It occurred to me that it may be helpful for us all to know a bit more about the people that make up a President's Cabinet. Below I'm listing all the current Cabinet members, along with some basic info. Later, I hope to go into more detail of each individual, including new members as they arrive. Please feel free to add additional information as you see fit. I'll start with the sanitary White House info, found here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/cabinet The Cabinet The tradition of the Cabinet dates back to the beginnings of the Presidency itself. Established in Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution, the Cabinet's role is to advise the President on any subject he may require relating to the duties of each member's respective office. The Cabinet includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments — the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, as well as the Attorney General. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden pose with the full Cabinet for an official group photo in the Grand Foyer of the White House, July 26, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy) In order of succession to the Presidency: Vice President of the United States Joseph R. Biden Department of State Secretary John Kerry http://www.state.gov Department of the Treasury Secretary Jack Lew http://www.treasury.gov Department of Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel http://www.defense.gov Department of Justice Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr. http://www.usdoj.gov Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell http://www.doi.gov Department of Agriculture Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack http://www.usda.gov Department of Commerce Acting Secretary Rebecca Blank http://www.commerce.gov Department of Labor Acting Secretary Seth D. Harris http://www.dol.gov Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius http://www.hhs.gov Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun L.S. Donovan http://www.hud.gov Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood http://www.dot.gov Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu http://www.energy.gov Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan http://www.ed.gov Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki http://www.va.gov Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet A. Napolitano http://www.dhs.gov The following positions have the status of Cabinet-rank: White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough Environmental Protection Agency Acting Administrator Robert Perciasepe http://www.epa.gov Office of Management & Budget Jeffrey Zients, Deputy Director whitehouse.gov/omb United States Trade Representative Ambassador Demetrios Marantis www.ustr.gov United States Ambassador to the United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice www.usunnewyork.usmission.gov/ Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Alan B. Krueger www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/cea/ Small Business Administration Administrator Karen G. Mills www.sba.gov/
(the info below can be found at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/vice-president-biden) Vice President Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr., was born November 20, 1942, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the first of four siblings. In 1953, the Biden family moved from Pennsylvania to Claymont, Delaware. He graduated from the University of Delaware and Syracuse Law School and served on the New Castle County Council. Then, at age 29, he became one of the youngest people ever elected to the United States Senate. Just weeks after the election, tragedy struck the Biden family, when Biden's wife, Neilia, and their 1-year old daughter, Naomi, were killed and their two young sons critically injured in an auto accident. Vice President Biden was sworn in to the U.S. Senate at his sons' hospital bedside and began commuting to Washington every day by train, a practice he maintained throughout his career in the Senate. In 1977, Vice President Biden married Jill Jacobs. Jill Biden, who holds a Ph.D. in Education, has been an educator for over two decades and currently teaches at a DC-area community college. The Vice President has three children: Beau, Hunter, and Ashley. Beau serves as Delaware's Attorney General and recently returned home from Iraq where he served as a Captain in the 261st Signal Brigade of the Delaware National Guard. Ashley is a social worker and Hunter is an attorney. Vice President Biden has five grandchildren: Naomi, Finnegan, Roberta Mabel ("Maisy"), Natalie, and Robert Hunter. As a Senator from Delaware for 36 years, Senator Biden established himself as a leader on some of our nation's most important domestic and international challenges. As Chairman or Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee for 17 years, then-Senator Biden was widely recognized for his work on criminal justice issues including the landmark 1994 Crime Bill and the Violence Against Women Act. As Chairman or Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee since 1997, then-Senator Biden played a pivotal role in shaping U.S. foreign policy. He has been at the forefront of issues and legislation related to terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, post-Cold War Europe, the Middle East, and Southwest Asia. Now, as the 47th Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden has continued his leadership on important issues facing the nation. The Vice President was tasked with implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, helping to rebuild our economy and lay the foundation for a sustainable economic future. As part of his continued efforts to raise the living standards of middle class Americans across the country, Vice President Biden has also focused on the issues of college affordability and American manufacturing growth, key priorities of the Administration. Vice President Biden continues to draw on his foreign policy experience, advising the President on a multitude of international issues. He helped secure the Senate’s approval of the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty with Russia, together with significant new funding to maintain our nuclear laboratories. He played a lead role in ending the war in Iraq responsibly, traveling to the country eight times since being elected – most recently in December 2011 to mark the formal end of the war. In addition, Vice President Biden has supported the Administration’s effort to reestablish leadership in the Asia Pacific, traveling to China, Japan, and Mongolia in August 2011 and completing an exchange of visits with China’s Vice President in February 2012, that country’s presumptive next leader. He has represented our country in every region of the world, advancing our unprecedented support for Israel’s security, securing approval in Europe for the Administration’s more effective approach to missile defense, working with Latin American leaders to combat drug trafficking and international crime and building relations with key leaders in Africa. He has traveled to more than two dozen countries, including Germany, Belgium, Chile, Costa Rica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Lebanon, Georgia, Ukraine, Iraq, Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic, Israel, the Palestinian Territories, Jordan, Spain, Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Finland, Russia, Moldova, Italy, China, Mongolia, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Greece, Mexico and Honduras.
