AP speculates on Obama Cabinet

And the AP list makes more sense than whoever got HuffPost to believe that Pete Domenici was on the short list for energy secretary.

Within mainstreamism, here's my take, within each Cabinet post, of which of the AP's speculations makes the most sense as far as Obama's centrist political reality, and which is the most or least acceptable in some cases.

1. Tony Knowles makes the most sense at Interior. Obama's not like to "sacrifice" a sitting swing-state senator in Ken Salazar. Kitzhaber would be OK too.

2. Sebelius might make more sense at EPA, given her stance against Sunflower's proposed Kansas coal plants, than at Energy.

3. Howard Dean at HHS? If the DNC ain't broke, why break it? Unless the good doctor wants out or Obama really feels the need to push him out. If that is the case, then, yes, this is a no-brainer position.

4. Rendell at Transportation is about the right level of political payoff. He brings nothing to Energy, which badly needs a non-politico, between global warming and Peak Oil.

5. Daschle at HHS? No, he'd want higher on the pecking order.

6. Richardson at State? I've said before, I doubt Biden wants him there. He can maybe get Interior, or else hope Jeff Bingaman doesn't run for another Senate term.

7. James Lee Witt or Bratton would be good at Homeland. NO to Tom Kean; too weaselly on 9/11. If you must see this as a "bipartisanship" post, Obama, go looking for a libertarian Republican. Hell, Bob Barr would be better than Kean. He'd be better than Jane Harman, for that matter.

8. I expect Susan Rice at NSA, whether that's good or not.

9. Powell has said he's not interested in ANY Cabinet slot; I hugely doubt he'd take something as "low" as Education.

10. Tom Buis, a non-politico, could be a creative choice for Agriculture.

11. Yuccck on both Gene Sperling and Jason Furman at OMB. More Summers-Rubin-Paulson neoliberalism running amok.

12. NO, NO, NO, to corporate suck-up Andy Stern at Labor. Obama would have to have a political tin ear to make that choice, or else really be in the neolib tank on non-fiscal domestic issues. Bonior could be a good choice.