Sen. John McCain has the perfect next job for his friend Joe Lieberman, the Connecticut independent who announced Wednesday he won’t run for re-election to the Senate next year: Secretary of Defense.
McCain, who nearly chose Lieberman to be his running mate on the GOP ticket in 2008, called on President Barack Obama to consider the Pentagon post for the retiring senator.
“You know it’s funny you mention it,” McCain said in a phone interview with CNN when asked if Obama ought to consider the move. “I really hope that the president would consider him. I hadn’t thought about it but I sure hope, whatever happens, he will play a major role on national security issues.”
McCain said Lieberman would be qualified for the job, calling his colleague “one of the most informed members of the Senate on national security issues and homeland security issues.”
Lieberman was a Democrat – and former Vice President Al Gore’s running mate in 2000 – until he lost his 2006 party primary. Rather than bow out, he became an independent and went on to win another term. That, and his frequent appearances with McCain during the 2008 presidential race might not make him a likely choice to run the Pentagon should current Defense Secretary Bob Gates step down, but McCain said he nonetheless hoped Obama would consider it an option.
“I know one thing, that the president has reached out to people that otherwise, maybe a couple of years ago, he wouldn’t have given serious consideration, but I can’t divine the views of the president,” McCain said.
{Capitol News Company, LLC/Matzav.com}
lets hope obama loses in 2012 and the question will be moot
Even if he loses, the question may not be moot.
Joe would make a good SecDef in any administration.