Review of Obama Cabinet Picks

December 22, 2008 by blackgirlgrown
Filed under obama, politics

RealClearPolitics gives an overview of President-elect Barack Obama’s cabinet picks. President-elect Obama has remarkably nominated members of his cabinet in record time, way ahead of any of his predecessors. RealClearPolitics writes:

The authority to appoint Cabinet members is grounded in Article II of the Constitution which stipulates that the President “may require the opinion, in writing, of the principal officer in each of the executive departments.” The first Cabinet, appointed by President George Washington, contained just four members: Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson; Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton; Secretary of War, Henry Knox; and Attorney General, Edmund Randolph.

Secretary of Treasury – Timothy Geithner

Secretary of State – Hillary Clinton

Secretary of Defense – Robert Gates

Attorney General – Eric Holder

Secretary of Homeland Security – Janet Napolitano

Secretary of Health & Human Services – Tom Daschle

Secretary of Commerce – Bill Richardson

Ambassador to the United Nations* – Susan Rice

Secretary of Veteran’s Affairs – Eric Shinseki

Secretary of Agriculture -Tom Vilsack

Secretary of Education -Arne Duncan

Secretary of Energy -Steven Chu