Presidents and Their Cabinet: George W. Bush
George W. Bush began preparing for a 2000 presidential campaign soon after his 1994 victory in the Texas gubernatorial election. He won re-election as Governor of Texas in 1998 and was then widely acknowledged to bet the front-runner in the race for the Republican Party's presidential nomination in the next election. Bush's name recognition, strong organization and fundraising discouraged other potential candidates such as Jack Kemp and Colin Powell. In the years leading up the election, Bush gathered a group of advisers that would later become key players in his administration.
Arizona Senator John McCain launched a spirited challenge, but it lacked sufficient impetus to defeat Bush. McCain's loss in the South Carolina primary effectively ended the 2000 Republican primaries, and Bush was nominated for president at the 2000 Republican National Convention. Democrats nominated Vice President Al Gore. Bush's campaign raised the issue of character, in the wake of incumbent President Bill Clinton having been exposed for his sexual conduct with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
Bush built up a substantial lead in several polls taken after the final debate in October. But the disclosure of a 1976 DUI arrest halted Bush's momentum. On election night, several television networks called the race for Gore based on exit polls and early returns, but as the night continued, the networks reversed themselves and called the race for Bush. Florida emerged as the key state in the election, as whichever candidate won the state would win the presidency. Official tallies showed Bush with lead of less than two thousand votes out of a total of two million cast in Florida. No winner was declared as both campaigns sent their attorneys to engage in the legal battle over the ensuing recount.
The Florida Supreme Court ordered a recount, but was overruled by the United States Supreme Court in the case of Bush v. Gore. The net result was that Bush was awarded the state of Florida and won the election with 271 electoral votes compared to Gore's 266. Gore narrowly won a plurality of the popular vote.
With the election decided, Bush turned to some of the members of his campaign team for key positions in his White House. These included several individuals who had worked under him in Texas, including Senior Counselor Karen Hughes, Senior Adviser Karl Rove, legal counsel Alberto Gonzales, and Staff Secretary Harriet Miers.
Bush turned to Paul H. O'Neill, who had served as Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget and appointed him as Secretary of the Treasury. O'Neill held the post until 2003. He was opposed the Iraq War and was also afraid that the Bush tax cuts would lead to deficits. He was replaced by John W. Snow in February 2003.
One of Bush's supporters during his nomination was former Missouri Senator John Ashcroft. Ashcroft suffered an embarrassing loss in his bid for re-election to the senate. Ashcroft was challenged by Governor Mel Carnahan and the race was very close. When Carnahan died in an airplane crash two weeks prior to the election, Ashcroft suspended his campaign. Carnahan's name remained on the ballot. Lieutenant Governor Roger Wilson became governor upon Carnahan's death and decided that if Carnahan was elected, he would appoint his widow, Jean Carnahan, to serve in her husband's place. Mrs. Carnahan agreed to serve in the Senate under those conditions. Carnahan received 51% of the popular vote. to 49%. Bush then selected Ashcroft as his Attorney General. Ashcroft differed with Bush on issues such as NSA surveillance and resigned after the 2004 election. He was then replaced by Alberto Gonzales.
Bush had little foreign policy experience, and turned to those who had served in his father's administration to fill many of these positions. Secretary of State Colin Powell had served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under the first President Bush. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld had served in the same position during the Ford administration, and had worked with Bush's Vice-President Dick Cheney. They became leading foreign policy figures during Bush's first term. Powell became frustrated by many of the decisions of the Bush administration, particularly the launching of the Iraq War. He resigned following the 2004 elections and was replaced by Condoleezza Rice, who had been Bush's National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley took Rice's former position. After the 2006 elections, Rumsfeld was replaced by former CIA Director Robert Gates.
Rounding out Bush's cabinet were: Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton (the first woman to hold the post and a former Colorado Attorney-General), Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman, (also the first woman to have that job and also the first woman to run that department in California), Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans (chairman of the Bush/Cheney campaign in 2000 and a former Texas oil company CEO), Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao (the wife of Senator Mitch McConnell, she had served in that role under the first President Bush), Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson (former Governor of Wisconsin), Secretary of Education Rod Paige (the first African-American to hold that position), Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Mel Martinez (co-chairman of Bush's 2000 presidential election campaign in Florida), Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta (a former Democratic Mayor of San Jose and a holdover from President Bill Clinton's Cabinet), Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham (a Republican Senator from Michigan who lost his bid for re-election in 2000), and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony Principi (who had been Deputy Secretary and Acting Secretary of that Department under the first President Bush).
