The new US cabinet includes some tough nuts to crack, reports Anayat Durrani All the pieces are falling into place for President George Bush's revamped cabinet. Familiar faces have gone, and new faces have come in. Yet through all the reshuffling, there is one common theme -- the second-term cabinet is increasingly turning out to be a representation of Bush's loyal inner circle. Whereas Bush called out the heavyweights to take their place in his first-term cabinet, this time around it is loyalty and like- mindedness that appear to dominate. Many of the posts are being filled by staff and close friends who have worked with Bush for years, some of whom even trace their roots to the president's home state of Texas. "The Bush administration has the primary political task of building a legacy," notes David McCuan, professor of Political Science at Sonoma State University in California. "It's not so much [about] securing successful policy initiatives or even steering the public conversation about politics; rather, the administration is doing everything to secure President Bush's place as a pre-eminent leader in the modern world." In order to ensure that he takes his place in history, President Bush must first assemble a reliable team to implement his vision. Even before Bush won his second term, there was speculation that Secretary of State Colin Powell would not retain his position. Powell, seen internationally as a moderate voice, was often at odds with more hawkish members of the Bush Cabinet regarding Iraq and other foreign policy issues. As Powell stepped down to re- enter "private life", Bush's most trusted confidant, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, quickly came forward to fill the post left vacant. Introducing her at the White House as the new secretary of state, the president sealed her promotion by giving her two approving kisses on the cheek. Rice's former deputy, Stephen Hadley, will inherit her job as national security adviser. Confirmation hearings for Rice as secretary of state will not begin until Congress reconvenes in January. Powell, the Bush administration's most respected and popular cabinet member, has said he will remain as secretary of state until his successor is confirmed by the Senate. When Rice finally takes over the reins, she will have to address such issues as the ongoing US occupation of Iraq, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and the suspected nuclear weapons programmes of the two remaining "axis-of-evil" foes Iran and North Korea. Rice is considerably more hard-line than Powell, whose departure as secretary of state, though expected and reached by "mutual agreement", was received worldwide with disappointment and concern. "The administration will continue to put pressure on the ruling mullahs of Iran, raising international visibility over nuclear proliferation fears, while developing new weapons to combat those threats," McCuan predicts. "The idea is to push an agenda that is unilateral, but has common interests around escalating threats. So, we threaten diplomatically the regime in Iran, while arming ourselves, and possibly our allies, to respond to that 'gathering storm'. This portends more escalation, more pressure against threats, but also a greater degree of conference with our allies and friends." McCuan believes that making Rice head of the Department of State is an example of this "diplomacy through power" approach. He argues that it will bring about a change in both tone and substance by the Bush administration in its second term, but is unlikely to prove successful in mending already strained relations with allies in Europe and the Middle East. "This administration is going to proceed down the lonely path of pushing our allies away while also seeking their help," concludes McCuan. "We will see more of the Jekyll and Hyde approach to foreign policy that we've seen with this administration over the last four years. We will see continued unilateral actions, but also better consideration of our allies' position." Since Bush entered his second term, his administration has seen departures, replacements and reshuffles. Six of Bush's 15 Cabinet members have resigned, and more are expected to follow them. Those who have already left include commerce secretary Don Evans, education secretary Rod Paige, agriculture secretary Ann Veneman, and energy secretary Spencer Abraham. Rod Paige, the first African-American secretary of education, embarrassed the administration when he likened the national teachers' union to a "terrorist organisation". He will be replaced by domestic policy adviser Margaret Spellings who worked with Bush on school reforms in Texas, and on the federal No Child Left Behind Act. In another affectionate display, Bush kissed Spellings on the corner of her lips when he presented her as the new secretary of education. During that ceremony, the president's chief political adviser, Karl Rove, admitted that she had "brutally" turned him down for a date in the 1980's, showing how far back some of the new administration's interconnections go. Meanwhile, controversial top-cop Attorney- General John Ashcroft has been replaced by leading White House counsel and trusted Bush friend Alberto Gonzales, who becomes the first Hispanic-American to serve as a senior law-enforcement official. Gonzales was a Texas Supreme Court justice when Bush was Texas governor. Harriet Miers, Bush's personal lawyer in Texas and close friend, will replace Gonzales as chief White House lawyer. White House Chief of Staff Andrew H Card Jr, who served in the administrations of both President Reagan and President Bush senior, will remain in the job. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld will also retain his post, although whether he will last out the full four years is debatable. Homeland Security Chief Tom Ridge is expected to be resigning, but he may stay on for a few months yet. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson is also rumoured to be either on his way out, or in line for transfer to another cabinet position such as Homeland Security or Transportation. US Trade Representative Robert B Zoellick is expected to resign. Meanwhile, moderate Senator Arlen Specter (Republican, Pennsylvania) is set to chair the Judiciary Committee, as Senator Orrin Hatch (Republican, Utah) is term-limited from keeping the post next year. Specter, the only pro-abortion Republican on the Judiciary Committee, alarmed conservatives when he said pro-life nominees to the US Supreme Court might have difficulty receiving confirmation. Republicans have since worked to block Specter's bid to head the Senate Judiciary Committee, taking the comment to suggest that Specter might not work hard to confirm President Bush's nominees. With at least three Supreme Court justices believed to be heading towards retirement, including ailing Chief Justice William Rehnquist, Specter could come to play a major role in reshaping the nation's highest court.
