Dec. 1, 2008
A Test Of Rivals
CBSNews.com Analysis: President-Elect Obama's Nomination Of Clinton Highlights Past Differences
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Obama Puts Past Aside, For Now
During President-elect Barack Obama's press conference to announce his national security team, he was asked about past criticisms by Sen. Hillary Clinton on his foreign policy qualifications.
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Hillary Accepts Cabinet Post
President-elect Barack Obama officially announced Sen. Hillary Clinton as his pick for Secretary Of State during a press conference announcing his national security team.
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From Foes To Friends
Julie Chen takes a look back at the sometimes rocky relationship between Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton during the Democratic race for the presidential nomination.
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President-elect Barack Obama stands with Secretary of State-designate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y.; right, at a news conference in Chicago, Monday, Dec. 1, 2008. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
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President-elect Barack Obama, right, stands with Secretary of State-designate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., at a news conference in Chicago, Monday, Dec. 1, 2008. (AP)
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In-Depth
Obama's Cabinet
The latest names and status of posts within Obama's new administration.
With his economic group largely assembled, President-elect Barack Obama today unveiled a foreign policy and national security team notable for including both a current member of the outgoing Republican administration and his major political opponent in the Democratic Party. By doing so, Mr. Obama is putting his oft-repeated desire to assemble a “team of rivals” to perhaps the ultimate test.
The retention of Robert Gates as Secretary of Defense fills two needs for the incoming president as prepares for extraordinary challenges both at home and abroad. First, it provides some practical stability in the midst of two wars, one in Iraq where circumstances have changed in the past year and one in Afghanistan that has become a greater focus for the Defense Department. Secondly, it fulfills a campaign promise to include Republicans in his cabinet, and not in a minor position at that.
But the selection of New York Senator Hillary Clinton to be Secretary of State is a far more complicated and curious choice. On the single greatest foreign policy issue of the past decade, Mr. Obama and Clinton took opposing sides and those differences created the biggest flashpoints in their battle for the Democratic nomination. In fact, Mr. Obama may never have gotten the chance to select a cabinet of any kind were not for his opposition to the war in Iraq from the very beginning.
Then an unknown Illinois state senator, Mr. Obama delivered a barely-noticed speech outlining his reasons for opposing the use of force in Iraq while Clinton voted for it in the U.S. Senate. By the time the presidential campaign rolled around, Mr. Obama had joined Clinton in the Senate and while his voting record was similar to hers on Iraq-related issues, his initial opposition had become very attractive to a Democratic Party hungry for change, particularly on the war.
Clinton responded to Mr. Obama’s growing candidacy with an argument of experience, one that culminated in one of the most memorable ads of the campaign, the “3am” ad. "It's 3am and your children are safe and asleep,” the ad began. “But there's a phone in the White House and it's ringing. Something's happening in the world. Your vote will decide who answers that call. Whether it's someone who already knows the world's leaders, knows the military, someone tested and ready to lead in a dangerous world. It's 3am and your children are safe and asleep. Who do you want answering the phone?"
Despite having not even vetted Mrs. Clinton to be his running mate during the campaign, Mr. Obama has answered that question by ensuring in a very real way that both will likely be involved in any of those phone calls. Less clear is whether the two former opponents will respond with one voice. For much of the past year, Mr. Obama countered Clinton’s claims of experience with criticisms of her judgment. Now both are going to have to swallow their words in common cause.
In their comments during today’s announcement, both made clear they plan to do just that with Mr. Obama bestowing his “complete confidence” in Clinton and the nominee responding by pledging to give the job “my all” and praising Mr. Obama’s election. But Mr. Obama at the same time made crystal clear that he would be setting policy for the administration and expects his appointments to carry out his vision.
Past campaign differences aside, Clinton brings some obvious strengths and weaknesses to the job of the nation’s top diplomat. She’s instantly recognized all over the world and has relationships with many foreign leaders. Her focus on foreign policy and national security in the senate provides depth to a new president relatively inexperienced in world diplomacy.
