UNHELPFUL POLITICAL PROGNOSTICATION

Stephen Green is soliciting nominations to replace Powell and Rumsfeld at State and DoD in a second Bush administration.

My picks (that will never happen):

Rudy Giuliani. Which department, State or DoD? Doesn't matter. When he very publicly returned that money to the Saudis, I became a fan, and decided that I would vote for him for damn near any position. Having tossed Yasser out of Lincoln Center doesn't hurt, either. Besides, having literally cleaned up NYC as mayor and federal prosecutor qualifies as both defense and foreign policy experience (especially during and after 9/11). And that's only partially tongue in cheek.

Condi Rice. Again, the choice of where she serves is not terribly important to me, but I like her better at Defense than at State. She strikes me as a warrior (but I can't tell you why, because I don't know). And these days, Defense is probably a better spot from which to run for the White House than State.

If not Rice and Giuliani, then maybe Sam Nunn?

I might have added Tom Kean before the 9/11 Commission debacle, but he doesn't seem to have been able to keep the commission members in line, and their on our side. So I would be worried about what would happen in any senior cabinet position. I think this commission will end his career. Too bad. Moderate Republican/popular former governor of a northeast state? He might have been President (and almost certainly Veep) if he played his cards right.

Dream ticket in '08: Giuliani/Rice or Rice/Giuliani. This is also something that won't happen, since neither one is likely to be willing to serve under the other. But maybe political reality will have set in once the primaries are in full swing.