Post Politics Hour

washingtonpost.com's Daily Politics Discussion

Don't want to miss out on the latest in politics? Start each day with The Post Politics Hour. Join in each weekday morning at 11 a.m. as a member of The Washington Post's team of White House and congressional reporters answers questions about the latest in buzz in Washington and The Post's coverage of political news.

Washington Post diplomacy reporter Michael Abramowitz was online Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 11 a.m. ET to answer readers' questions about the latest news from Washington and the transition.

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Archive: Post Politics Hour discussion transcripts

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Anonymous: What happened to talk of Chuck Hagel or Richard Lugar being in the Obama cabinet? Any truth to the rumor that Joe the (Unlicensed) Plumber is being considered for secretary of labor?

Michael Abramowitz: Good morning everybody. There's lot of transition buzz in the air, not necessarily a lot of facts but certainly entertaining gossip. Let me say off the bat that the information about who is going to be in Obama's cabinet is extremely closely held. There are probably a half dozen people at best, other than Obama, who know what is really going on, and they are being extremely discreet.

That said, I enjoy guessing like the next person. I would seriously doubt that Lugar is going to go into the cabinet, but I suspect Hagel is still a live possibility. Much may depend on whether Robert Gates stays as secretary of defense; if he does not, I suspect Hagel would be an attractive choice for Obama to fulfill his promise to put Republicans in his cabinet.

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Cincinnati, Ohio: I'm quite serious: Does NYT columnist Tom Friedman have a chance of serving the Obama administration as secretary of energy? I think he'd be outstanding...and certainly represent "change."

Michael Abramowitz: I have not heard this. I would really be surprised if this were a real possibility.

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San Diego, Calif.: It's just one bloke's opinion, but I think the media are praying for Obama to name Hillary Clinton as his secretary of state. Why? Because it would allow the media to harp continually on perceived rivalries between the two instead of focusing on substantive stories that might take some effort and honest-to-god reporting skills. I still recall how the media kept harping on the belief that Clinton would initiate some kind of floor fight during the Democratic convention so that she could wrest the nomination from Obama. Stories about personalities have their place, but let's get back to brass tacks, eh?

Michael Abramowitz: This is just one bloke's opinion too, but I agree with you the media is probably rooting for Clinton to be secretary of state, but mainly because the media loves a good story. And watching one of the world's most famous women tackle some of the toughest challenges would be fascinating. There may well be personality stories but there will also be some very substantive stories as well.

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Washington: Thanks so much for the discussion -- I enjoy them every week!

Would you be willing to tell us honestly -- and I mean HONESTLY -- what you think of Hillary Clinton for secretary of state? While there is a lot of buzz in the media, there doesn't seem to be very much criticism of this potential choice. While I am a supporter of Sen. Clinton, I just do not see what qualifications she brings to the table. Wouldn't HHS sec make more sense for her?

Michael Abramowitz: Putting aside the celebrity factor, I do think she would bring a lot to the job (she's not the only one.) Having served on the Armed Services committee, traveled the world as First Lady and run for president (where you really have to bone up on foreign policy), Clinton would certainly master the subject area she would be responsible for. She is smart and tough and she has the personality (like Kissinger, Baker, other secretaries) to dominate a room. The one question I would have is her relationship with Obama. Some of the most successful secretaries, like Baker, have had really close relationships with the president and everyone knew they were speaking for him. Would that be the case with Obama? I don't know the answer.

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I might say you're a dreamer...: Michael, over the past sixteen years you could count all the substantive Clinton stories on the fingers of your hands. For some reason that name brings out the gossip and sensationalist out of you media types. The two of them accomplish much, and you guys fiddle with the stuff your readers care less about.

Michael Abramowitz: ...but I am not the only one...just Imagine!

The one thing I would say is that the people who cover the State Department tend to be a pretty substantive lot--so while there will no doubt be personality pieces, I don't know how you can escape substance with all the serious issues on the table: Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, etc.

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Lieberman question: Can you explain in words of one syllable WHY the Democrats will apparently let Lieberman keep his chairmanship? Is this the ultimate in 'making nice' to keep him sort of on the Democrats side rather than him bolting totally to the Repubs?

washingtonpost.com: 2 Democrats to Submit Compromise on Lieberman (Post, Nov. 18)

Michael Abramowitz: The Senate is, at heart, a club, and most of those guys don't in the end want to punish a guy they have hung out with for more than 20 years. Also, it is true that Lieberman, putting foreign policy aside, is in the mainstream of the Democratic party on many of the issues before the Senate. Also, Obama is being magnanimous, and that counts for a lot right now with the senators.

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Silver Spring, MD: According to a CNN poll out Monday, Americans think Obama's selection of Treasury Secretary is more important than his Secretary of State, yet we've seen next to no news about it amidst the Hillary mania. I'm wondering about the chances of FDIC chair Sheila Bair to get the nod. She's a Republican, woman, and seems like she was way out in front of everyone else in seeing the dangers of the sub-prime mortgage trend. (If only people in charge had listened to her.) Do you think she might give Obama a way out of his sticky Geithner/Summers either/or choice? Corzine seems ethically compromised.

washingtonpost.com: Poll: Obama's treasury secretary selection most important to Americans

Michael Abramowitz: I get the sense right now that the most likely contenders are former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and NY fed chief Tim Geithner. Bair certainly has the background to be Treasury Secretary, and could be a darkhorse, but I haven't really heard much buzz.

