President George W. Bush Cabinet Nominees - Commentary

The President-elect has only from the day after election day (the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November) until January 20 to plan the transition, screen hundreds if not thousands of potential appointees, and nominate the new White House team. New presidents must nominate cabinet secretaries and sub-cabinet administrators, judges, ambassadors, and members of regulatory commissions and advisory boards. As if this matter was not challenging enough, the contested 2000 election delayed the final result of the election until well into December, permitting even less time to staff the new administration.

It is thus interesting for enthusiasts and scholars of the presidency to not only examine the new cabinet, but to consider the process the Bush-Cheney team employed in selecting their nominees. The Bush cabinet should be of interest to students of the presidency for two additional reasons: 1) In spite of the extensive records of public service of his father and grandfather, George W. Bush is a relative newcomer to elected office and has never served formally in Washington, DC; 2) The new president is known to delegate decision making and thus his cabinet members should enjoy a degree of discretion regarding the administration of their executive departments.

TILE TRANSITION TEAM

In addition to Dick Cheney and Cohn Powell, who assisted the then-President-elect as trusted advisers and confidantes, the formal Bush-Cheney Transition Team was headed by four individuals.

The task of organizing the Bush-Cheney Transition Team fell to Andrew H. Card, Jr. Card was appointed as the Chief of Staff of the Bush presidential administration on November 26, 2000. The challenge of transition was something Card bad experienced before in 1992 and 1993, only from the other end of the transition, heading then-President George Bush's transition office from the Bush to the Clinton Administration.

Card was educated at the University of South Carolina, the United States Merchant Marine Academy, and Harvard University. A former adviser to George W. Bush's father, Card held a number of positions in the elder Bush's Administration, including Secretary of Transportation, Deputy Chief of Staff, and Assistant to the President. Card also served in the Reagan Administration in the capacity of Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, Deputy Assistant to the President, and Special Assistant to the President.

A former legislator in the Massachusetts House of Representatives (1975-1983), Card worked in the private sector after leaving the Bush White House in 1993, heading the American Association of Automobile Manufacturers as its President and CEO and, most recently, serving as a Vice President at General Motors.

A day after Card's appointment as Chief of Staff, George W. Bush selected Clay Johnson III as the Executive Director of the Bush-Cheney Transition Team. A senior aide to the President during his Texas governorship, Johnson functioned as the Governor's Chief of Staff and initially as his Appointments Director.

Johnson earned his undergraduate degree from Yale and his M.S. from the Sloan School of Management at MIT. His private sector experience includes positions with PepsiCo, Citicorp, and Neiman Marcus. Prior to his appointment by then-Governor Bush, Johnson functioned as the COO of the Dallas Museum of Art.

The third member of Bush's transition was Michael E. Toner, named General Counsel of the Bush-Cheney Transition Team and Bush administration. A member of George W. Bush's presidential campaign team, Toner served as the campaign's General Counsel. His experience with the Republican party includes working as the Deputy Counsel to the Republican National Committee and advising the Dole-Kemp campaign in 1996.

Toner earned his B.A. degree from the University of Virginia, his M.A. from Johns Hopkins, and his J.D. from Cornell Law School. Upon completion of his law degree, Toner was employed by the firm of Wiley, Rein, & Fielding in Washington, DC.

Rounding out the Bush-Cheney Transition Team was An Fleischer, who functioned as Spokesperson for Transition. Fleischer was a part of the Bush presidential campaign, where he was Senior Communications Advisor and Spokesperson. He previously served in a similar capacity to the Elizabeth Dole campaign.

A graduate of Middlebury College, Fleischer was Press Secretary to Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) and Communications Director for the House Ways and Means Committee after the Republicans gained control of the U.S. House of Representatives in 1995.

THE TRANSITION PROCESS

All prospective nominees must provide the transition team with personal information such as any publications, legal proceedings, employment, and membership in organizations. Additionally, disclosure is sought regarding the details about associations, employment, and financial holdings and income that might constitute a conflict of interest. In the case of the Bush-Cheney Transition Team, a "Personal Data Statement" was required of each potential nominee. Nominees must also fill out other detailed forms, including FBI forms and an FBI background check, financial disclosure forms for senior appointees, and nominees to positions involving national security must satisfy a security clearance.

Nearly all information filed during the transition and nomination process is subject to public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. Moreover, during the Senate confirmation hearings additional information and answers to questions might be requested by the Senate committee involved in the confirmation. Not to be overlooked is the fact that all cabinet nominees are subject to scrutiny by the press and public.

