In today’s The Washington Post:

Several advisers to Obama also said the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.), could be on the shortlist to become secretary of state.

Because nothing strengthens alliances like endless reminders that he served in Vietnam.

Elsewhere in that article, they mention Tom Daschle as White House chief of staff (actually not the worst idea I’ve ever heard), Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., as Secretary of Defense, and Eric Holder as Attorney General (among others).

(One argument against Reed: “barring a change by the Democrat-controlled General Assembly, that Republican Governor Donald L. Carcieri will retain the authority to name a replacement if Reed were to win election in November and then take another post, thereby narrowing the margin of Democratic control in the Senate.”)

If the Obama administration really does consist of the names above, then “bringing change to Washington” will mean a Vice President first elected to Washington office in 1972, a chief of staff first elected to Washington office in 1978, a Secretary of State first elected to Washington office in 1984, a Secretary of Defense first elected to Washington office in 1990, and an attorney general who first began working at the Department of Justice in 1976.

Change you can believe in!