Who should be in Ron Paul's Cabinet?

[northernliberty]

It looks like Ron Paul will win Iowa, which will put him in the running for New Hampshire and Nevada. It has also been said that southern conservatives won't line up to vote for Romney so Paul may actually have the advantage in the south as well. New York and California may also be open to Ron Paul during the Primaries. This being the case (and because I just want to), I think we should seriously consider who could conceivably and reasonably be part of Ron Paul's cabinet once he becomes President.

My choices so far (with justifications):

Vice President: Gary Johnson (Johnson helps bring in the more moderate/socially liberal independents who have a ridiculous knee-jerk reaction against Ron Paul. He also balances out the ticket with executive experience and helps Paul win an important swing state, NM, in the General)

Attorney General: Andrew Napolitano (A lot of people want the Judge to be VP, but I think his talents would be put to better use as AG since he could immediately start removing unconstitutional statutes)

Secretary of State: Jon Huntsman, Jr. (Although often seen as a moderate, I think many of Huntsman's views show that he leans libertarian. Foreign policy-wise he has shown himself to be an opponent of intervention and a supporter of diplomacy and free trade. Add to that his knowledge of China mixed with his and Dr. Paul's shared view that America should be friends with that country, would ideally position the US to benefit from the most important strategic relationship of our time)

Secretary of Defense: Bruce Fein (He would also make a choice Secretary of State, but his writings on the American Empire and his history as a lawyer, not a General, would position him ideally to strip down American militarism abroad, while ensuring the foreign policy of this nation remains constitutional)

That's all I have for now. Add your ideas along with justifications. Although, luckily, we don't even have to consider who will head the Departments of Education, HUD, Commerce, Interior, and Energy, since Ron Paul's plan to restore America will abolish these unconstitutional agencies!

[Feeding the Abscess]

Huntsman came out as supporting a pre-emptive strike on Iran, I'd probably go with Fein as Secretary of State, for the reasons you stated. Scheuer for Defense Secretary... maybe. He is a bit too hawkish for my tastes, but Ron would have final say, of course. And Scheuer is a non-interventionist.

Peter Schiff as Secretary Treasurer. I think that one speaks for itself.

[northernliberty]

Oh man, how could I have forgotten Schiff for Treasury! You're right, that one is so obvious.

[Magsec]

A lot of people would agree that Andrew Napolitano's career has prepared him to be a Supreme Court justice or AG, but I really want to see him run circles around Biden in a debate.

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

VP: Rand Paul
State: Robert Higgs
Treasury: Walter Block, Yuri Maltsev, Walter Williams, Thomas Woods, etc. etc.
Defense: Not sure really....I could see someone like Bruce Fein, Michael Scheuer, etc.
AG: Judge Nap

Honestly, I could see quite a few people from the Independent Institute, LVMI, GMU / Mercatus, Hillsdale, etc. making it aboard.

WH Press Sec... Thomas Woods or Jeffrey Tucker (ha!). :p

[Havax]

President Paul
Vice President: Luis Fortuño (young crisp face the republican base will love and will secure the latino vote)
Secretary of State: Bruce Fein
Secretary of Defense: Michael Scheuer
Treasury Secretary: Peter Schiff
Attorney General: Andrew Napolitano
White House Chief of Staff: Gary Johnson (the practical one who gets things done)
Press Secretary: Tom Woods (announce this after Ron is elected - he is a phenomenal speaker)

[AFPVet]

President Paul
Vice President: Luis Fortuño (young crisp face the republican base will love and will secure the latino vote)
Secretary of State: Bruce Fein
Secretary of Defense: Michael Scheuer
Treasury Secretary: Peter Schiff
Attorney General: Andrew Napolitano
White House Chief of Staff: Gary Johnson (the practical one who gets things done)
Press Secretary: Tom Woods (announce this after Ron is elected - he is a phenomenal speaker)

Me likey :)

[northernliberty]

President Paul
Vice President: Luis Fortuño (young crisp face the republican base will love and will secure the latino vote)
Secretary of State: Bruce Fein
Secretary of Defense: Michael Scheuer
Treasury Secretary: Peter Schiff
Attorney General: Andrew Napolitano
White House Chief of Staff: Gary Johnson (the practical one who gets things done)
Press Secretary: Tom Woods (announce this after Ron is elected - he is a phenomenal speaker)

I think Jesse Benton would become Press Secretary, since he is already doing the same job on Paul's campaign.

Gary Johnson for Chief of Staff would be nice, but I have heard stuff about Ron Paul not having the highest regard for him, so I wonder if he could affect President Paul's thinking on issues. I sort of imagine Lew Rockwell would be Chief of Staff since he was Paul's CoS early in his Congressional career.

Luis Fortuno is interesting. I remember Tim Pawlenty saying he'd consider him as a VP. He doesn't seem that libertarian though, although I could be wrong. He does bring the executive experience like I said Johnson would. But he wasn't the governor of a state. And does Dr. Paul support statehood for Puerto Rico? That seems like it would be something Fortuno would push for.

