For the record, I don’t think U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Bainbridge Island, is going to get a cabinet post.
Why?
Because too many people have already talked about it. The Seattle P-I’s Joel Connelly speculates on just such a jink and then goes on to jinx anyone with local ties. Writes Connelly:
SECOND ONLY TO the jinx that afflicts athletes and teams gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated is the bad luck that befalls those touted for top Washington, D.C., jobs by Seattle newspapers.
If Inslee truly aspires to such a post, allow me to diminish his chances by pointing out that he and former Senator and now President-elect Barack Obama did lead their chambers on a plan called “Health for Hybrids.” The plan would have had the federal government helping with auto company retirement payments in exchange for the companies investing in hybrid technology. You can read about the effort in this story from Congressional Quarterly.
The unusual proposal linked two of the nation’s biggest policy conundrums – America’s reliance on foreign oil and the surging cost of health care – but never gained enough traction, partly because it suggested Washington knew more about building cars and satisfying consumer demand than the auto industry.
Let me remind the court that after this effort, when the presidential campaigns began, Inslee endorsed Hillary Clinton.
If Obama is willing to appoint those who ran against him, it seems unlikely he’d snub Inslee for endorsing another candidate. Frankly, I hope Inslee remains where he is unless he’s offered a plum position.
The Obama administration has been incredibly successful in keeping a tight lip.
President Obama has chosen to appoint Senator Clinton to Secretary of State and to keep Secretary of Defense Robert Gates (despite him being an actual card carrying Republican). If those appointments are confirmed then Presidnet Obama is willing to pick anyone who he thinks is the best for the job regardless of who they backed in the election.