Suzanne Rice or Pete Bottige for the post of Secretary of State, Michelle Flornoy as Secretary of Defense and Lyle Brainard as head of the Federal Reserve • And will Socialist Elizabeth Warren land in the Treasury?
• The next US administration is taking shape - a snapshot
Elected President Biden and Vice President Harris // Photo: AP
Outgoing President Trump may not have admitted to the loss yet, and legal battles over the election results are yet to come, but incumbent President Joe Biden is already working on preparations for entering the White House, and in particular the establishment of his cabinet.
Biden, who has repeatedly promised to work for unity and reconciliation, will try to put together a cabinet accordingly, and according to senior estimates he will surround himself with will come from all corners of the political spectrum - Democrats from the left wing of the party, moderate Democrats and some Republicans.
The president-elect's desire to appoint a diverse cabinet may become necessary, as he and his staff will have to deal with a not-so-simple reality, with the Senate - presumably - remaining under Republican control.
If that's indeed what's going to happen in the end, Biden will have to find candidates to pass the test of Republican Majority Leader Senator Mitch McConnell.
In this respect, the candidacy of former UN Ambassador Susan Rice - the favorite to win the post of Secretary of State - will not be an easy matter. And she will not need much overlap or adjustment.
On the other hand, Rice's good relationship with the president-elect does not characterize her ties with the Republicans.
Rice has been embroiled in a bitter confrontation with Republicans in Congress while investigating the attack on the U.S. embassy in Benghazi, Libya, in which four Americans, led by the ambassador, were killed. Chances are, his close adviser Tony Blinken, who served as deputy secretary of state and deputy national security adviser, may be the coveted candidate, and Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, who has held Biden's Senate seat for decades, is also considered a candidate for the State Department.
Another role that will define the Biden administration's foreign relations is the ambassador to the UN. Wendy Sherman, a well-known figure in Israeli circles as the one who led the talks with the nuclear deal with Iran, is considered the leading candidate for the job. Throttle her candidacy, and then Pete Boutige, a rising star in the Democratic Party, even if inexperienced on the diplomatic front, may win the nomination. The role of Secretary of Defense, according to U.S. reports, is for Michelle Flornoy.
The former Secretary of Defense in the Obama administration is considered to have extensive experience and knowledge in all Pentagon activities, and is considered a clear favorite for the position.
But the most complex appointment for Biden will not be in the areas of foreign and security.
The role that is already very controversial is that of the Minister of Finance.
The left wing of the Democratic Party is pushing for the appointment of Senator Elizabeth Warren, but it is unclear whether the Liberal legislature will pass the Republican Senate test.
At the moment, according to Politico, Lyle Brainard, the Federal Reserve governor, is the favorite for the job, not only because of her vast experience but because she is not expected to provoke too much opposition among Republicans.