after earning Bush's respect by putting his life on the line in Baghdad.
Others call it a problem this week's ill-timed remarks by Bremer that there were insufficient troops in Iraq, comments that came in the heat of the re-election campaign and gave fodder to the Democrats to use against Bush.
Former Sen. John Danforth, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations (news - web sites), is considered a steady hand at the tiller and a possible secretary of state candidate. (Additional reporting by Adam Entous)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=1895&e=9&u=/nm/20041007/pl_nm/bush_cabinet_dc
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - If President Bush (news - web sites) defeats Democrat John Kerry (news - web sites) on Nov. 2, Republicans expect many new faces in a second-term Bush Cabinet.
Many Republicans think both Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) will leave, if not immediately, then after a reasonable interval.
Treasury Secretary John Snow may also depart after a period of time, possibly replaced by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick or White House budget chief Josh Bolten, and Attorney General John Ashcroft (news - web sites) will depart, with his former deputy, Larry Thompson, a likely successor, Republican officials said.
Commerce Secretary Don Evans, Bush's best friend, has been considered a possible successor to White House chief of staff Andy Card if Card leaves. Evans would also be a candidate for Treasury secretary or could even stay on in his current job, but he could still decide to go back home to Texas.
Also believed to be gone in a second Bush term: Education Secretary Rod Paige and Health and Human Services (news - web sites) Secretary Tommy Thompson and Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta, among others.
"I would imagine a pretty big turnover," said Republican strategist Scott Reed. "I think you'll see a lot of deputies move up."
A key question is what happens to Bush's trusted national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites). Does she move to State or Defense, take another top-level administration job, or go back to California?
Many administration officials believe if Bush were to ask his close confidante to stay on in some top capacity, she would do so. But Rice, weary of the long hours, has often talked of going back to Stanford University.
Her low-key deputy, Stephen Hadley, is a possible successor to Rice as national security adviser.
Powell, 67, has long made clear his desire to depart if Bush wins again, along with his close friend and deputy secretary of state, Richard Armitage.
Powell, who was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the first Gulf War (news - web sites), argued internally to give diplomacy more time in the run-up to the Iraq (news - web sites) war, and rightly or wrongly, is viewed by many in Washington as a lonesome dove surrounded by neoconservative hawks.
Lately there has been a storyline developing among some insiders that Powell might want to stay on for a while and retire at a time of his choosing.
The theory is that if a second Bush term is more about diplomacy than war, since Washington can ill afford more wars, Powell would take a lead diplomatic role, get his good name back and go out on a high note.
The same could be true of Rumsfeld, who was the hero of Washington in the early weeks of the Iraq war but whose reputation took a dive over the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal and other accusations, chiefly that he did not send enough U.S. troops to Iraq.
The theory as floated by some insiders is that Rumsfeld would like to keep pursuing for a time his over-arching goal of transforming the U.S. military into a lighter, more agile force.
Rumsfeld's deputy defense secretary, Paul Wolfowitz, would be considered a candidate to replace Rumsfeld, but as a leading voice for the Iraq war, his confirmation by the U.S. Senate could be difficult.
Opinions are split about whether Paul Bremer, who headed the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, would get a top job.
*
Some Republicans say with his long diplomatic background he could be a contender for secretary of state, particularly after earning Bush's respect by putting his life on the line in Baghdad.
Others call it a problem this week's ill-timed remarks by Bremer that there were insufficient troops in Iraq, comments that came in the heat of the re-election campaign and gave fodder to the Democrats to use against Bush.
Former Sen. John Danforth, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations (news - web sites), is considered a steady hand at the tiller and a possible secretary of state candidate. (Additional reporting by Adam Entous)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=1895&e=9&u=/nm/20041007/pl_nm/bush_cabinet_dc