5 on the outs in Cabinet shuffle (John Kerry "crushed" over Cabinet snub)

Politico ^

[Chet 99]

One Democratic operative suggests keeping track of Barack Obama’s cabinet selections with a March Madness-type tournament chart. While no official announcements have been made, a controlled series of leaks have given a good sense of who's still in contention, and which big names have been bounced from the bracket.

The new administration still has some major posts to fill, including heads for the departments of Defense, Housing and Urban

Development, Transportation, Labor, and Energy, not to mention the Environmental Protection Agency. But a number of the biggest prizes seem to have already been won, and a handful of serious contenders already been passed over in the speed-dating game that is the Obama transition.

Here's a look at five major players and the jobs they have apparently not been given:

John Kerry, State—The Massachusetts Senator and former Democratic presidential nominee was a passionate, articulate and early supporter of Obama, a fixture on both conference calls and the Sunday talk show circuit. Kerry’s people say he never had any expectations of being named Secretary of State but other Democrats say he made no secret of his Foggy Bottom aspirations. “He’s crushed,” said one Senate aide. Kerry would have been a fine pick, sources say, but Obama apparently had his eye on Hillary Clinton since the early fall. He does get an impressive consolation prize: the chairmanship of the Foreign Relations Committee vacated by Joe Biden.

[incredulous joe]

That’s too high a post.

Pull him out of the Senate and make him Comissioner of the Social Security Administration.

[TXBlair]

Thanks, that’s a great site! I’d never visited it before, but I’m sure I will again. Once in a while I return to an old FR thread called Licorice Speaks, about Kerry’s daughters’ hamster, which he “rescued”. That thread is always good for a laugh.

Hmmm...I think I’ll go take a look now, as a matter of fact. :)

[Enchante]

I’d offer him a new career in the “custodial services” but unfortunately it needs to be something he will accept.... :^)