3:16 PM Fri, Nov 07, 2008 | Permalink
Elise Hu
|
President-elect Barack Obama said at Friday's press conference that he'd like to have his cabinet in place in a matter of weeks, which is sending the speculation mill about who he might pick into overdrive. Which Texans are being considered? We asked our Belo-cohort Wayne Slater of The Dallas Morning News.
 KVUE: Elise Hu Ron Kirk shows off the official Obama signed papers to qualify for the Texas primary ballot. |
1. Ron Kirk
The former Dallas Mayor and onetime Texas Secretary of State is a personal friend of Obama's. He campaigned for him in the battleground of North Carolina in the waning days of the campaign.
2. US Rep Chet Edwards, D-Waco
Edwards was a dark horse on Obama's VP short list during the summer. A congressman from the Waco-Temple-Killeen area, his district was redrawn to exclude Fort Hood, where he was pretty popular. Edwards has survived strong challenges from Republicans and continues to work on behalf of veterans, making him a possibility for a VA administration job.
3. Houston Mayor Bill White
The popular, no-nonsense mayor - and former Clinton administration Deputy Secretary of Energy - admitted to "talking with Senator Obama about energy" during the campaign. When asked whether he would say yes to an Energy Secretary job, White cryptically replied, "I'm sure that hasn't happened".
4. James Steinberg
Slater says the Dean of the LBJ School of Public Affairs at UT is "extremely competent" and well-respected in Washington.
"He's a long shot for maybe national security advisor," Slater said.
Other Possibilities
State Rep. Juan Garcia, D-Corpus Christi
He lost his bid for a second term in the Texas House, but could something better be on the horizon? Garcia gets special bragging rights - he LIVED WITH the president-elect, when they were roomies at Harvard Law School.
Former US Rep Charlie Stenholm
He lost his seat in Congress after redistricting, but remains a name being tossed around...
Leave a comment