Shadow cabinets call themselves the Loyal Opposition. In Britain and Canada, it’s Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition. The Royal Loyals, as it were, the very name making the point that opposition does not equate with treason. No pretense is made that the opposition’s role is non-partisan. On the contrary, its job is to oppose, and the shadow ministers provide its whetstone. Quite often, if elections turn the tables on the party in power, shadow ministers join the cabinet in their same role.

Despite all the obvious problems with forming and operating a shadow cabinet outside a parliamentary system designed for it - for instance, having to deal with prerogatives of the separate leadership of party, Senate and House - Democrats ought to appoint shadow secretaries.

I bet you think I have some people in mind. I do. For instance, Gary Hart as Shadow Secretary of Defense would be an appointment I’d smile about. Ed Dobson at Interior. Juliet Schor at Labor. I’m sure everybody here has plenty of favorites, and most of mine are way off the left edge of what’s acceptable across the spectrum. There’s no single best person for each job. And some jobs for shadowing purposes could be combined, like the Brits do.

But whatever suitably intricate system is used to fill out its ranks, a shadow cabinet will only work if the folks chosen are willing to scrutinize, publicly criticize and strive to neutralize what their opposite numbers in the cabinet (and a few high-level agencies) are doing. Shadowers with spine and gumption no matter where they stand in the Democratic spectrum.

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- david | 7:51 PM