Secretary of State

I have long believed the President's cabinet should reflect a greater number of the leading politicians from the President's party, particularly in the roles of Secretary of State and Defense. So in that context, I'm pleased to see that Hillary Clinton and Bill Richardson are being discussed as possible choices for Secretary of State in an Obama administration.

Beginning with George Washington's administration, the Secretary of State was a leading political figure, as evidenced by how many became President shortly after: Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Martin Van Buren, and James Buchanan. Of the first seven Presidents after Washington, five served as Secretary of State, usually in the next administration. And the exceptions included political heavyweights like Henry Clay who could have become President.

In recent years, the pattern has been replaced with a new one: the Secretary of State as a foreign policy specialist, as exemplified by figures such as Dean Rusk, Henry Kissinger, Madeleine Albright, and Condoleezza Rice. And concurrent with this change, the position of Vice President evolved into the best platform for becoming the next President.

No doubt the complexity of maintaining relations with nearly 200 countries, in the context of high international tension in the Cold War, contributed to the desire to have specialists for the State Department.

But I see this as a lost opportunity to vest more of the leading political figures in the country with executive responsibility. It is easy to be a critic, where one can often get away with opposition or ducking hard issues - executive responsibility, and the prospect of holding it, may temper the criticism with a healthy respect for the need to make a decision amongst difficult choices.

Moreover, I like the additional experience that implementing the nation's foreign policy provides the leading politicians if and when they run for President. It also adds to the competitive landscape, rather than simply leaving the Vice President as best positioned to be the standard bearer for the party. And for those who worry about the loss of specialist knowledge, the National Security Advisor can be staffed to provide that perspective.

If Hillary Clinton or Bill Richardson gets the nod, it will be interesting to see if it begins a new, old tradition.