"He just doesn't get it."

"He gets it enough to be in charge of saving the planet."

Right.

NB: Arizona has a Democratic governor.

"Senate Democrats, having come so close to their goal of an unfilibusterable majority, saw their dreams dashed by a narrow runoff win by Saxby Chambliss.

Their disappointment turned to euphoria when Sen. John McCain accepted the opportunity to be Pres.-elect Obama's Energy Secretary.

Gov. Napolitano swiftly appointed CC Goldwater to replace his seat ('You know, just for kicks'), and Democrats rejoiced in their newfound Real Ultimate Power."

www.realultimatepower.net

Isn't this the guy who thought Sarah Palin "knows more about energy than probably anyone else" in the US?

thinkprogress.org/.../mccain-palin-pipeline

I'm actually thinking he might work in a position that is a little less domestically oriented, Sec Def perhaps.

Obama is going to put McCain in charge of keeping those damn kids off the White House lawn.

If Obama makes me Energy Secretary, I'll make Sarah Palin my undersecretary.

[williamyard removes cigar from mouth, taps off ash, replaces cigar in mouth]

GSpinks:

If John McCain is made Defense Secretary in charge of Iraq, Obama will face a tsunami-size revolt from the netroots and from anyone who hopes that  we will not be in Iraq indefinitely. Obama would be CRAZY to even think of that. Perish the thought.

Jon, you're not thinking today.

The Republican rank and file in Congress are going to be persuaded by McCain?  He's about the last person to be able to do that.  His bipartisanship consisted essentially of leaving the Republican ranks to join Democrats on a bill.

We saw McCain's consensus-building prowess on display in the bailout bill.  How did the Arizona delegation vote again?

PropJoe: it could of course be a Nixon in China moment - 'cept that, as Kinsley pointed out, the only reason only Nixon could have gone to China is that scumbags like Nixon himself would have flayed any one else who dared to do so.  So who knows.

Secretary for Veterans Affairs.

Icarusr doesn't understand the game -- he posted something non-crazy in response.

Just because we all miss McCain 1.0 doesn't mean McCain 2.0 isn't here to stay. The new McCain is incoherent on energy and hawkish and unpredictable on defense. He spent so much time outlining his vision to the conservative base that Obama would look like a patsy or an idiot to bring him on board now.

"Secretary for Veterans Affairs" is kind of a double joke, because it's the only post McCain wouldn't be a disaster in, and of course, it's so far beneath the prestige he enjoys as a senior senator that it would practically amount to retirement. He may be old, but I doubt he wants to be put out to Obama's pasture.

Even heading up the VA, would McCain spend his time cutting wasteful spending and economizing, or, y'know, getting something done? I just don't know the guy anymore.

If Obama keeps throwing out senators and congressmen as possible Cabinet members, it's going to seem like he doesn't know any world outside of Congress, and celebrity senators and congressmen at that.

A half-assed thankless task where he would have little control of what he was trying to make happen.

And then, after he leaves this post, what does he have?

McCain would be nuts to take Energy Sec, if indeed it has or will be offered.

CFK:  I don't think Obama is throwing out these names -- media folk who talk to folks who've heard from folks are throwing them out.  This means you too, Jonathan.

Isn't that meeting Monday, not today?

bdgreen: it's a perilous game taking anything I say seriously ;-).  The tongue was firmly in the cheek making the suggestion ...

agentzero, I'm with you. I don't imagine McCain's actually going to have a lot of influence. He's not seen as a rank and file Republican. He just lost. He put forth Palin as "ready to be President". And he's 72 years old. The Republican Party is imploding and out of it will come a new era of Republicanism. McCain won't be seen as the face of that era. If you want a Repub who is pro-environment, find someone else.

I just don't see putting a Republican in charge of American energy policy. How many pro-environment Republicans are there? There is Christie Todd Whitman...and then my list peters out. The GOP has a miserable record in this regard. They've spent the last decade or so trying to pry open ANWR, they just got done rallying around the asinine chant "Drill, baby, drill," and McCain polished off his campaign with a naked embrace of the coal industry. These are not the kind of people we need to chart a progressive path forward with respect to energy and the environment. Democrats won this election. Lets not hesitate to put Democrats in key cabinet posts for goodness sake.

Energy secretary you have got to be joking. I dont see Obama making that move. Energy is one of the issues Obama will likely want to have a direct control over so I dont see McCain being the one running that post at all.

If anything I think Obama is likely going to suggest that he and McCain work on some type of immigration legislation. He is not going to offer McCain a cabinet post. Obama is going to likely keep on Gates for a while to fulfill that republican in high cabinet office but I just dont see Obama going that deep into having republicans in his cabinet. He will strive for more bipartisanship but Obama's bipartisanship is different from McCain. McCain buck his party and vote with democrats. Obama on the other hand will pull republicans to his way of thinking. Obama is pragmatic in his solutions but he has a progressive mind set.

Now ambassador to Iraq I can see LOL

Carol

Energy policy right now needs more than anything someone who is capable of cutting-edge, out of the box thinking. So get a guy who doesn't know how to send an email? Don't put old wine in new bottles. Get a Steve Jobs type for energy secretary. What Obama needs from McCain is someone in the Senate who can help by defecting to block a filibuster if necessary.

harriscrl3:  I hope that you are correct in saying that McCain won't be offered a cabinet post.  There are plenty of other qualified players who - in my opinion - are more deserving.  Perhaps I'm a bit rightwingish in thinking that McCain should suffer the consequences of his actions.  Obama is clearly more magnanimous than me.

How about ambassador to Czechoslovakia? McCain seems to think it still exists.

Did something hallucinogenic get into the water at the TNR offices? McCain for the Cabinet, be nice to Lieberman .. what are you going to come up with next, declare the election null and void and find some way to make Sarah Palin President? Since when is the winner of an election obliged to hand out consolation prizes?