If Writing Raven Were President...

I read a fun opinion piece from the Tundra Drums today by Harley Sundown. He was imagining a Yup'ik like himself being president, and what would his cabinet look like. Many not from Alaska, or not involved in Alaska Native culture and/or politics won't recognize many of the names he uses, but trust me - he's actually done a pretty good job! Including:

Walt Monegan as Secretary of Homeland Security
Many of you will recognize him for his more recent claim to fame - the former Alaska top cop fired by Palin, the spark that lit the "Troopergate" findings. But his inclusion here indicates something Alaskans and Alaska Native people knew long before - he's a great guy and great at his job. Although he is included in this as a Yup'ik, we Tlingits get to claim credit for him too!

Byron Mallot for Chairman of the Federal Reserve
I'm behind just about anything Byron Mallott does, he's smart, active, and done just about every job known to man. Everything he does turns golden because he's a great guy to have in charge - shall we give him a go at AIG and the Big Three?

Anyone from the Demmert family in Southeast as Secretary of Education
He he... won't tell you why this is totally true, or so funny to me.

Dr. Walter Soboleff as Spiritual Advsior
A really great person, Alaskan, and Alaska Native - someone who's done a lot in his long life - he just turned 100 and was honored at the Alaska Federation of Native Convention this year. And did I mention a great TLINGIT?

I know, I know, my highlights are heavy on the Tlingit people - but these are people I've heard about or known my whole life, and it was great to hear them mentioned for a presidential cabinet - albeit a fictitious and highly unlikely cabinet.

A few others in this fun, all Alaskan cabinet I would add:

Rosita Worl as Chairman for the National Endowment for the Arts
As head of the Sealaska Heritage Institute, she'd led the way to a lot of extraordinary arts initiatives aimed at promoting Tlingit (and Southeast Alaska Native) culture through arts. She's been involved in a lot of things, not the least of them encouraging Native languages, but I think she would really shine with this. She sees art as not just pretty stuff to look at, but a link to our culture and a powerful way to stay connected.

Marlene Johnson as Chief of Staff
She'd get that place in shape! Yet another with a long list of accomplishments, I know for a fact she'd get some serious issues worked on, and accomplished, and beware those that stand in the way!

Fran Ulmer as Vice President
She's not Native, but as former Lt. Governor for Alaska, she has a unique view of energy and what that means. She is currently chancellor for the University of Alaska, former mayor of Juneau, former state house minority leader, AND she totally knows what the Bush Doctrine is. If that's not enough to get her elected, I don't know what is!

Okay, my fun is over - but I'd like to know some of YOUR cabinet picks!

Obama checks two things off my list in one press conference!

I was very pleased to go to a link Mudflats had pointed out, and be reassured how much President Elect Obama rocks!

I had posted a few days ago that one of my "honey-do" list items for Obama was to keep up what he's been doing with the Internet outreach, the accessability of his campaign, so it could really be a government "of the people, by the people and for the people."

It took a few seconds of joy before just getting really excited about the fact that he's done just that. Change.gov!

It is not something just flung up in a few days, so his people have clearly been working on just that. You can check out the issues, get the news updates and blog, apply for an Obama administration job, and (my favorite parts) there are a few places to share your story, and share your vision for the country.

What made me even happier was to listen to Obama's first press conference as President Elect. It is something that he mentions just briefly, but it made me take notice - he joked that the puppy issue was the most commented on issue on the Web site. Seriously, have we ever had a president who was aware what people were talking about on the government Web site? For that matter, have we ever had a president that in touch with how the world is working?

Okay, I doubt seriously that Obama is scanning the blogs each night as he goes to bed and checking the forums, but hey, nobody burst my bubble on that visual.

One item checked off my list already....

But there was another item he already addressed, and that is the all-important puppy issue. As tongue-in-cheek as you can get about the gravity of this, it was actually a funny-topic-but-it-would-show-a-lot-about-leadership kind of idea to get a puppy from a shelter. How tickled was I when Obama announced in the same press conference that they would like to get a puppy from a shelter?

Check a second item off the list. Okay, so he hasn't actually done that yet, but I also get that it might be hard to be sure you're getting a hypo-allergenic one from the pound, so I'm getting him a check on this one prematurely.

I would also like to repeat my plea for the serious consideration of former Alaska Governor Tony Knowles for Secretary of the Interior. I PROMISE you that he is NOTHING like our current governor. Really. I would never have thought of this until I saw the possibility in the news, and as soon as I saw it knew how perfect it would be. Or he would be.

And America, make sure you check out the President Elect's http://www.change.gov/ site. I've also attached his first press conference.