Joe Biden ...(continued)... Here, I'll focus on his political positions. That's the kind of info I prefer to know. (The following is from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Joe_Biden) *edited to be more concise. Please see full article for more info, citations, etc. Social issues Abortion, Stem Cell Research, Cloning Biden voted in favor of overturning Roe v. Wade as a Senator in 1982. Since then, he appears to have changed his mind. He voted in favor of a 1999 bill to ban in most circumstances partial birth abortion and on the 2003 Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. He has also stated his opposition to federal funding of abortions. He has joined with Democrats in voting against parental notification and a ban on abortions on military bases. He has also stated his opposition to the Mexico City Policy, and voted in favor of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act in 1994. Biden supports federal funding for embryonic stem cell research and voted to expand development and voted against a 1998 ban on human cloning. Capital Punishment Biden supports capital punishment. Crime He voted in support of funding for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program. He voted for the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. Biden also voted against limiting death penalty appeals. He voted for expanding the definition of hate crimes and also imposing heavier punishments. Biden supports a Federal Bureau of Investigation registry for sex offenders. Drug Law Biden favors diverting drug offenders out of the nation's prison system. He is against making stricter laws for drug offenses. He is for increased penalties against those caught selling drugs within 1000 feet of schools.He was the drafter and chief sponsor of the RAVE Act. Education He supports abstinence-only sex education, is against student vouchers and affirms the Constitutional right to voluntary prayer in school. He voted in favor of Educational Savings Accounts. In regard to the No Child Left Behind Act, He voted in favor of the Act in 2001, but has subsequently called that vote "a mistake." Environment He co-sponsored the "Sense of the Senate" resolution calling on the United States to be a part of the United Nations climate negotiations and the "Boxer-Sanders Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act". He voted "Yes" on a $3.1B for emergency oil assistance for hurricane-hit areas and "No" for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on national security grounds and defunding renewable and solar energy. Biden supports the creation of a new treaty on climate change. He has also stated his support for investment in technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the creation of a "cap and trade" system. Biden supports the promotion of renewable energy, including biodiesel fuels but not ethanol. Gun Issues He supports reinstating a Federal ban on various semi-automatic rifles and voted against prohibition of lawsuits against gun manufacturers. He has also voted to end what gun-control activists call the "gun show loophole". Health He supports funding for health care to allow all people access. Homeland Security Biden drafted anti-terrorist legislation, which was defeated. He claimed publicly that the USA PATRIOT Act was essentially a duplicate of the anti-terrorist legislation he had drafted years earlier. Biden supported the PATRIOT Act but voted to limit wiretapping on the bill. He supports implementing the 9/11 Commission's recommendations to fight terrorists but voted to preserve habeas corpus rights to the alleged terror suspects serving in Guantanamo Bay. In the 1990s he voted in favor of 36 vetoed military projects and supports efforts to prevent nuclear proliferation. Immigration Biden supported the 2007 Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill. He supports guest-worker visas, and the building of a wall along the border as a deterrent to drug trafficking. He voted to provide Social Security to illegal immigrants and supports a path to citizenship. Internet privacy and file sharing Biden sponsored a bill that would make it a felony to record internet radio, and signed a letter that urged the United States Department of Justice to prosecute file sharers. Biden also sponsored two bills, the Comprehensive Counter Terrorism Act (SB 266) and the Violent Crime Control Act (SB 618), both of which contained language seen as effectively banning encryption. LGBT issues Biden voted in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act but against the Federal Marriage Amendment. He supports states rights to establish civil unions. Biden noted that, while the President sets policy, Biden was "absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women, and heterosexual men and women marrying another are entitled to the same exact rights, all the civil rights, all the civil liberties. Biden voted in favor of "Don't Ask Don't Tell". Biden favors adding sexual orientation to the criteria for a hate crime. Welfare Biden is opposed to the privatization of Social Security. He voted in support of welfare block grants and supports welfare reform. Women In 1994, Biden drafted the Violence Against Women Act. Biden has said: "I consider the Violence Against Women Act the single most significant legislation that I’ve crafted during my 35-year tenure in the Senate.
