Democratic Dream Team: Part Four of Five

Democratic Dream Team: Part Three of Five
The top Democratic contenders for the positions of Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of the Treasury, and Secretary of Education.
by John Drexel

Part Two of a five-part series. Click here for Part One.
Click here for Part Two.
Click here for Part Three.

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Secretary of the Interior:
Even 45 years after the death of its most notable member, the Kennedy family continues to dominate Democratic politics. And with Ted, the Democrats' lion in winter, advancing in age, the time to pass on the torch is fast approaching. Patrick (the son of Ted, Sr.) and Joe (the eldest son of Bobby) have already had careers in public service. But there's another Kennedy who could have one of his own in the years to come.

20 years ago, no one would have given Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. a chance in the world of carrying forward his family's legacy. Kennedy struggled with substance abuse, and was sentenced to a stint in probation and 1500 hours of community service stemming from a possession charge. But somewhat ironically, it was in that moment that Kennedy's political future may very well have been born.

Kennedy used his mandated community service hours to dive headlong into environmental advocacy. Since getting clean back in the early 1980s, the son of the former Secretary of State has become one of the foremost spokesmen for environmental reform. He is a senior attorney for the National Resources Defense Council, and sits on the board of a number of organizations aimed at cleaning and preserving fresh waterways in the United States. He's also the co-director of the Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic at Pace University, where he has taught since 1987. In addition, Kennedy has made his name known (more than it already is) to the liberal rank-and-file: since 2005, he's been a contributing columnist at the Huffington Post.

For now, Kennedy would be a top choice for the Interior Department job. But even if either Obama or Clinton (whom he split with other members of his family to endorse) choose him, he may have different ideas for himself. In Oprah Winfrey's O magazine, Kennedy wrote that "If Hillary Clinton left the Senate, I might run for that seat." But even if Obama keeps her there, Kennedy could go to neighboring Connecticut in 2010, where close family friend Chris Dodd will be retiring at the expiration of his term.

Secretary of the Treasury:
Jon Corzine makes sense for the Treasury Department post for a lot of reasons. Let's start with his business history.

Corzine was one of the most successful business leaders in America prior to beginning his political career. He was named one of the top 50 tech executives in America by Time magazine in 1997. He began with Goldman Sachs back in 1975, eventually working his way up to corporate ladder, becoming chairman and CEO in 1994. There, he took the company from a private partnership to a worldwide publicly traded company, and one of the most successful on the market at that. Goldman Sachs has been a launching pad for political careers in recent years, pushing the man who succeeded Corzine- Republican Hank Paulsen- to Treasury Secretary under President Bush.

After spending $62 million of his own money to win the open Senate seat in New Jersey in 2000, he became one of the Democratic Party's most reliable votes. He was one of just 23 Senators to vote against the Iraq War Resolution. In 2004, Corzine broke more spending records in a $100 million dollar race for the gubernatorial seat after

Corzine is a Clinton loyalist, having chaired a committee for Bill Clinton during the 90s and taken a major role in Hillary's operation this time around. Should Hillary Clinton successfully overcome both Barack Obama and John McCain, Corzine, now the

Secretary of Education:
Jim Jeffords