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Obama Promises "A New Dawn Of American Leadership" |
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Thursday, 04 December 2008 |
By Chris Levister -- Barack Obama promised “a new dawn of American leadership “ in a
troubled world Monday announcing a strong willed national security team headed by Hillary Rodham Clinton, who fought him long and bitterly for the presidency, and Robert Gates, the
man who has been running two wars for George W. Bush.
Clinton as secretary of state, and Gates, remaining as defense secretary, will be the most prominent faces besides Obama’s own – of the new administration’s efforts to revamp U.S.
policy abroad.
“The time has come for a new beginning,” said Obama, flanked by flags on a stage with Vice President-elect Joe Biden. He added, “We are now on a glide path to reduce our forces in Iraq.”
Obama has now selected half hisCabinet, including the high profile jobs at State, Defense, Justice and Treasury.
A week ago he named Eric Holder, a former senior official in the Clinton administration as attorney general, Timothy Geithner as treasury secretary and just announced New Mexico Gov.
Bill Richardson as commerce secretary and should soon be announcing former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle as health and human services secretary, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano,
Homeland Security chief and Gen. James L. Jones, national security chief.
Holder would be the first African-American to serve as the nation’s top law enforcement official.
Leaving the news conference in Chicago where he introduced his national security team, Obama strolled out of the room arm in arm with his formal rival, a gesture that brought cheers and disappointment from her often fervent supporters.
In what was billed as the Year of the Woman in U.S. politics, the choice of Hillary Clinton as secretary of state somehow seems both more and less than her supporters had hoped for.
“I wouldn’t say I’m jumping for joy but I applaud Obama for doing the right thing. Hillary is strong and has what it takes to restore America’s position as a force for positive change in the world,”
said Gwen Phillips, a Boeing Company research scientist and Clinton campaign organizer from Riverside.
“There is no question this campaign exposed extreme gender bias from the media, party leaders and voters,” said Stacy Mason, executive of WomanCount, a progressive women’s organization.
“I think it’s great for Hilary, the bickering and feuding is over, now we can get down to effecting change. She’s now on a powerful perch,” said Chinonyerem Oguguo an aspiring physician and member of the UC Riverside African-Americans United in Science.
Still other Hillary supporters and volunteers like Robert Ruark, Wilson Thomas, Shailaja Rone Neelakantan and Jackie Hughes of Redlands and San Bernardino aren’t impressed.
“What was heralded as the year of the woman is something of a disappointment,” said Ruark who reluctantly cast his vote for Barack Obama. “As of now, women will number 17 in the
100-member Senate and 74 in the 435-member House. The U.S. still ranks 83rd in the number of women in elected office. That’s nothing to boast about,” he grumbled.
“I still believe she would have made a good president,” said Neelakantan.
While 2008 will go down in U.S. history as the year the country’s first Black president was elected, it will also be remembered for the election in which a woman nearly became the
Democratic nominee for president and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin became the Republican party’s first woman nominee for vice president.
The campaign was also marked by the stereotypes of Clinton as the humorless pant suit wearing harridan of the Democratic nominating contests and Palin as the know-nothing pretty
face chosen to ‘energize and spruce up’ Republican John McCain’s sagging campaign.
But most voters give Obama a thumbs-up for his bold and diverse appointments so far calling them capable, smart and pragmatic. As for ardent Hillary supporters like U.S Rep. Maxine Waters (D) Los Angeles - in the end they sensed some progress has already been made.
“She survived a lot of humiliation. She endured and triumphed, even though she didn’t win the presidential nomination,” said Waters. “Some glass ceilings are harder to shatter than others.
I think she did conquer many obstacles and came out ahead for herself and women around the world.”
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