Joe Biden ...(continued)... (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Joe_Biden) *edited Economic issues Agriculture Biden supported the Farm Bill and believes that it is a responsible compromise. Biden has been a strong supporter of efforts to combat the problem of invasive species Banking Biden voted for the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 and voted yes on restrictions on personal bankruptcy. Energy Biden opposes drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and supports governmental funding to find new energy sources as well as upping funding for alternative transportation like Amtrak and mass transit. Globalization He favors taking burdens off corporations to prevent outsourcing.He voted yes on repealing tax subsidies for companies that outsource jobs.However, he was one of the Democrats to vote for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1993. He opposed the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) but supports normalizing relations with China, Vietnam and the Andean nations. He opposes free trade agreements with Oman, Singapore, and Chile. Labor unions Biden was given an 85 percent lifetime approval rating from AFL-CIO. Tax Biden is against the Bush administration's tax cuts. Biden supports a balanced budget amendment. (Also) Biden cites high health care and energy costs as two major threats to the prosperity of American businesses, and believes that addressing these issues will improve American economic competitiveness
Joe Biden ...(continued)... (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Joe_Biden) *edited Foreign policy Iraq In 1990, Biden voted against the first Gulf War. In 1998, Biden expressed support for the use of force against Iraq. In 2002, he stated that Saddam Hussein was "a long term threat and a short term threat to our national security" and that United States has "no choice but to eliminate the threat". In 2003, he voted in favor of authorizing the invasion of Iraq. Biden has since said that he believes it was a mistake to support the Iraq War. In 2005, Biden said, "We can call it quits and withdraw from Iraq (but) I think that would be a gigantic mistake, or we can set a deadline for pulling out, which I fear will only encourage our enemies to wait us out – equally a mistake." In August 2002, Scott Ritter, the chief United Nations weapons inspector in Iraq, stated (to the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee) that "Sen. Joe Biden is running a sham hearing. It is clear that Biden and most of the Congressional leadership have pre-ordained a conclusion that seeks to remove Saddam Hussein from power regardless of the facts, and are using these hearings to provide political cover for a massive military attack on Iraq." Biden support(ed) a "five-step plan" towards removing troops from Iraq. In November 2006, Biden and Leslie Gelb, President Emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, released a comprehensive strategy to end sectarian violence in Iraq. Rather than continuing the present approach or withdrawing, the plan call(ed) for federalizing Iraq with separate regions for Kurds, Shiites, and Sunnis. The key points include(d): Giving Iraq's major groups a measure of autonomy in their own regions. A central government would be left in charge of interests such as defending the borders and distributing oil revenues. Guaranteeing Sunnis – who have no oil rights – a proportionate share of oil revenue and reintegrating those who have not fought against Coalition forces. Increase, not end, reconstruction assistance but insist that Arab States of the Persian Gulf fund it and tie it to the creation of a jobs program and to the protection of minority rights. Initiate a diplomatic offensive to enlist the support of the major powers and neighboring countries for a political settlement in Iraq and create an Oversight Contact Group to enforce regional commitments. Begin the phased redeployment of U.S. forces in 2007 and withdraw most of them by 2008, leaving a small follow-on force for security and policing actions. The plan, named The Biden-Brownback Resolution, passed the Senate 75-23 in a nonbinding vote on September 25, 2007, including 26 Republican votes. Africa Biden favor(ed) an American deployment of troops to Darfur. Biden is opposed to American financing of abstinence-only programs to combat HIV-AIDS in Africa. In 2007, he cosponsored the HIV Prevention Act which would end President George W. Bush's mandate that one third of all funds be earmarked to abstinence only programs. Israel Biden is a self-described Zionist. He is highly supportive of the state of Israel and views Israel as a strategic ally in the Middle East. Biden criticized the presidency of George W. Bush, stating that "By any objective fact, Israel is less secure today in the world than it was eight years ago." NJDC director Ira Forman has praised Biden, stating that “There is no one you could possibly pick who knows the issues, who is committed to Israel’s security and knows Israeli leaders, as much as Joe Biden.” In November 2010, Biden served as the keynote speaker at the General Assembly (GA) of Jewish Federations of North America. Regarding the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), Biden defended his right to oppose some AIPAC-backed measures. Biden has stated he supports a two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Biden cosponsored the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006 which expressed U.S. support for a two-state solution. In May 2009, Biden spoke at an AIPAC conference where he stated that Israel "has to work towards a two-state solution" and called on Israel to "dismantle existing outposts and allow Palestinians freedom of movement." He also called on the Palestinians to "combat terror and incitement against Israel." North Korea in June 2007 Democratic debate, he called the situation (of North Korea) one of "the three most important things that the next president is going to have to deal with", along with Iran and Iraq. Iran As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Biden has been a prominent voice calling for "hard-headed diplomacy" with Iran. He wrote in December 2007 that "War with Iran is not just a bad option. It would be a disaster." In 2007, Biden voted against a measure to declare the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization. In an interview with members of the Jewish media in September 2008, Biden stated that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps is a terrorist organization and that the Bush administration already had the power to designate it as one. He stated that he voted against the measure out of concern that the Bush administration would misuse the measure to justify a military attack against Iran. Cuba Biden strongly opposes the Fidel Castro regime in Cuba and supports the continuation of the trade embargo as well as the democratization of the island in post-Castro era. Russia In 1999, Biden cosponsored a draft resolution condemning Russia's 1999 Invasion of Chechnya, the use of indiscriminate force by the Russian army against civilians and violations of the Geneva Convention, and urged a peaceful resolution of the conflict. In 2005, Biden cosponsored a Senate resolution criticizing Russia for failing to uphold its commitments at the 1999 Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Summit. Biden introduced legislation in July 2008 urging members of the Group of Eight to "work toward a more constructive relationship with Russia". In August 2008, Biden criticized Russia’s military action in Georgia.