But, as the wife of a former president with wide-ranging world interests and relationships of his own (all reportedly thoroughly vetted by the Obama team), Mrs. Clinton will have to make sure to present a united front with Mr. Obama from the get-go to avoid perceptions that she is operating outside of the new administration.
These latest additions to Mr. Obama’s team may signal a more cautious approach to international affairs than he indicated during the campaign but also a recognition that experience is as much desired in his administration as change. And with economic concerns dominating the agenda, Clinton and Gates provide a solid base on the security front.
In a practical sense, Clinton’s arrival at the State Department “will immediately send several signals to foreign leaders,” said CBS News’ State Department reporter Charles Wolfson. The selection says “that the new occupant in the White House is not afraid to have former political rivals in positions of power and influence and that he is sending a strong personality already well known on the international stage to move his foreign policy objectives forward.”
Still, Clinton “will inherit a plateful of problems,” says Wolfson. “Ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may top the agenda but Iran and North Korea’s nuclear ambitions will continue to be front and center and Washington’s relations with Moscow and Beijing are always a major concern.” Mr. Obama has chosen his former political opponent to help him handle such issues which, if not on the front-burner, are of enormous import to his presidency.
In announcing his new choices, Mr. Obama stressed the pragmatic nature of the team, which also includes former Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder for the top spot in the Justice Department, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano as Secretary of Homeland Security, retired General James Jones as National Security Adviser and adviser Susan Rice to be the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. (Click here for all the latest information on Mr. Obama's cabinet choices.)
“To succeed, we must pursue a new strategy that skillfully uses, balances, and integrates all elements of American power -- our military and diplomacy; our intelligence and law enforcement; our economy and the power of our moral example,” Mr. Obama said. “The team that we have assembled here today is uniquely suited to do just that. … They share my pragmatism about the use of power, and my sense of purpose about America’s role as a leader in the world."
This team is certain to have that pragmatism tested early and often, no member more so than Mrs. Clinton. Questions asked of the president-elect in this morning’s press conference were focused as much on their past differences as anything else and those questions are unlikely to go away anytime soon.
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See all 71 CommentsYou know you fascist should be trying to rebuild YOUR OWN Party instead of wasting your time here.
still angry that your Sara Failin Madonna was sent back to the backwoods?
And all the Rest of you GOP
Red State Clowns---
Where''s all the Commies and Socialists in Obama''s Cabinet?
Even Palin Now says She is:
"So proud of Obama".
You Morons get spoon Fed By Hannity - Rush -
And believe all The GOP Propaganda Machine-
You wouldn''t know the truth
If it hit you like a ton of Bricks.
Stop watching Fox News!!!
"We propagandize - You become brain dead."
Its made y''all sound like inbred Hillbillies!!!
You are living in Lies, Fabrications,
False Character Assassinations--
If Obama is such a Communist -- and alleged Socialist-
Like all You GOP drones say - Why is he putting
all these well known Generals -- and known and vetted
Economists in his administration!!!
I guess Defense Secretary Gates is a Collaborator.
The Fact is Your all full of Shiite!!!
And to perpetrate The same BS in the face of the Truth--
Proves you are just gullible abject fools!!!
Some great Secretary of States in our past have called this position as a gate keeper for political and economic channels. Keeping the right doors opened and closed in proper protocol and sequence, makes the expected results possible, when they are possible.
The hardest thing the Obama administration has to confront is reversing the trend of disadvantage by poorly negotiated agreements from prior administrations.
Posted by Demdump
dumb post
Posted by ObamBaboon
Perhaps you need to hire some monkeys to help you post.
"We propagandize - You become brain dead."
Its made y''''all sound like inbred Hillbillies!!!"
Please do no demean Hillbillies in this manner.
