After two years of taking the presidential elections seriously I am now at the point of needing a break.

Thus, before attacking the serious topic of what needs to be done once President-elect Barack Obama has moved to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue from Chicago with his wife, two daughters and the new puppy -- not a pit bull with lip gloss, we hope -- I thought I would speculate irresponsibly (more even than usual) on some possible post-election projects.

The first is to look more seriously at the aspirations of the Alaska Independence Party, supported by the GOP vice presidential spouse-manque Todd Palin and perhaps even by Gov. Sarah Palin herself. After watching not only their caperings but also those of senior Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, recently convicted on seven felony counts, it is time to think seriously about supporting the secession of Alaska from the union. This also would reduce American vulnerability to attack from Russia. Ms. Palin can continue to watch our former Cold War enemy across the icy wastes from her very own national capital.

The major preoccupation of Washington-fixated people at the moment is who will get what position in the new Obama administration. One indicator of prospects is the performance of those who played an important role in the electoral campaign.

On that basis Mr. Obama is said to be thinking of veteran terrorist Bill Ayers as homeland security secretary. The Rev. Jeremiah Wright may be slotted for secretary of education. Amber Lee Ettinger, "Obama Girl" in the famous video, is preparing to take the place of White House spokesperson Dana Perino.

Consistent with what is said to be Mr. Obama's intention to put some Republicans into his administration, Joe Wurzelbacher, a.k.a. Joe the Plumber, whom opponent Sen. John McCain was reportedly planning to take to Washington if he won, is being thought of as either treasury secretary, based on his various declarations on taxes during the campaign, or as secretary of housing and urban development, based on his professed profession.

In general it is expected that Mr. Obama will fill his Cabinet with Muslims, terrorists and Republicans. Rumors that he will be seeking to fill key positions with people who are well qualified to carry out the responsibilities of the offices are entirely without foundation.

On a serious note, Mr. Obama would be wise not to dig back into the closet of Clinton administration officials for key appointments. Mr. Clinton recycled people from the administration of President Jimmy Carter, rejected in the 1980 elections 12 years earlier, when he came to office in 1993. The results were not impressive. Nostalgia is good when it involves old songs. It is not good when it involves political retreads.

Also on the serious side, there is valid speculation as to whom Mr. Obama will choose as secretary of state. This is a particularly critical area of policy because repairing and newly invigorating U.S. foreign policy has to be near the top of Mr. Obama's first-year agenda as president. Given voters' concerns as expressed in the election results, the health of the economy has to be Mr. Obama's top priority. After that and not unrelated to it come the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and other aspects of America's foreign relations.

Mr. Obama will have substantial help from Vice President-elect Joseph Biden in that regard, but his choice as secretary of state will be very important.

My first choice, far and away, is New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. Not only was Mr. Richardson U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, secretary of energy -- an important aspect of foreign affairs -- and a regular special overseas envoy, he is, by my knowledge, a first-rate personal negotiator.

When I was U.S. ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo I watched his very effective work with a difficult group of opposing political figures, including then-President Mobutu Sese Seko and rebel leader and later President Laurent Kabila. He got Mr. Kabila to don a New York Yankees cap. I translated for Mr. Richardson to Mr. Mobutu one of the toughest messages I ever had to deliver during my career -- that the United States wanted him to step down so that his body wouldn't be dragged through the streets by the Congolese population. Mr. Richardson didn't flinch.

During the Democratic primary campaign, the New Mexico governor, initially a candidate himself, provided Mr. Obama an endorsement at a key point that apparently annoyed the Clintons mightily.

Other candidates for secretary of state that Mr. Obama is reportedly looking at include Sen. Richard Lugar, a Republican from Indiana, who is a nice man but who is old (76) and too vanilla for my taste. Another candidate for the post, reportedly supported by the Clintons, is retired Ambassador Richard Holbrooke. Mr. Holbrooke, 67, has the reputation of having an XL ego and of being personally rude and unpleasant to virtually anyone who has the misfortune of working with him. Mr. Holbrooke's approach is not consistent with the reputation for civility that the Obama team has earned over the many months of the campaign.

Like everything else, the key appointments are a matter of considerable urgency as the transition between the Bush and Obama administrations process hits high gear and Inauguration Day approaches.