As today is Veterans Day, I figured it be as good a time as any to take a closer look at who might lead the Dept. of Veterans Affairs in President-elect Obama's administration. The next Secretary of Veterans Affairs has a huge task ahead of her/him having both to correct the mistakes made during the Bush administration and having to take care of an increasing number of Iraq War and Afghanistan War Veterans.
Who do you think should take care of veterans for the next four years?
Interestingly, VoteVets.org has a petition on their website asking President-elect Obama to find a role for both Max Cleland and Tammy Duckworth in his administration.
Of course there are also other candidates to head the Dept. of Veterans Affairs. Here are ten possible candidates for Sec. of Veterans Affairs, including Cleland and Duckworth:
ret. Gen. Wesley Clark (AR) - fmr. Presidential Candidate, member of the VoteVets.org Board of Advisors
fmr. Sen. Max Cleland (GA) - disabled Vietnam War Veteran, fmr. Administrator of Veterans Affairs
Tammy Duckworth (IL) - disabled Iraq War Veteran, Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, member of the VoteVets.org Board of Advisors
Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) - Vietnam War Veteran, fmr. Deputy Administrator of Veterans Affairs
Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD) - Chairwoman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs Economic Opportunity Subcommittee
Elaine Kamarck - Lecturer in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, fmr. White House official, member of the VoteVets.org Board of Advisors
Rep. Patrick Murphy (PA) - Iraq War Veteran, member of the VoteVets.org Board of Advisors, member of the House Armed Services Committee
Rick Noriega (TX) - Lt. Colonel in the Texas Army National Guard, Afghanistan War Veteran, member of the Texas House of Representatives
Rep. John Salazar (CO) - served in the US Army, member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee
Rep. Joe Sestak (NY) - ret. US Navy Vice Admiral, member of the House Armed Service Committee