FOR THOSE expecting exciting appointments for the second Clinton term, the new cabinet is an anti climax. Most of those who left have been replaced from junior ranks, and rewarding loyalty has been more important than seeking innovative new talent.
The President has, of course, made a bipartisan gesture by nominating a Republican senator, Mr William Cohen, to the important defence post, and how he performs under pressure will be closely watched.
The transfer of Ms Madeleine Albright, from UN ambassador to the post of Secretary of State, is also an interesting move. She will have to prove that she can make the transition and show diplomatic finesse as the new administration takes on new challenges with Russia and China.
A reminder that the new cabinet faces are still only nominations, and will require Senate confirmation, comes from the continued rumblings from Capitol Hill over the appointment of Mr Tony Lake to head the Central Intelligence Agency. He is being promised a grilling over failure to inform Congress of a controversial decision on the arming of Bosnia when he was National Security Adviser.
Mr Lake as security adviser had been the main official responsible for the White House policy on Northern Ireland. His assistant, Ms Nancy Soderberg, is also expected to move elsewhere, probably to the State Department.
Mr Lake's deputy, Mr Sandy Berger, takes over the top post but he has not been noted for involvement in Northern Ireland affairs up to now, as he did not need to be.
Overall, the new cabinet is meant to fulfill the first term Clinton pledge "to look like America". In the inner cabinet of 14, there are four women, three African Americans and one Hispanic.
There was strong lobbying from the labour unions to get the labour secretary post for their favoured male candidates, but in the end Mr Clinton rejected these names and chose Ms Alexis Herman, a black woman who headed the women's bureau in the department under President Carter.
Another surprising newcomer is Mr Andrew Cuomo in the housing and urban development post. A son of the former governor of New York, Mr Cuomo had first indicated that he wanted to return to New York politics.
Those who have kept their posts in the new cabinet are: Mr Robert Rubin in treasury; Mr Richard Riley in education; Mr Donna Shalala in health; Mr Dan Glickman in agriculture; Mr Bruce Babbitt in interior; Mr Jesse Brown in veterans affairs and Ms Janet Reno as attorney general.
Mr Federico Pena in transport was resigned to being ousted, but at the last minute was switched to energy as Mr Clinton was forcibly reminded that there was no Hispanic in his new line up.
Ms Reno's fate seemed in the balance for several weeks as anonymous White House aides leaked that the President really wanted her to resign. He has now denied this, and she stays on for what will be a difficult period of investigations by her Justice Department into abuses in campaign financing, especially by the Democrats.
Observers have commented how the new cabinet shows "no clear policy stamp" and how there is no dominant "ideology" apparent. In a sense this is no surprise, as the President has promised to govern from the "vital centre" and avoid any accusations of "liberalism".
Two of the cabinet most identified with traditional Democratic liberal values, Mr Robert Reich at labour and Mr Henry Cisneros in housing, have departed. The liberal wing is now mainly represented by Mr Cuomo and Ms Herman, but as newcomers their influence will be limited.
How influential the cabinet will be over a President no longer facing an election is an interesting question. Unlike the Irish and British counterparts, the US net does not meet on a weekly basis and the President is a real chief executive and not just a chairman with a casting vote.
The situation of Vice President Gore will be very interesting over the next four years as he positions himself for his run for the White House in the year 2000. If the investigations into Whitewater and campaign financing abuses get more and more uncomfortable for the President, Mr Gore will have to distance himself from the President.