Obama Picks Experience

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright December 1 2008
All Rights Reserved.                    

         Presdient-elect Barack Obama is expected to name former rival Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) for secretary of state Monday, Dec, 1.  She gave him all he could handle in the Democratic primaries, providing much of the negative campaign used by his GOP rival Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) who Barack beat Nov. 4 in the general election 53% to 46%.  Barack buried the hatchet, picking his once bitter rival, whose attacks on his foreign policy credentials served as McCain’s blueprint for failure.  Hillary criticized Barack for lacking foreign policy experience.  His pick of her now shows he’s willing to move on, bringing on the former First Lady to run the State Department.  Hillary promised Obama’s vetting team she’d work out any remaining kinks regarding her husband’s possible conflicts-of-interest funding his presidential library and charitable foundation.

            Of all Barack’s Cabinet picks, Hillary is the most controversial, not because of her own issues but because of Bill’s past and current dealings.  While there’s not much separation on foreign policy between Bill and Hillary, Barack takes his first high-stakes gamble picking his former rival.  Hillary expects to pick her own staff, potentially running afoul with his otherwise carefully considered picks.  Hillary’s fiercely independent streak and forceful personality could rub some diplomats the wrong way.  She inherits a mess at the State Dept. with low morale in the wake of eight years of Bush’s foreign policy.   After bypassing Hillary for VP, Barack decided to offer her the No. 3 post.  Few expected Hillary to leave the Senate.  She and her husband realized that running the State Dept. was far more prestigious than serving out her term as junior New York. senator

                 Barack decided to stay with former CIA Director and current Defense Secretary Robert Gates.  Though Gates supported President George W. Bush’s Iraq policy, he’s not expected to put up too much resistance to Barack’s exit strategy.  Showing continuity at the Defense Dept. was more important than forcing change at the Pentagon during a time two wars and heightened terror alerts.  Recent attacks in Mumbai, India indicate that the war on terror rages on in different battlefields.  Unlike the controversial former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Gates could live with Obama’s exit stategy, calling for a withdrawal of combat forces within 16 months.  While Gates agreed to stay on for a short while, Barack’s expected to name another defense secretary before the next mid-term elections.  Gates agrees with Barack about adding more troops in Afghanistan, overshadowed by the Iraq War.

            Expected to announce former Clinton Deputy Atty. Gen. Eric Holder to run the Justice Dept., Barack opts for experience over a fresh face.  Holder knows his way around the Justice Dept. still reeling from the political firings of eight deputy AGs under former Justice Dept. Director Alberto Gonzales.  Gonzales resigned in disgrace Aug. 27, 2007 after embarrassing testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee.  While Holder is well-credentialed, he comes with some baggage from his last days in the Clinton Justice Dept. offering no objections to the pardon of the billionaire fugitive Marc Rich.  While working at the Washington law firm Covington & Burling, he represented Chiquita Brands International after getting fined for supporting United Self-Defnese Forces of Columbia, a recognized terror group.  Holder defended Chiquita against a civil suit rising from the criminal action.

            Barack also went to a safe pick for National Security Advisor, picking retired heavily decorated four-star Marine Gen. James L. Jones.   Jones comes with a wealth of foreign policy experice serving as NATO Supreme Allied Commander [2003-2006].  He retired from his 40-year Marine career Feb. 1, 2007, currently serving on the boards of Boeing and Chevron.  With Mumbai still reeling from terror attacks, picking Jones provides reassurance to the GOP and conservative foreign policy establishment.  Jones was asked twice but declined to serve as Deputy Secretary of State under Condoleezza Rice.  He currently serves as Chairman of the Atlantic Council of the United Stats and special advisor to President-elect Barack Obama during the campaign.  Jones, known for his problem–solving skills and pleasant demeanor, is expected to execute Obama’s  national security objectives.

            Picking Hillary to head the State Dept., Barack put past differences aside and went for competence and star-power.  Hillary should become the highest profile State Department Secretary since Henry Kissinger.  Barack promised to afford Hillary a degree of autonomy to create a new paradigm for U.S. State Dept.  Greatly weakened by two foreign wars, Clinton will work hard toward building a bipartisan foreign policy not seen since James Baker III led George H.W. Bush’s State Dept.  With so many red flags on the horizon, Barack opted for some of the most seasoned foreign policy experts to lead his national security and foreign policy teams.  There’s no room for error or on-the-job-training, ironically the exact criticism leveled by Hillary and McCain at Barack during the campaign.  Those looking for change won’t find it with the inexperienced:  Obama packed his Cabinet with proven winners.

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.  He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet/a> and Operation Charisma.

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