Joe Biden is reportedly considering several Republicans for cabinet positions if he wins the presidential election including Ohio Gov. John Kasich and former Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake.
Other options the former Vice President is eyeing include former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, who currently heads Quibi, former Rep. Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania and former Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, according to a new Politico report.
Kasich is the most prominent candidate on the list. The Republican former Congressman, who is an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, has endorsed Biden and spoke at August’s Democratic National Convention.
He served in the US House from 1983 to 2001 and became a frequent Fox News guest. He continued his career in politics by serving as Ohio’s governor from 2011 to 2019 and ran in the 2016 Republican presidential primary.
Joe Biden is reportedly considering several Republicans for cabinet positions if he wins the presidential election including Ohio Gov. John Kasich and former Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake
Kasich, an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, has endorsed Biden in the presidential election and spoke at the Democratic National Convention in August (above)
Biden and Kasich above together during a discussion on bridging political and partisan divides at the University of Delaware in 2017
Back in November 2018 Kasich said he was ‘seriously considering’ running against Trump in 2020 but didn’t follow through.
In his DNC speech Kasich said: ‘I’m sure there are Republicans and independents who couldn’t imagine crossing over to support a Democrat.’
‘They fear Joe may turn sharp left and leave them behind. I don’t believe that. Because I know the measure of the man — reasonable, faithful, respectful. And you know, no one pushes Joe around,’ he added.
Flake, a Trump critic, announced on August 24 that he was endorsing Biden saying: ‘Given what we have experienced over the past four years, it’s not enough just to register our disapproval of the president.’
‘We need to elect someone else in his place — someone who will stop the chaos and reverse the damage,’ he said.
Flake served as senator of Arizona from 2013 to 2019 and in the House from 2001 to 2013.
Former Arizona Senator Jeff Flake, another Trump critic, announced on August 24 that he was endorsing Biden saying: ‘We need to elect someone else in his place — someone who will stop the chaos and reverse the damage’
Biden is also reportedly considering former Republican Congressman Charlie Dent who chaired the House Ethics Committee
Dent is another Republican figure who has clashed with Donald Trump. He once proposed legislation to protect Special Counsel Robert Mueller from removal.
Dent served in the House from 2005 until his 2018 resignation. During his time in Congress he served the House Committee on Appropriations and previously chaired the House Ethics Committee.
Former eBay CEO Whitman was a senior member of Mitt Romney’s presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2012 and she ran for governor of California as a Republican in 2010.
However, she supported Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election and spoke at the Democratic National Convention in August.
Biden’s reach across the aisle to assemble senior members of his administration could be a bid to win support from the right.
Picking cabinet members from opposing parties follows in the footsteps of past presidents like George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Donald Trump did not follow the tradition.
Biden staffers are now reportedly analyzing some Republicans’ backgrounds and resumes to compile the list of candidates for high-profile cabinet positions.
Biden’s campaign said the team is not making any decisions before the November 3 election, adding ‘diversity of ideology and background is a core value in the transition.’
Others include former eBay CEO Meg Whitman (left speaking at the Democratic National Convention) and ex-Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (right)
Biden has already tapped Cindy McCain, the wife of the Late Republican Sen. John McCain for his transition team
It’s not clear what positions the candidates would assume in the cabinet.
However, the bid to bring Republicans on board Biden’s cabinet is not boding well with all Democrats.
‘I don’t understand why someone who says, “I am the Democratic Party” would then hand benefits to someone who’s not a Democrat,’ Jeff Hauser, the director of the Revolving Door Project, said to Politico.
Biden’s campaign has extended several olive branches to his Republican counterparts.
His campaign regularly holds calls with officials who have endorsed him including Republicans and he gave several GOP supporters prime speaking slots at the DNC.
He also tapped Cindy McCain, the wife of the Late Republican Sen. John McCain for his transition team.
Source: Daily Mail
