Mr. President, where are we going?
In 1841, all members of John Tyler’s administration resigned except for one. It was a demand of policy changes. 130 years later, President Jimmy Carter demanded his entire cabinet members to resign; only five original members were left. With two terms, Ronald Reagan, also saw all of his cabinet transition except for one. Before President Clinton’s end of his second term, he lost ten of his original cabinet members.
Today, history is unfolding a white house tradition before our eyes, as members of President Bush’s cabinet also leave their posts. So far, the following are some of those who have resigned:
Colin Powell- Secretary of State
John Ashcroft- Attorney General
Tom Ridge- Head of Homeland Security
Tommy Thompson- Secretary of Health
John Danforth- U.S Ambassador to the U.N
Don Evans- Secretary of Commerce
Ann Veneman- Secretary of Agriculture
Rod Paige- Secretary of Education
Spencer Abraham- Secretary of Energy
Mel Martinez- Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Paul O’Neill- Secretary of Treasury
As the country transition with members of cabinet, we ask ourselves if the transition will be strategic enough to make changes in needed places. Whether the country’s foreign policy will be strengthened, or whether the education will reach those who need it most.