Ron Kirk Still Mum on Possible Place in Barack Obama's White House

This morning, a Friend of Unfair Park directed our attention to The New York Times' page featuring Barack Obama's "New Team" -- those folks who've either been appointed to the new administration or who're being rumored for the short list of maybe-so's. And nowhere on the page does former Dallas...

By Robert Wilonsky

December 15, 2008

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This morning, a Friend of Unfair Park directed our attention to The New York Times' page featuring Barack Obama's "New Team" -- those folks who've either been appointed to the new administration or who're being rumored for the short list of maybe-so's. And nowhere on the page does former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk's name appear -- which doesn't mean anything, sure. Because after Friday's revelation concerning Kirk's being in the running for secretary of something, there's his name on the Associated Press's just-published who's-who as possible Secretary of Transportation -- alongside favorite Jane Garvey, former head of the Federal Aviation Administration.

As folks have pointed out repeatedly since Friday, Kirk's an electricity-market deregulation lobbyist, and Obama has said he doesn't want lobbyists in his administration -- and, right, that's working out real well. So it could be anything. Or nothing. Today, Reuters called Kirk to see what's what, and he's still not offering hints about his possible position in an Obama administration. The job of chief U.S. trade negotiator has started turning up as a likely alternative to Secretary of Transportation, though. Alas, there's another favorite on that short list: Rep. Xavier Becerra. --Robert Wilonsky

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