The Ryan Effect, With A Side Of Cheddar

The Washington Post says that, win or lose, Paul Ryan is ascending this campaign season - -  so you might think about the Badgers whom Ryan could take with him, or push for DC appointments, if he ever gets the chance.

Here's my list - - based on experience and temperament: 

*  US Supreme Court: Associate Wisconsin Supreme Court Justices Annette Ziegler and Michael Gableman, both young enough to get on a High Court vacancy short list.

*  UN Ambassador: A toss-up between Reince Pieibus and Scott Fitzgerald. Same duo for Secretary of State.

* Secretary of Agriculture: Perhaps farmer Tommy Thompson, though he'd be a strong candidate for Secretary of the Treasury, give his shekelmania, or Housing and Urban Development, with his DC-area property flipping experience. He's done his time at Health and Human Services, so the nod there goes to Alberta Darling, given her 180-degree turn on a woman's right to choose, and on supporting Planned Parenthood. Or to Glenn Grothman, for obvious reasons.

*Also for obvious reasons: Secretary of Education - - Sen. Ron Johnson. 

* Secretary of Transportation: Robin Vos, based on having killed Wisconsin's regional transit authorities and the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee commuter train.

* Department of Energy: current PSC chair and former GOP State Rep. Phil Montgomery. He brings along that critical 2005 ALEC Legislator of the Year credential.

* Department of Homeland Security: Could be State Capitol police chief David Erwin, could be Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke.

* Environmental Protection Agency: DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp has earned the administrator's jobs, but as a former home builder, like Mark Neumann, either one could slide right in at HUD. So many options...

* Secretary of the Interior: A slam-dunk: State Rep. Joel Kleefisch, resident expert on the wolf hunting and sandhill crane shooting, too.

* Secretary of Labor: Scott Walker.

* Attorney General: As this is the Department of Justice, there are no strong contenders.