About Us
Mission Statement
Rules of Conduct
 
Name:
Pswd:
Remember Me
Register
 

National Security Monday
Author: Raine    Date: 12/01/2008 13:32:58

Today President Elect Obama is set to announce his National Security team. Much has been speculated and pontificated about regarding the choice of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State. At around 10:45 this morning he will be holding a press conference:
According to a Democrat familiar with the transition team's work, the former First Lady is part of a national security team that also includes: Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, nominee for Secretary of Homeland Security; Eric Holder, for Attorney General; Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who will remain in his current position for at least one year; retired Marine Gen. Jim Jones, for National Security Adviser; retired Adm. Dennis Blair, for Director of National Intelligence; and Susan Rice, for U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
The most interesting name on that list is not Hillary Clinton. It's Susan Rice.
Rice was a foreign policy aide to Michael Dukakis during the 1988 presidential election. She was a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, the global management consulting firm, in the early 1990s.

Rice served in the Clinton administration in various capacities: At the National Security Council from 1993 to 1997, as Director for International Organizations and Peacekeeping from 1993 to 1995 and as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs from 1995 to 1997. In 1997, she became Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, serving in that capacity until Clinton left office on January 20, 2001.

Secretary of State Madeline Albright is a longtime mentor and family friend to Rice, who urged Clinton to appoint Rice as Assistant Secretary of State. Rice was not the first choice of Congressional Black Caucus leaders, who considered Rice a member of "Washington's assimilationist black elite." Even at a confirmation hearing chaired by Senator Jesse Helms, Rice—who attended the hearing along with her infant son, whom she was then nursing—made a great impression on Senators from both parties and "sailed through the confirmation process.

As Assistant Secretary of State Rice was considered "young, brilliant, and ambitious," and she worked to "integrate Africa in the global economy while at the same time aiming to increase U.S. national security."
The New York Times reported yesterday that PE-Obama is reinstating the U.N. ambassadorship back to a cabinet position as it was under President Bill Clinton.

As it should be. I believe that it gives America even greater chances to restore our credibility in this world. Why it was taken out of the cabinet I will never fully understand or know, but this signals to the world that we have an incoming administration that is willing to be tough and be able to talk and be diplomatic at the same time. With Hillary Clinton, Susan Rice, (let us not forget Samantha Power who is part of the SOS transition team, and possibly another strong voice in the Obama administration) we are seeing clearly that PE Obama is keeping true to his word that many voices will be at the table. He is making choices that are inspiring. It's nice to see so many strong women there too.

So today is National Security Monday, when we finally get to see and debate a few more of the Obama cabinet selections. I am sure we will agree on some and disagree on others, but one thing is for sure, it is exciting to see what the possibilities are for our Nation's future.

:peace: and
Raine

P.S. Today is World Aids Day. Here is a little Bonus Click of hope.
 

115 comments (Latest Comment: 12/02/2008 03:49:34 by Mondobubba)
   Perma Link

Share This!

Furl it!
Spurl
NewsVine
Reddit
Technorati