George W. Bush Cabinet
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
United States President George W. Bush has appointed a diverse[1] and controversial cabinet.
In 2006, Bush replaced long-time chief of staff Andrew Card with Joshua Bolten and made major staff and cabinet changes with the intention of revitalizing his Administration.[2]
On November 8, 2006 (the day after the Democrats took back Congress in the midterm elections), Bush announced plans to replace Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld with former CIA Director Robert Gates. Gates was confirmed by the Senate on December 6 and took office as the 22nd Secretary of Defense on December 18.[3]
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[edit] Attorney General
Bush's second Attorney General, Alberto Gonzalez, may have been one of his most controversial appointments. In addition to his work on approving torture techniques prior to his appointment,[4][5] as Attorney General, he claimed there was no right to Habeas Corpus.[6] Michael Bernard Mukasey, is an American lawyer, presently the 81st Attorney General of the United States, and follows Alberto Gonzales, who resigned from office.
[edit] Labor
Bush's first nomination for Secretary of Labor was Linda Chavez. This nomination came under attack when evidence came to light that she had given money to an illegal immigrant from Guatemala who lived in her home. Chavez claimed that the woman was not an employee and she had merely provided her with emergency assistance due to the domestic abuse the woman had been facing at the time.[7] The scandal was reminiscent of the scuttled nomination of Zoë Baird by Bill Clinton for Attorney General in 1993, however, and Chavez's nomination was withdrawn.
[edit] Energy
Bush's first Secretary of Energy, Spencer Abraham was controversial at the time of his 2001 appointment because as a senator he co-sponsored S.896, a bill to abolish the United States Department of Energy, in 1999.[8] Samuel Wright Bodman III, Sc.D. is the United States Secretary of Energy and was previously Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Treasury Department.
[edit] Homeland Security
When Tom Ridge announced his decision to resign as Secretary of Homeland Security, Bush's first choice to replace him was Bernard Kerik, who served as Police Commissioner of the City of New York during the September 11, 2001 attacks. Kerik's nomination raised controversy when it was discovered that he had perviously hired an undocumented worker as a nanny and housekeeper. After a week, Kerik pulled his nomination and Bush went on to nominate Michael Chertoff.[9]
[edit] References
- ^ Neal, Terry (2004-12-23). Diversity and the Bush Cabinet. The Washington Post. Retrieved on 2007-08-30.
- ^ Associated Press (March 28, 2006). White House shake-up: Chief of staff resigns. MSNBC.com. Retrieved on 2006-09-30.
- ^ "New US defence secretary sworn in", BBC News, December 18, 2006.
- ^ Berlow, Alan. "The President's Yes Man", Washington Post, November 21, 2004, p. B07. Retrieved on 2007-08-30.
- ^ Barton Gellman and Jo Becker (25 June 2007). Pushing the Envelope on Presidential Power. Washington Post. Retrieved on 2007-08-30.
- ^ Egelko, Bob. "Gonzales says the Constitution doesn't guarantee habeas corpus", San Francisco Chronicle, January 24, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-06-19.
- ^ Chavez Withdraws As Labor Nominee Associated Press article in the January 9, 2001 Washington Post, accessed online November 22, 2006.
- ^ Mark Helm (2001-01-15). Leading Environmentalists Urge Senate to Oppose Abraham. Common Dreams. Retrieved on 2007-08-30.
- ^ "As Kerik Faces Court, Questions Persist on Background Check" by William K. Rashbaum The New York Times 30 June 2006.
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