Spring Break
Help wanted
Reed Luthanen
Issue date: 12/1/04 Section: Opinion
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Given the recent spate of high level resignations in the Bush Administration, one might expect to see a "Help Wanted" sign hanging from the front door at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Surely it isn't easy to replace the Secretary of State, Attorney General, National Security Advisor and Secretary of Homeland Security, but that is the task that faces the president this holiday season.
Sure, he's filled many of the positions that have been vacated, but the most recently created vacancy, that of Homeland Security Secretary, is yet to be filled. Who, then, are people whom the president might choose to fill this vacancy? My list, which will probably not include the president's actual choice, contains three names: Sen. John McCain, Rudy Giuliani and Asa Hutchinson.
McCain seems to be the least likely of the three. While the protection of the homeland is extremely important, McCain's influence and seniority in the Senate will likely prove to be too valuable for him to be considered for the position. Additionally, McCain probably still holds a grudge against the president from the 2000 election and it seems pretty unlikely that he would be willing to work directly underneath Bush during his second term. Most importantly, though, is the fact that removing McCain from the Senate would have the undesirable effect of vacating a Republican seat in the Senate, perhaps cutting into the Republican majority.
Giuliani is the most compelling of the three in the list. Since Sept. 11, 2001, Giuliani has been a rising political figure in the Republican party. They were not hesitant to tie their wagon to him and use as much of his political collateral as they could. Also, it appears that Giuliani already has the president's ear and he is an outside possibility to gain the GOP presidential nomination in 2008. Time's Man of the Year in 2001, Giuliani has been called America's Mayor. It seems possible now that the man whose city was so devastated three years ago would be a solid choice to protect the entire country.
Sure, he's filled many of the positions that have been vacated, but the most recently created vacancy, that of Homeland Security Secretary, is yet to be filled. Who, then, are people whom the president might choose to fill this vacancy? My list, which will probably not include the president's actual choice, contains three names: Sen. John McCain, Rudy Giuliani and Asa Hutchinson.
McCain seems to be the least likely of the three. While the protection of the homeland is extremely important, McCain's influence and seniority in the Senate will likely prove to be too valuable for him to be considered for the position. Additionally, McCain probably still holds a grudge against the president from the 2000 election and it seems pretty unlikely that he would be willing to work directly underneath Bush during his second term. Most importantly, though, is the fact that removing McCain from the Senate would have the undesirable effect of vacating a Republican seat in the Senate, perhaps cutting into the Republican majority.
Giuliani is the most compelling of the three in the list. Since Sept. 11, 2001, Giuliani has been a rising political figure in the Republican party. They were not hesitant to tie their wagon to him and use as much of his political collateral as they could. Also, it appears that Giuliani already has the president's ear and he is an outside possibility to gain the GOP presidential nomination in 2008. Time's Man of the Year in 2001, Giuliani has been called America's Mayor. It seems possible now that the man whose city was so devastated three years ago would be a solid choice to protect the entire country.
