Reply #1: This controversy is bullshit. I believe the emphases might swing on [View All]

two hinges -- one being historical perspective and the other being the future of the United States.

Lincoln's cabinet was a wild mix of folks and a slap-dash jigsaw of personalities and ideologies. Many folks who would prefer Lincoln's job in the government agreed to serve in his cabinet. Their duty to the greater good kicked in and eclipsed their prviate ambition. It was a strong cabinet.

There's nothing stopping our next Democratic White House from having a similarly strong cabinet comprised of people who might not be ideologiclly or even personally akin. Why would a Democratic president NOT want to tap the skills and gifts of our candidate field?

I think Lincoln's model for cabinets -- and therefore his model for governance -- would be enormously useful in 2008.