Sorry Jill, Sorry Phil, These Seats are Taken.

Last week I wrote a post about the three Hoosiers who were being considered for cabinet-level posts in the Obama Administration. Since then, two of those people were moved off the list.

Former Congressman Phil Sharp was passed over for Energy Secretary when President-elect Barack Obama chose Dr. Steven Chu to be his Secretary of Energy. From Reuters:

(Dr.) Chu is director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and shared the 1997 Nobel Prize in physics. He was an early advocate for scientific solutions to climate change.

Likewise, former Congresswoman Jill Long Thompson missed out on becoming the next leader of the USDA, with Obama picking former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack for that role. Vilsack is something of a surprise considering he told the media he wasn't being considered for "any position" in an Obama government. Sustainable and Organic Agriculture groups oppose the Vilsack nomination because they believe he is too close to the biotech industry and Big Agra. From Reuters:

If confirmed by the Senate, Vilsack, 58, would be the first Iowan to lead the Agriculture Department since Henry Wallace during the Depression era. Wallace, an editor, economist and developer of hybrid corn, had a seminal role in the creation of the U.S. farm support system still in use.

Just to share some interesting trivia, Henry Wallace was not only Roosevelt's USDA chief, but also his Vice President from 1941-1945. Wallace didn't play well with other members of the Roosevelt cabinet, and in the 1944 campaign he was removed from the ticket and replaced by Harry Truman, whom Wallace would run against as the Progressive Party's candidate for president in 1948. I doubt Tom Vilsack will repeat that history.

Long Thompson and Sharp may still find positions within USDA and Energy, but former Congressman Tim Roemer is now the only Hoosier likely to get a cabinet-level post. My money is still on the Director of National Intelligence spot. What say you?

Three Hoosiers on Obama's Cabinet Short-List

According to multiple sources, there are three former members of Congress from Indiana still under consideration for cabinet-level jobs in the Obama Administration. One of them is very likely to get a post, while the other two are longer shots.

Jill Long Thompson, the former Congresswoman from Northeastern Indiana and 2008 Indiana gubernatorial candidate. She has been mentioned as a possible candidate for Agriculture Secretary.

Phil Sharp, the former 10-term Congressman from the Muncie area. Sharp made energy a focus during his years and has since worked on energy issues at Resources for the Future.

Former Congressman Tim Roemer from northern Indiana has been mentioned as potential CIA chief or Director of National Intelligence. He was one of Obama's national security advisers throughout the campaign.

Of the three, I think Roemer is the most likely appointment. He was a strong surrogate for Obama in the primaries and was even mentioned as a possible running mate. He served on the 9/11 Commission and essentially helped create today's intelligence infrastructure. I think it's much more likely that he would get the DNI job over CIA, as the latter will likely be filled by a career spy.

Phil Sharp is a brilliant guy, pro-science and an expert on energy matters. I don't think it will be him, but at the same time I wouldn't be to surprised.

I think Jill Long Thompson would do a fine job, but I think she is least likely among the three to get an appointment. It is very possible that she will be the number 2 or 3 in the department.

What say you?