In 2003 the Department of Homeland Security was created in order to consolidate a number of national security agencies. Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, it was felt that this consolidation under one departmenty would prevent a lack of communication between government agencies and foster cooperation rather that competition and intra-government secrecy. Former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge was selected as the first Secretary of the Department. He remained in that role until 2005.
Arizona Senator John McCain launched a spirited challenge, but it lacked sufficient impetus to defeat Bush. McCain's loss in the South Carolina primary effectively ended the 2000 Republican primaries, and Bush was nominated for president at the 2000 Republican National Convention. Democrats nominated Vice President Al Gore. Bush's campaign raised the issue of character, in the wake of incumbent President Bill Clinton having been exposed for his sexual conduct with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
Bush built up a substantial lead in several polls taken after the final debate in October. But the disclosure of a 1976 DUI arrest halted Bush's momentum. On election night, several television networks called the race for Gore based on exit polls and early returns, but as the night continued, the networks reversed themselves and called the race for Bush. Florida emerged as the key state in the election, as whichever candidate won the state would win the presidency. Official tallies showed Bush with lead of less than two thousand votes out of a total of two million cast in Florida. No winner was declared as both campaigns sent their attorneys to engage in the legal battle over the ensuing recount.
The Florida Supreme Court ordered a recount, but was overruled by the United States Supreme Court in the case of Bush v. Gore. The net result was that Bush was awarded the state of Florida and won the election with 271 electoral votes compared to Gore's 266. Gore narrowly won a plurality of the popular vote.
With the election decided, Bush turned to some of the members of his campaign team for key positions in his White House. These included several individuals who had worked under him in Texas, including Senior Counselor Karen Hughes, Senior Adviser Karl Rove, legal counsel Alberto Gonzales, and Staff Secretary Harriet Miers.
Bush turned to Paul H. O'Neill, who had served as Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget and appointed him as Secretary of the Treasury. O'Neill held the post until 2003. He was opposed the Iraq War and was also afraid that the Bush tax cuts would lead to deficits. He was replaced by John W. Snow in February 2003.
One of Bush's supporters during his nomination was former Missouri Senator John Ashcroft. Ashcroft suffered an embarrassing loss in his bid for re-election to the senate. Ashcroft was challenged by Governor Mel Carnahan and the race was very close. When Carnahan died in an airplane crash two weeks prior to the election, Ashcroft suspended his campaign. Carnahan's name remained on the ballot. Lieutenant Governor Roger Wilson became governor upon Carnahan's death and decided that if Carnahan was elected, he would appoint his widow, Jean Carnahan, to serve in her husband's place. Mrs. Carnahan agreed to serve in the Senate under those conditions. Carnahan received 51% of the popular vote. to 49%. Bush then selected Ashcroft as his Attorney General. Ashcroft differed with Bush on issues such as NSA surveillance and resigned after the 2004 election. He was then replaced by Alberto Gonzales.
Bush had little foreign policy experience, and turned to those who had served in his father's administration to fill many of these positions. Secretary of State Colin Powell had served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under the first President Bush. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld had served in the same position during the Ford administration, and had worked with Bush's Vice-President Dick Cheney. They became leading foreign policy figures during Bush's first term. Powell became frustrated by many of the decisions of the Bush administration, particularly the launching of the Iraq War. He resigned following the 2004 elections and was replaced by Condoleezza Rice, who had been Bush's National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley took Rice's former position. After the 2006 elections, Rumsfeld was replaced by former CIA Director Robert Gates.
Rounding out Bush's cabinet were: Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton (the first woman to hold the post and a former Colorado Attorney-General), Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman, (also the first woman to have that job and also the first woman to run that department in California), Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans (chairman of the Bush/Cheney campaign in 2000 and a former Texas oil company CEO), Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao (the wife of Senator Mitch McConnell, she had served in that role under the first President Bush), Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson (former Governor of Wisconsin), Secretary of Education Rod Paige (the first African-American to hold that position), Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Mel Martinez (co-chairman of Bush's 2000 presidential election campaign in Florida), Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta (a former Democratic Mayor of San Jose and a holdover from President Bill Clinton's Cabinet), Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham (a Republican Senator from Michigan who lost his bid for re-election in 2000), and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony Principi (who had been Deputy Secretary and Acting Secretary of that Department under the first President Bush).
In 2003 the Department of Homeland Security was created in order to consolidate a number of national security agencies. Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, it was felt that this consolidation under one departmenty would prevent a lack of communication between government agencies and foster cooperation rather that competition and intra-government secrecy. Former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge was selected as the first Secretary of the Department. He remained in that role until 2005.