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Obama’s Opportunity to Show Bipartisanship

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President Obama’s reelection presents him with an unparalleled opportunity to show the country that he is serious about bipartisanship. He will never run for election again and does not have to cater to his base. Multiple resignations from important cabinet and sub-cabinet posts are expected to occur as he moves into his second term. Why not use this opportunity to appoint Republicans to a number of important posts and make his administration more bipartisan.

The current cabinet has only one Republican, Ray LaHood, as a member, holding down the post of Transportation Secretary, a relatively minor position. It is expected that resignations from the cabinet will include Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, and Tim Geithner as Secretary of the Treasury, possibly along with Leon Panetta at Defense, the three most important positions in the cabinet.

To emphasize bipartisanship and show that he wants to govern from the center, appointing a Republican to one of these posts would be a stroke of genius. Given the nation’s economic problems, having a Republican as Secretary of the Treasury would be particularly helpful in shaping programs more likely to obtain support from both parties in Congress.

It is too bad Dick Lugar is eighty years old. With his gravitas and knowledge of foreign affairs, he might have made a great Secretary of State. Perhaps he can be used in some sort of advisory position by President Obama. Olympia Snowe would be another Republican to try to bring into the new administration

Rumors have it that Steven Chu may resign as Secretary of Energy and Ray LaHood at Transportation. Other posts may open up as well. Appointing Republicans as Secretary of Commerce and/or Energy would be seen as a positive step towards bipartisanship (and would also be welcomed by Wall Street). With David Petreas resigning as head of the CIA several days ago, it might also be worthwhile considering a Republican for this position.

Another action that should be considered would be to try and have Mitt Romney head a commission on economic competitiveness and bringing jobs back to America. It is unlikely he will run for president again and may be willing to work for the country in this type of position or something similar if it is offered to him.

The nation needs bipartisan cooperation to solve our debt problems, the fiscal cliff, and tax reform, all of which are urgently needed. President Obama can show he is serious about bipartisanship by appointing Republicans to his cabinet and other important positions in his administration.

Resurrecting Democracy

A VietNam vet and a Columbia history major who became a medical doctor, Bob Levine has watched the evolution of American politics over the past 40 years with increasing alarm. He knows he’s not alone. Partisan grid-lock, massive cash contributions and even more massive expenditures on lobbyists have undermined real democracy, and there is more than just a whiff of corruption emanating from Washington. If the nation is to overcome lockstep partisanship, restore growth to the economy and bring its debt under control, Levine argues that it will require a strong centrist third party to bring about the necessary reforms. Levine’s previous book, Shock Therapy For the American Health Care System took a realist approach to health care from a physician’s informed point of view; Resurrecting Democracy takes a similar pragmatic approach, putting aside ideology and taking a hard look at facts on the ground. In his latest book, Levine shines a light that cuts through the miasma of party propaganda and reactionary thinking, and reveals a new path for American politics. This post is cross posted from his blog.