Sean Hannity was still going on about Bill Ayers last night-- HA HA HA= LOOSERS!
Obama is smarter that the whole bunch combined and the press will be forced to get up to speed now that the President is actually engaged in something real and can speak in complete sentences.
FYI I never feared Obama for any reason other than that he ran a totally STEALTH CAMPAIGN and he was the dearest darling of a media who refused to ask him a TOUGH QUESTION.
NOW - I believe it is the MOONBEAM LOONIES who are on the fringes of the left who are going to be the most vocal as the real BARACK OBAMA begins to surface!!
Posted by Demdump
winners get to choose
loosers get to whine
understand?
We saw what happens when you appoints your frat buddies and your Daddy''s friends.
Posted by Demdump
Go change your diaper, ya big whiny baby!
We saw what happens when you appoints your frat buddies and your Daddy''''s friends.
Posted by ByeNeocons
amen
There is no "clinton team", dummy.
Posted by troutfisher4 at
yep , because Change is coming...
Posted by Demdump
They may offer advice, but Obama will be the President! I doubt if he will be ''taking orders'' from the Clintons!
Posted by keystonebull
Bill and Monica will be in Lincoln bedroom and Hillary will be in Bosnia and watch out for the snipper eh...
We saw what happens when you appoints your frat buddies and your Daddy''''''''s friends.
Posted by ByeNeocons
amen
Posted by troutfisher4 at 01:36 PM : Dec 01, 2008
For little George Bush, it was an "aventure" for him. Clearly he had "no skin in the game". WE were his pawns and he and uncle d.i.c.k. played us, over and over again.
When Obama and his Administration get our country back on track, I hope they turn their attention toward the prosecution of The Bush and Cheney Crime families.
Coming to your pocket-book on January 20th....... CLINTON II - The Obama Years
After the long dark nightmare of the last eight years, this is feeling soooooo good!
Posted by HK4U2 at 02:12 PM : Dec 01, 2008
Do you people HONESTLY think others can''t see through you? No One that I know, NO real American, is NOT pulling for this Young Intelligent Leader right now. I can''t figure you losers out... honestly you are so pitiful and pathetic!
Please tell us what Bush''s destroy eh...
Posted by ike2146 at 01:34 PM : Dec 01, 2008
Sure you were.
Hillary is an excellent choice.
Posted by CitizenUSA
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Me Too! We could do ourselves a favor and re-establish some credibility in the world if we re-asserted that NO ONE is above the law in this country!
The official investigation (it''s already pretty much done) needs to be one of the agenda items for the next congress. I plan on letting my congresspeople know that - in no uncertain terms!
You got your name right. What a load of bull.
James Madison, I think it was who wrote about corruption in government, when that part of the Constitution was written.
As a US Senator, Hillary Clinton voted to increase the already substantial salary paid to cabinet members; and she is thus barred from being appointed to any such position.
But when was the last time the Constitution got in the way of the crooks running the show.
Some Presidents (notably Reagan) have followed the intent of the Constitution, and not appointed good candidates to positions thay had already established a conflict of interest for; but then Obama is all for change, including running roughsdhod over the Very Constitution he will be required to take an oath of office to uphold; yeah some change we have handed ourselves. Well I didn''t vote for this guy.
Posted by mr22587
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You are right on this one. He will do exactly as instructed. Richard Daley and Ayers will have a lot to say what goes on and O Bummer better listen. Also the Clintons are not dummies. They are playing him and O Bummer will just be yes sir person.
Posted by keystonebull
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Go away LITTLE racists - you can play in your sandbox and observe the adults from there.
You got your name right. What a load of bull.
Posted by byebyeneocon
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Also we in PA are not very smart because we voted for O Bummer. You remember making fun of our guns and religion. It will come back on you yet. Poor old O Bummer only has folks like you now. He is having to put people in office that will be his un doing.
Posted by keystonebull
I lived in Penn for a year, and was damned glad to leave.
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