THE PRESIDENT CAN’T RUN THE COUNTRY BY HIMSELF. the people he appoints to key positions can make or break his administration. Here is a possible lineup of Cabinet officials and major appointments. They are able, diverse, and largely nonpolitical. Most of them are people that Perot is known to respect. There’s a heavy dose of Texans—but hey, can we help it if that’s where the talent is?

Vice President  Peter Ueberroth Los Angeles. Admired by Perot as one of the most talented people in America, he has been baseball commissioner and head of the ’84 Olympics; he now has been picked to lead the rebuilding of Los Angeles.

Secretary of State Jeane Kirkpatrick Washington, D.C. A Democrat-turned-Reaganite whom Perot respects, she could be entrusted with foreign policy while he focuses on domestic affairs.

Attorney General  Tom Barr New York City. Top litigator for Cravath, Swaine, and Moore, he successfully defended huge IBM anti-trust case; does legal work for Perot.

Secretary of Defense  Colin Powell Washington, D.C. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff would be a popular bipartisan choice—and an olive branch to the outgoing Bush administration.

Secretary of the Treasury  Felix Rohatyn New York City. A former EDS board member who once devised a plan to rescue New York City from economic collapse.

Secretary of Health and Human Services  Hillary Clinton Little Rock, Arkansas. Erstwhile first lady; board member and former chair of the Children’s Defense Fund.

Secretary of the Interior  Morton Meyerson Dallas. Former EDS president who likes to hike in Norway; has Perot’s ear, so environmental issues would be taken seriously.          

Secretary of Commerce  Peter Lynch Boston. Perot says he wants to analyze American industries and tell them how to improve; as former head of the Fidelity Magellan Fund, Lynch has to know what is good and bad about every industry in America.

Secretary of Labor  Ernesto Cortes Austin. Oversees Southwestern U.S. for the Industrial Areas Foundation; has persuaded Perot of the critical need for job training programs to prepare the poor to enter the work force.

Secretary of Education  Henry Cisneros San Antonio. Was Perot’s kind of can-do leader as mayor; would send a much more forceful message to minorities than Lauro Cavazos did. Secretary of Transportation  Robert Crandall Dallas. The boss of American Airlines reshaped his industry and could rebuild our infrastructure—highways, subways, airports. Secretary of Veterans Affairs  James Stockdale Washington, D.C. Former prisoner of war in Vietnam who is Perot’s temporary vice-presidential nominee.

Secretary of Energy  Lena Guerrero Austin. No relationship with Perot, but the head of the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates the oil and gas industry, might be who he needs: someone who can strike a balance between industry and consumers.

Ambassador to the United Nations  Katharine Graham Washington, D.C. The no-nonsense chairman of the Washington Post Company is said to have urged Perot to run for president in 1988.

Chairman of the Federal Reserve  Hugh McColl Charlotte, North Carolina. The president of NationsBank (formerly NCNB) is a Perot business client and longtime friend.

Surgeon General  Kern Wildenthal Dallas. Regarded as “world class” by Perot for his stewardship of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.

Drug Czar  Jesse Jackson Washington, D.C. Why not?

White House Chief of Staff  Tom Luce Dallas. This unsuccessful gubernatorial candidate, Perot’s most trusted adviser, is the obvious choice. He would also be Perot’s first Supreme Court appointment.

Director of the Office of Management and Budget  Warren Rudman Nashua, New Hampshire. A Republican leader who is leaving the Senate because of disillusionment after a distinguished career that included authorship of the budget-cutting Gramm-Rudman law.

Press Secretary  Larry King Washington, D.C. He’s practically doing the job now on CNN.

Personnel Director  Betty Perot Dallas. She runs her brother’s foundation and makes recommendations for charitable grants. If he trusts her with his money, he’ll trust her with staffing his government.