A Dickensian Economist

The Economist is one of my regular reads, despite my disagreement with it on the occasional position. However, it is an exceedingly well written magazine, with the cleverness of some of its headings being just one reason.

A leader (opinion piece) in the current issue discusses the future Obama administration. It is entitled "Great Expectations". Two of its sections are entitled "Our Mutual Friends" and "Hard times and a bleak House".

The references are to Dickens novels-Great Expectations, Hard Times, Bleak House and Our Mutual Friend. Couldn't help a quiet chuckle.

Cabinet remodeling

Transportation--Valerie Jarrett, a long-time backer of Obama, she also chaired the Chicago Transit Board from 1995-2005.

I've read Daniel Tarullo's name in connection with the post of US Trade Representative. I think that works better than my original choice and leaves room for Kathleen Sibelius at Commerce.
Penny Pritzker had been named as a possibility for Commerce but she has been linked to the sub-prime mortgage scandal.

I'm substituting Timothy Geithner for Tyson at Treasury.

I have assumed that Gov. Blagojevic picks Jesse Jackson, Jr. to fill Obama's Senate seat. However, he could go with Tammy Duckworth. In that case, Jackson in HUD and Max Cleland in Veteran's Affairs.

Of course, my calls here will likely be no more accurate than those in the many football and Oscar pools that I've failed to win.

If I picked the Cabinet

WNYC has a comment board asking for comments on an Obama cabinet
Here are mine, with some revisions
State--Bill Richardson
Treasury--Laura D'Andrea Tyson
Defense--Richard Danzig
Justice--Eric Holder
Interior--RFK, Jr.
Agriculture--Tom Vilsack
Commerce--Dan Tarullo
Labor--David Bonior
HHS--David Blumenthal
Homeland Security--Richard Clarke
HUD--Shaun Donovan
Energy--Jay Inslee
Veterans Affairs--Tammy Duckworth

also
NSC--Susan Rice
EPA--Lincoln Chaffee

Larry Summers--wrong man for the job

Larry Summers is apparently on the short list for the Treasury Secretary slot. He has been a controversial figure in the past for both written and oral statements. There was his public speculation that women were intellectually disinclined to pursue math-related subjects. There was his memo at the World Bank that argued that it would be economically wise to use LDCs (Lesser Developed Countries) as waste dump sites since they don't live as long there anyway.

An article in Boston Magazine had some interesting insights into Summers. The key point is that he is socially and politically tone-deaf. That wouldn't necessarily disqualify him for an advisory position but the Secretary of the Treasury is often the public face of the administration on economic matters. He may very well have to advocate for Obama's economic policies in Congress.

Summers is spectacularly ill-adapted for the political dimensions of this particular job slot.