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Speculation begins on makeup of Obama's second term Cabinet





President Barack Obama has had a relatively stable Cabinet since January 2009 but that's expected to change for his second term in the White House.

There are conflicting reports about Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. Before the election, news media said he was ready to leave the Interior Department but now Al Kamen of The Washington Post suggests he might stick around a little longer.

If he goes, Politico identified potential replacements. They include former Sen. Byron Dorgan, former Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal and outgoing Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire.

Over at the Health and Human Services Department, Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is expected to stay and oversee the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, which includes a permanent reauthorization of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. The Indian Health Service is part of her department.

Attorney General Eric Holder is said to be leaving the Department of Justice. He helped settle the Cobell trust fund settlement and more than 50 tribal trust cases but has otherwise maintained the government's unfavorable views on the federal trust relationship in litigation.

Get the Story:
In The Loop by Al Kamen: Obama’s changing Cabinet (The Washington Post 11/8)
Back to Work, Obama Is Greeted by Looming Crisis (The New York Times 11/8)
Obama faces familiar world of problems in 2nd term (AP 11/8)
Barack Obama's second-term Cabinet (Politico 11/7)

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