Binders Full of Statesmen

The various flaps over President Obama's cabinet picks are off the mark, I think.  I'm glad he chose John Kerry for Secretary of State (and not Susan Rice) and Chuck Hagel for Secretary of Defense (and not Michele Flournoy).  I'm also glad he's tapping Vice President Biden for major initiatives.  Why?  We live in extraordinary times and face extraordinary challenges, and we need larger-than-life people with lots of experience as public servants to do the work.  I'm only sorry we don't have more such people.

We especially don't have many women.  Hillary Clinton is one of the few right now who fit the description, and she has served impeccably.  Olympia Snow is another woman currently not in government who has the requisite stature and experience.

The fact is, we need people who are more than "really smart" or "really talented."  We need experienced statesmen and, where possible, stateswomen who have worked in government for decades and who understand Washington.

That the resulting selections are white men may be regrettable.  But if they can do the work, that's what really matters.