I would think Michael Scheuer would be head of the CIA under a Paul administration.

Adam Kokesh head of Veterans Affairs, maybe? It would be interesting but I don't think he 1) would take a job in the government anymore; 2) would be accepted by Congress, which, unless I'm mistaken (and I could be), has to approve every cabinet post.

President Paul couldn't eliminate the Fed right away, I'm guessing. He would probably have to put a bill before Congress to completely get rid of it. But until that point, he could appoint someone like Walter Block, Doug French, Thomas DiLorenzo, or anyone else from the Mises Institute to be Chairman and at least put in place something like floating interest rates.

[Zatch]

President Paul
Vice President: Luis Fortuño (young crisp face the republican base will love and will secure the latino vote)
Secretary of State: Bruce Fein
Secretary of Defense: Michael Scheuer
Treasury Secretary: Peter Schiff
Attorney General: Andrew Napolitano
White House Chief of Staff: Gary Johnson (the practical one who gets things done)
Press Secretary: Tom Woods (announce this after Ron is elected - he is a phenomenal speaker)

This except:

State - Michael Scheuer or Dennis Kucinich

Defense - Col. Douglas MacGregor

And:

Veterans Affairs - Adam Kokesh

[Feeding the Abscess]

I think Jesse Benton would become Press Secretary, since he is already doing the same job on Paul's campaign.

Gary Johnson for Chief of Staff would be nice, but I have heard stuff about Ron Paul not having the highest regard for him, so I wonder if he could affect President Paul's thinking on issues. I sort of imagine Lew Rockwell would be Chief of Staff since he was Paul's CoS early in his Congressional career.

Luis Fortuno is interesting. I remember Tim Pawlenty saying he'd consider him as a VP. He doesn't seem that libertarian though, although I could be wrong. He does bring the executive experience like I said Johnson would. But he wasn't the governor of a state. And does Dr. Paul support statehood for Puerto Rico? That seems like it would be something Fortuno would push for.

I would think Michael Scheuer would be head of the CIA under a Paul administration.

Adam Kokesh head of Veterans Affairs, maybe? It would be interesting but I don't think he 1) would take a job in the government anymore; 2) would be accepted by Congress, which, unless I'm mistaken (and I could be), has to approve every cabinet post.

President Paul couldn't eliminate the Fed right away, I'm guessing. He would probably have to put a bill before Congress to completely get rid of it. But until that point, he could appoint someone like Walter Block, Doug French, Thomas DiLorenzo, or anyone else from the Mises Institute to be Chairman and at least put in place something like floating interest rates.

The Federal Reserve gives the president a list of choices from which they can pick the next Federal Reserve chairman.

[fatjohn]

Yes, Rand Paul needs to stay in the Senate. This will keep him a bit more out of the shadow of his dad. And it will be white house + a senator for team Liberty.

[fatjohn]

Although a Rand Paul VP would eliminate the chance of assasination, which is not the least of my worries.

[Jake Ralston]

Here is my all-time Ron Paul CABINET OF SHAME.


Vice President: John McCain

Attorney General: The blonde bitch from Fox News that says it's ok to go to war without a declaration.

Secretary of State: John Yoo

Secretary of Defense: Donald Rumsfeld

White House Press Secretary: Sean Hannity

[Havax]

I think Jesse Benton would become Press Secretary, since he is already doing the same job on Paul's campaign.

Gary Johnson for Chief of Staff would be nice, but I have heard stuff about Ron Paul not having the highest regard for him, so I wonder if he could affect President Paul's thinking on issues. I sort of imagine Lew Rockwell would be Chief of Staff since he was Paul's CoS early in his Congressional career.

Luis Fortuno is interesting. I remember Tim Pawlenty saying he'd consider him as a VP. He doesn't seem that libertarian though, although I could be wrong. He does bring the executive experience like I said Johnson would. But he wasn't the governor of a state. And does Dr. Paul support statehood for Puerto Rico? That seems like it would be something Fortuno would push for.

I would think Michael Scheuer would be head of the CIA under a Paul administration.

Adam Kokesh head of Veterans Affairs, maybe? It would be interesting but I don't think he 1) would take a job in the government anymore; 2) would be accepted by Congress, which, unless I'm mistaken (and I could be), has to approve every cabinet post.

President Paul couldn't eliminate the Fed right away, I'm guessing. He would probably have to put a bill before Congress to completely get rid of it. But until that point, he could appoint someone like Walter Block, Doug French, Thomas DiLorenzo, or anyone else from the Mises Institute to be Chairman and at least put in place something like floating interest rates.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gcExoF_qTo

[northernliberty]

Sounds fantastic on economics. I'd like to see his social policy and foreign policy views before I'll think he's better than Johnson. And then, of course, there's the fact that Puerto Rico doesn't really affect the U.S. presidential race, whereas New Mexico is an important swing state. Although, a Puerto Rican might help with the vote in New York and Florida.