Bush Cabinet

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Boasting a team he says "looks more like America" George W. Bush has balanced race and gender in his cabinet. The six white men in Bush's Cabinet are in the minority, outnumbered by two black men, three white women, one Asian American man, one Asian American woman, and an Hispanic man. The group inlcudes a smattering of governors, corporate chiefs, defeated senators and veterans of previous administrations. The female cabinet and cabinet-level appointees include Condalezza Rice as national security advisor, Ann Veneman as Secretary of Agriculture, Gale Norton as Secretary of the Interior, and most recently, To The Contrary panelist Elaine Chao, as Secretary of Labor. Although diverse, the cabinet leans conservative. Women's groups in Washington, DC expect major battles over such issues as choice and equal pay.

Most recently, there was a scandal which resulted in a new nominee for Secretary of Labor. One time To The Contrary panelist Linda Chavez was originally slated to be Secretary of Labor, however, it was dicovered that she may have harbored an illegal immigrant in the early 1990's. As a result, Ms. Chavez withdrew her nomination for Labor Secretary. Shortly after, President-Elect Bush appointed Elaine Chao, a regular on To The Contrary, as Secretary of Labor.

Both Gale Norton, the nominee for Secretary of The Interior, and Ann M. Veneman, the Secretary of Agriculture nominee, have come under fire by democrats who claim these two women are too right-leaning. New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman has been appointed head of the EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, and Condaleeza Rice has been appointed National Security Advisor. Both of these appointments were well received.

President-Elect George W. Bush has also appointed Missouri Governor John D. Ashcroft as the next Attorney General of The United States. This appointment has received the most opposition due to Ashcroft's very conservative views. Donald H. Rumsfeld, will remain Defense Secretary, after serving in the Clinton administration. And, Bush's Campaign Chairman, Donald L. Evans, has been appointed Commerce Secretary.

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