Quo vadis A-list Democrats?

I’m focusing on Democrats who are elected officials and aren’t likely to be in an Obama cabinet.

Hillary Clinton? I expect her to make a run for Senate Majority Leader at some point, whether 2011 or 2013, I’m not sure. She may consider a 2016 presidential run, but the greater degree to which older women still face ageism is problematic. A 73-year-old Biden wouldn’t be running, that I know. Hard to say who else would be on the presidential horizon then.

My best guesstimate is that she pushes for the Majority Leader slot after getting re-elected to a third Senate term in 2012.

I don’t expect her to be Secretary of State. Obama’s offer may have been like Veep talk, where he said she’d get no shortcuts on her background check; he may also have hinted that Biden would have a strong voice on foreign police

Bill Richardson? SOL to some degree. He’s not going to be Obama’s Secretary of State, I don’t think. I believe he’d be afraid of playing second fiddle to Biden on foreign policy. And, I don’t think Biden necessarily wants him there anyway, even if Obama talked to Big Bill.

Would he take Interior? It’s a step above Energy and the UN in Cabinet pecking order, and he is a Western governor, a traditional consideration. In any case, does he regret not running for Pete Domenici’s Senate seat?

John Edwards, of course, is toast.

Howard Dean? As I’ve said elsewhere, unless either he wants out of the DNC or Obama wants him out to put his own stamp on it, I don’t see him leaving to join the Cabinet for HHS or other things. I think he likes it where he is.

Joe Lieberman, the man who would be Democrat again? Well, unless he can line up enough Verizon-like Senate backers like Chris Dodd, he’s out.

Harry Byrd? Will not run for re-election, now that he’s stepped down from Appropriations. Obviously.

Dianne Feinstein? I expect her to not run for another Senate term, either. Antonio Villaraigosa might be able to overcome his by-then-old affair news to win the Democratic primary. Right now, he’s coy about whether or not he’ll run for governor of California in 2010. I expect a number of Democratic dominos are waiting to see how Feinstein falls, then him. Also, whether or not der Ahhhnold on the GOP side leaves the statehouse for a Senate run could be a factor.