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(Cross-posted at DKos)
Although we have had one woman running for President and one female vice-presidential candidate, the 2008 election was not a complete success for women. We elected ten new women to the House and two to the Senate, but also suffered bitter defeats in House races where incredibly qualified challengers like former Microsoft executive Darcy Burner and Huntington Beach mayor Debbie Cook lost hard fought races against lackluster Republican incumbents. Furthermore, the pipeline of women elected on the local and state level (especially here in California) has flat-lined.
As President-Elect Obama outlines his presidency, his immediate significant act is to appoint his team - this would include new Cabinet secretaries and agency heads. In recent weeks there has been a lot of news about who will serve in those positions, but with the exception of the Hillary Clinton/Secretary of State rumors, there does not seem to be too much chatter about women serving in the administration. It would be a mistake to pass over women like Tammy Duckworth, who knows first hand the experience and needs of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, for consideration for Secretary of the VA, or Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano for Attorney General.
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