Overall, Biden's work has been positive (IMO) but I do have some reservations. One large one being his ties to the credit card industry (and large banks, in general). While I forgive his apparent flip-flop on abortion, since abortion is a controversial issue and both sides have strong points that shouldn't be automatically dismissed, I can't forgive his 'yes' vote to invade Iraq, since, at that time, it was blatantly obvious to anyone not caught up in war-mongering after the attacks on the WTC on 9-11-01, that the Bush administration was attempting to deceive the public in regards to the reasons for invading the country. BTW: This recent talk of Syria using the chemical agent sarin is bs, and that is something Obama should carefully consider before acting. Personally, it's my opinion that if sarin has indeed been proven to have been used in Syria recently, I doubt the government itself were the ones to have used it. Or, at the very least, it will be very difficult to confirm who exactly performed the act. Basically, what they (the semi-ignorant commentator's in the media) want us to believe is that the Syrian government, knowing that using the chemical will cause the U.S. to become involved militarily, does so anyway. That isn't impossible, it's just much more likely that the rebels would use it themselves, and point the finger at the government in order to trigger our stated reaction. Back to Biden. In "Education", I'm against his view of "abstinence only". The NCLBA is a failure to understand basic concepts, and he was slow to understand that lol He is a bit too draconian in "Homeland Security" issues for my taste, but I do understand his reasons. Immigration is another one of those areas that I shake my head at. Not at him in particular, but in the controversies themselves. That said, his view is the political equivalent of doing the right thing, so I cut him some slack there. While I understand the necessities in protecting our country from internet hackers, particularly the state-sponsored groups, I am not in favor of limiting or prohibiting the encryption of data on the internet. I do understand some of the difficulties encryption brings to the table though, when the government is trying to prevent both internet and physical attacks (bombings, shootings, other mass murders). He is for DOMA. I am not. One of his stronger virtues is his work in protecting women from harm. He supports Israel voraciously, where I would be more pragmatic. Overall though, our views on the issues there are pretty similar. I disagree with most people's views of Castro. From my point of view (and to the best of my knowledge), he is defending his country from attacks from us. He asked America for help, but we wanted a puppet. When he refused to be a puppet, we attacked. My overall rating of Biden is something along the lines of a 65 to 75 % favorable overall.
Interesting that you should deny what the White House has released. That does not say someone else used sarin in Syria. It says "the Syrian regime" has probably used sarin.
Next is, in the order of succession to the President, Secretary John Kerry, from the Department of State. (http://www.state.gov) This droopy-eyed, granola bar/cardboard cutout-of-a-man, may best be remembered by Democrats for being "swift-boated". His Wikipedia page ( found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Kerry) begins with this: It continues: And finally:
An important reminder: If you ask "Why?", my advice is for you to give it some thought, for there are many reasons "why", and some of those are pretty relevant today.
Voting-wise, Kerry is characterized this way (by wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Kerry) A few quotes on Iraq:
They are powerful people, in critically influential positions. I don't know enough about them, and decided to learn more about them. The majority of people who run across this should benefit from it, so that's a plus.
I'll try that again: I wanted to start something else entirely, about what happens when a man and a woman, and sometimes others, decide to get naked and...well...I keep seeing De Orc editing and swearing so I figured I go this route, instead?
Kerry currently heads the Department of State. http://www.state.gov/ http://www.state.gov/secretary/ ...and whatnot. That small task is just one of the many assigned to the State department. I found it under Policy Issues: Conflict and Stabilization. I am quite confident in the people at the State department.
Department of the Treasury Secretary Jack Lew http://www.treasury.gov Duties & Functions of the U.S. Department of the Treasury: Mission: Organization:
