From Opponent to Secretary of State

Author: Crystal Fontaine

President-elect Barack Obama announced Monday his selections for top officials that will lead him throughout his presidency, revealing a group of very experienced hands. Rounding out his top officials will be Robert M. Gates, who will remain as Defense Secretary, General James L. Jones as the new National Security Advisor, and after weeks of deliberation and speculation, Senator Hillary Clinton was officially announced as Secretary of State. As pointed out by many critics, Obama’s team characterizes a more veteran circle rather than the change that Obama has pledged throughout his entire campaign trail. Obama’s response is simple. He is trying to unite a more experienced group with fresh thinking, maintaining that change will come from him.

As a New York Senator, Clinton was not an idle woman. Mrs. Clinton served on the several Senate Committees, including the Senate Committee for Environment and Public works, Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions Committee, and Senate Special Committee on Aging. She is a big advocate for socialist-styled children programs and education as well as more affordable, quality health care. As Senator Clinton has focused on domestic issues, she has not ignored the international sphere. She has sponsored such bills as the S.RES. 92, which had called for an immediate and unconditional release of Israeli soldiers held captive by Hezbollah and Hamas. She also sponsored legislation to establish a commission on the conflict between Russia and Georgia, addressed the humanitarian crisis and potential security breakdown as a result of Iraqi refugees fleeing to neighboring nations, as well as many others. In addition, Mrs. Clinton has voted in favor of legislation such as H.R. 7081, which supports the United States-India Agreement for Cooperation on peaceful uses of Nuclear Energy.

According to Senator John W. Warner, “The triumvirate of Gates, Clinton, and Jones to lead Obama’s national security team instills great confidence at home and abroad and further strengthens the growing respect for the President-elect’s courage and ability to exercise sound judgment in selecting the best and the brightest to implement our nation’s security policies”. However, there are questions of how the Clintons will deal with potential conflicts of interests while Hillary serves her term as Secretary of State.

In the past few weeks, former President Bill Clinton has begun paving the way for smoother sailing for his wife. He has agreed to allow the State Department and White House counsel to vet his speaking schedule and to disclose the names of contributors to the Clinton Foundation. He is to step away from the day to day running of the foundation during his wife’s tenure as well as refuse any donations from foreign governments to the Clinton Global Initiative. He also has agreed to abstain from holding any meetings abroad.  Although he is paving the way for his wife’s new position, some believe former President Clinton should be given a more formal role in foreign policy, such as special U.S envoy on Kashmir. Perhaps the position would keep him busy and out of trouble?

Needless to say, Obama has chosen an interesting and experienced team, especially his choice of Secretary of State. Are his choices wise? Only time will tell.