Foreign Policy is trumpeting its insidery guesses at who would serve in what top role in a Romney administration–should his election come to pass. Among the names being bandied about are former Sen. Jim Talent, Elliott Abrams, Dan Senor, and David Petraeus. But one name jumps out:
For secretary of state, most advisers interviewed for this article said that Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) is under serious consideration at the top levels of the campaign. An “independent Democrat,” Lieberman, who hasn’t endorsed any presidential candidate this cycle, was almost chosen by Sen. John McCain to run as vice president on his 2008 ticket. Lieberman will be unemployed in January when he retires after 24 years in the Senate. He has spent much of that time developing close relationships with foreign leaders all over the world, and he is a strong supporter of Israel, a major focus of Romney’s critique of Obama. By choosing him, Romney could show bipartisanship while handing the reins in Foggy Bottom to someone with international stature and whose foreign-policy views are more hawkish than many Republicans.
Coupled with Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, the Liebermans would make an interesting duo as their respective country’s head diplomat. One is the Clinton-scolding, Republican-endorsing, hard-charging longtime senator and erstwhile Democratic vice-presidential pick. The other is also notoriously headstrong as well as a Putin-absolving on-air toilet-flushing right-wing bull in a diplomatic China shop.
Would their stubbornness unite or divide them? Show your work.
Adam Chandler was previously a staff writer at Tablet. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic, Slate, Esquire, New York, and elsewhere. He tweets @allmychandler.