In reading over various op-eds recounting the Obama victory (because, let's face it, reading them does not really get old), I came across an interesting piece from this past weekend. In it, there is speculation of Obama tapping Senator Richard Lugar for a cabinet position. Since I have little to do right now other than play political make believe, I thought I'd flag it here:
For Obama, Lugar could help reduce the partisan tone of politics. He also could renew the post-World War II bipartisan approach to foreign policy that was shattered by the Vietnam War.
Obama mentions Lugar often in his speeches and looked to him for tutoring in the Senate in foreign affairs, traveling overseas with him in the summer of 2005.
I like Senator Lugar. He's old-school Republican, back when the GOP actually allowed their party members to both have brains and put the Constitution before the Bible. He's well-versed on the issues, and I would venture to say he may be the most well-informed member of the Senate as regards Foreign Relations. More importantly, he really does work towards biparitanship: he and Evan Bayh are known to have a good relationship, and it's difficult to find negative opinions of him from either party.
President-elect Obama would be smart to make Lugar one of his Republican cabinet choices. I say this if for no other reason than it's hard to find a less offensive Republican than Dick Lugar. More than that, his voice carries weight in Washington and in both Houses of Congress.
His age is, of course, a concern. At four years older than McCain, is he a smart choice for third on the chain of command? More than that, however, is who might be selected to replace his Senate seat. The above-mentioned article does a fairly good post-Halloween scare tactic by endorsing Mike Pence as the best choice:
Politically, the most natural selection for Daniels would be U.S. Rep. Mike Pence, a key leader of the conservative wing of Republicans in the House of Representatives. He can raise the money needed for a statewide Senate race and provides a cheerful, optimistic defense of the conservative perspective.
Replacing someone as respected as Dick Lugar with a far-right hack is hardly a good move politically. Lugar brings a level of respect to Indiana, and it would be a fallacy for Governor Daniels to underestimate the additional leverage someone like Senator Lugar gives the state within the Senate.
If I were an aide to Governor Daniels, my suggestions would be two fold:
- The power and respect of Dick Lugar cannot be replaced. However, you can put into place an individual who can re-establish those qualities with time. This is an opportunity to also establish an enduring political imprint yourself: pick the right person, and your selection can be influencing federal government for decades.
- Indiana just went blue for the first time in 40 years. The state spent the '90s with Democratic governors. One of the current senators is a Democrat: as conservative as this state is, they are ready and able to vote for Democrats. The person appointed in this position has to defend himself in two elections in the next four years. Find someone who is more than just the political-flavor-of-the-decade.
The biggest problem with Mike Pence is that he is unlikely to accomplish either of these goals: he seems part and parcel of the Bush Administration's Compassionate Conservative regime, and I think the state of Indiana just demonstrated their feelings on that subject. I am also not sure if Pence, who has Indiana's conservative Eastern district, could hold up with the entire state.
The one x-factor in this could be that, in my experience, the state of Indiana likes balance: if Pence were made senator, he may be able to continue winning just so Indiana does not end up with two Democratic senators. And that would be a disaster for Democrats in that they would lose one of the best allies in the Senate for a big-government conservative.
In sum, my thoughts are also follows:
- Obama's best move would be to keep Lugar in the Senate, using him as an informal adviser and a close Senate Republican ally. In this role, I think he could better serve the Obama Administration. The Senate is already losing its ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations committee and losing the ranking Republican as well would leave a gaping and sudden hole in one of the most important policy areas.
- The only good thing to come out of an Obama appointment of Lugar could potentially be the Pence appointment to Lugar's old senate seat, which could finally make it possible for Democrats to go after it. For the above reasons, however, this could be more of a problem than a help.
Ideally: keep Lugar in the Senate, and start trying to find a palatable Indiana Republican as Lugar's eventual replacement (how to do this and get that person to run? No Idea). Democrats would still try and win the seat, but it would be nice to have a decent back-up Republican who could at least carry on Lugar's excellent work.
And now I ask everyone here:
- Lugar: Senator or Secretary?
- What Republicans would the left-wing blogosphere like to see in the Cabinet? And it has to be a positive number.
- What's the over / under on number of governor-appointed senators between now and the inauguration?