THE BUSH CABINET NOMINEES

* Note: This essay went to press prior to the Senate confirmation hearings and, as such, constitutes the Cabinet nominees, of President George W. Bush as of his inauguration

Secretary of Agriculture: Ann Veneman

Ann Veneman, 51, comes to government from the law firm of Nossaman, Guthner, and Elliot, where she served since 1999. She had also worked as an attorney with the Washington, DC-based law firm of Patton, Boggs and Blow from 1993 to 1995. Veneman was appointed by President George Bush as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and Deputy Undersecretary of Agriculture. She also was Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture from 1995 to 1999. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of California at Davis, her master's was earned at the University of California at Berkeley, and she also completed a law degree from the University of California.

Secretary of Commerce: Donald Evans

A close friend of George W. Bush from Texas, Don Evans, 54, served as Chairman of the Bush-Cheney presidential campaign and Chairman of the Board of Regents of the University of Texas System. He was the long-time Chairman & CEO of Tom Brown, Inc., an oil company based in Texas and earned both his B.A. and MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.

Secretary of Defense: Donald Rumsfield

Donald Rumsfield, 68, has a long record of service in several presidential administrations. He was an adviser to the Reagan Administration's Defense Department, the Secretary of Defense and Chief of Staff for President Gerald Ford, and he held a number of positions in the Nixon Administration, including Director of the Office of Economic Opportunity, Assistant to the President, Counselor to the President, and Ambassador to NATO. Prior to serving President Richard Nixon, Rumsfield was elected in Illinois to serve as a U.S. Representative from 1962 to 1969. In the private sector he has worked as Chairman and CEO of two large companies: G.D. Searle and General Instrument. He was educated at Princeton and served in the Navy.

Secretary of Education: Rod Paige

Rod Paige, 67, has won recognition for his work as Superintendent of Schools in Houston, where he served from 1994 to 2000. He also served on the Board of Education of the Houston school system and as Dean of the College of Education at Texas Southern University. He completed his undergraduate degree from Jackson State University and both his master's and doctorate from the University of Indiana.

Secretary of Energy: Spencer Abraham

Abraham, 48, served most recently as a U.S. senator from Michigan until his defeat in the 2000 elections. His political career includes positions as Deputy Chief of Staff to Vice President Dan Quayle from 1990 to 1992 and former Chairman of the Republican Party in Michigan. He earned his B.A. degree from Michigan State University and a law degree from Harvard Law School. Spencer is of Arabic ancestry.

Secretary of Health and Human Services: Tommy Thompson

Thompson, 59, was the well known Governor of Wisconsin, where he served four terms from 1986 to 2000, and a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Both his undergraduate and law degrees were completed at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Secretary of Housing: Mel Martinez

Born in Cuba, Martinez, 54, was the Chairman of Orange County in Florida and the Chairman of the Orlando Housing Authority. From 1994 to 1997 he was President of the Orlando Utilities Commission and also headed a community and growth management commission for Governor Jeb Bush of Florida. Martinez earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Florida State University.

Secretary of Interior: Gale Norton

The former Attorney General of Colorado from 1990 until 1999, Gale Norton, 46, also served in the first Bush Administration on the Western Water Policy Commission. She was previously Associate Solicitor of the U.S. Department of Interior. Norton graduated with her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Denver.

Attorney General: John Ashcroft

John Ashcroft, 58, served as a Republican member of the U.S. Senator from Missouri from 1994 to 2000, Governor of Missouri from 1985 to 1993, and the state's Attorney General from 1977 to 1985. He earned his undergraduate degree from Yale and his law degree from the University of Chicago.

Secretary of Labor: Elaine Chao

Chao, 47, has worked with the conservative Heritage Foundation as a Fellow since 1996. Previously, she ran the United Way of America from 1992 to 1996, served as Director of the Peace Corps in 1991, and was a deputy secretary in the Department of Transportation under President George Bush.

Secretary of State: Colin Powell

General Powell, 63, rose through the ranks of the Army to attain a number of political positions including Executive Assistant in Jimmy Carter's Defense Department, Senior Assistant to the Secretary of Defense and National Security Advisor under Ronald Reagan, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in George Bush's administration. Powell also headed the social organization America's Promise.

Secretary of Transportation: Norman Mineta

Norman Mineta, a 69-year-old Democrat, served as Secretary of Commerce under Bill Clinton and was a long-time member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California. He began his political career on the City Council of San Jose in California before becoming the city's mayor.

Secretary of Treasury: Paul O'Neill

Paul O'Neill, 65, comes from the corporate world, where he was Chairman of Alcoa since 1987. Prior to this position, he ran International Paper. His experience in government includes serving as Deputy Budget Director for President Gerald Ford.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Anthony Principi

Principi, 56, was appointed as Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs when the Department was established by President George Bush in 1989. He served as Chief Counsel to the U.S. Senate Committees on Armed Services and Veterans Affairs. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and the law school at Seton Hall University, Principi earned distinction for his naval service.

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