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Austin, Tex.: Most of the rest of the world, governments and people alike, are apparently thrilled that Obama won. Do you think traditionally friendly governments will be willing to follow through and make some of the tough, costly, potentially unpopular decisions (on Afghanistan, accepting repatriated Guantanameros, the economy, etc.) that will help him be successful?

Michael Abramowitz: This is a great question. I am frankly not sure what the answer is. Take Afghanistan: Obama says he wants to get other members of NATO to contribute more troops to the fight there. The German populace is deeply anti-war and very leery about getting more involved in this ostensibly "good war." In the end it will be very hard politically for a German chancellor to cough up more troops. I think there is a lot of good will towards Obama around the world, but in the end other governments will act in what they perceive to be their own national and political interest.

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Stevens question: All right, let's go to the GOP in the Senate. Yes, maybe it's a club but do the members really want to keep a felon? In the face of all the public outcry?

Michael Abramowitz: They postponed a vote to expel him today, perhaps to see if Stevens actually lost the election in Alaska (after counting all the absentee votes.) I am not sure they want to keep a felon in there. That may a bridge too far!

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Auto bailout: Have a hard time with taxpayers bailing out the auto industry when auto workers are making on average $70 per hour (this includes fringes) and have cheap retiree health insurance.

The government needs to tell them no money until the workers are "adjusted" down to a normal wage and retiree health insurance is wiped out. Most workers, other than federal employees, do not get almost free retiree health insurance.

Your take?

washingtonpost.com: Automotive Rescue Is Threatened By Impasse (Post, Nov. 18)

Michael Abramowitz: I think your view is one reason this bailout is hung up: Lawmakers are really torn about giving the auto industry the money it wants for the reasons you mention, but they also are deeply concerned about what a failure of GM would mean for the broader economy. It's not an easy choice.

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Another Lieberman question: But Lieberman really wasn't with the Democrats before all this campaign stuff came down. He did very little oversight of the Bush administration while he chaired the committee, and he happily broke ranks with the Democrats on the war. And he's on record as saying that he's terrified of a filibuster-proof majority. What have the Democrats god to lose by booting him? I can't see that they have anything to lose, and a lot to gain -- they'll avoid continuing to look spineless.

Michael Abramowitz: I don't think the Democrats would lose much by booting him, but I do think this gets Obama off on a good foot politically. I think one of Bush's problems was he was viewed, whether fairly or not, as someone who did not tolerate dissent. Keeping Lieberman in the fold would be a tangible sign that things are different in the new regime.

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Silver Spring, Md.: If the appointment rumors are true, Sen. Obama seems to be setting up a parliamentary-style government by puling in so many senators and former senators into his administration. I understand that he has a comfort level with senators given his own background as a senator. But do you think that is a good way to govern?

Michael Abramowitz: Let's see what actually happens. I would say having a mix of backgrounds in your cabinet is probably the best way to go.

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Anonymous: How can there still be pirates active today and what exactly do they plan to do with a tanker full of oil? Is this a problem for the U.S.?

washingtonpost.com: Hijacked oil tanker anchored off Somalia coast (AP, Nov. 18)

Michael Abramowitz: It's an unbelievable story. I can't believe this is happening in our day and age.

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Florissant Valley, Mo.: Morning, Michael. Has there been any further fallout from that awful anti-Arab comment by Rahm Emanuel's father? Was it a one-time thing that has been laid to rest? In any case, what might it say about Emanuel's ability to be an honest broker to President Obama when Mid-East Peace initiatives develop? Thanks

washingtonpost.com: Rahm Emanuel apologizes for father's remarks (Welt Online, Nov. 14)

Michael Abramowitz: Emanuel moved pretty forcefully to apologize for this comment(even though it wasn't him who said it.) There's no question his appointment got a lot of notice and buzz in the Arab world, and perhaps the transition team would have been well-advised to have tried to forestall some of the fallout by reaching out to Arab journalists or others. But the reality is that while Emanuel will be influential, the big players on Middle East will be Obama, national security adviser and whoever will be his secretary of state.

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Washington, D.C.: While everybody is talking transition, I'm still wondering what will happen to Obama's Senate seat. I've heard that Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is very unpopular. Who would be both an effective senator in Obama's place and also help Blagojevich bolster his own image?

Michael Abramowitz: I don't know Illinois politics as well as I once did (having lived there in the early 90s) but some of the names you hear are the outgoing State Senate President Emil Jones, with whom Blagojevich has a very close relationship, and the Secretary of State Jess White. While Jesse Jackson Jr. is often seen as a favorite, he is said by insiders to have a pretty testy relationship with the governor.

In sum, I have no idea.

I am afraid I am out of time, my friends: See you soon.

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