Obama announces Clinton, Gates for Cabinet

[Jgood]

President-elect Barack Obama picked a national security team headed by former campaign rival Hillary Rodham Clinton and Bush administration holdover Robert Gates on Monday, and said he wants to consult with military commanders before settling on a firm timetable to withdraw U.S. combat troops from Iraq.

the president-elect also introduced retired Marine Gen. James Jones as White House national security adviser, former Justice Department official Eric Holder as attorney general; Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano as secretary of homeland security and Susan rice as United Nations .



http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/obama_cabinet

[Sigaba]

Source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...q116AD94PLO780

NAME — James Logan Jones.

AGE-BIRTH DATE-LOCATION — 64; Dec. 19, 1943; Kansas City, Mo.

EXPERIENCE — President and chief executive officer of U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for 21st Century Energy, 2007-present; supreme allied commander, Europe and commander, U.S. European Command, 2003-06; 32nd commandant, U.S. Marine Corps, 1999-2003; senior military assistant to the secretary of defense, Washington, 1997-99; commander, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Camp LeJeune, N.C., 1990-92; battalion commander, 9th Marines, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, Calif., 1985-87; Marine Corps Liaison Officer to U.S. Senate, Washington, 1979-84; company commander, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines, Okinawa, Japan, 1974-75; company commander, Marine Barracks, Washington, 1970-73; platoon and company commander, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, Vietnam, 1967-68.

DECORATIONS — Defense Distinguished Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters; Silver Star Medal; Legion of Merit with four gold stars; Bronze Star Medal with Combat V.

EDUCATION — B.S., Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, 1966; National War College, 1985.

FAMILY — Wife, Diane Johnson Jones; four children.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by Jgood

The president-elect also introduced retired Marine Gen. James Jones as White House national security adviser.

I'll bet they don't dare ask and he sure as hell won't tell!

Richard's $.02

[rubberneck]

Aside from Gates and possibly Jones this is a horrible National Security team for the world that we currently find ourselves in. Holder, Rice and Napolitano in their writings and speeches have demonstrated that they just don't understand the GWOT and the means necessary to fight it. Yikes.

[Sten]

Originally Posted by rubberneck

Aside from Gates and possibly Jones this is a horrible National Security team for the world that we currently find ourselves in. Holder, Rice and Napolitano in their writings and speeches have demonstrated that they just don't understand the GWOT and the means necessary to fight it. Yikes.

It gets clinton out of the Senate (and possibly elected office forever) I am happy.

[Sigaba]

Originally Posted by Sten

It gets clinton out of the Senate (and possibly elected office forever) I am happy.

I would point out that this move may get her into her next two elected offices.

She may benefit by being out of the senate because Congress's plate is so full and the legislative branch is generally reviled.

Also, if she's reasonably successful at Foggy Bottom, she could replace Biden on the Democratic Party ticket in 2012. Then, she'd be sitting in the cat-bird seat her party's nomination for the presidency in 2016. If things play out thus, she would be a formidable (and well-qualified) candidate.

An aside, During yesterday's This Week With George Stephanopoulos, the panelists wondered how the president-elect is going to keep everyone on message, especially with President Clinton in the mix of things. They wondered if General Jones would be better off working as a coordinator than as an adviser.

[rubberneck]

Originally Posted by Sten

It gets clinton out of the Senate (and possibly elected office forever) I am happy.

And puts here in a place to do actual harm to our interests abroad. I don't see that as a win. I'd rather see here as one of one hundred voices trying to be heard over each other than to be the face of the US to the rest of the world.

[Gypsy]

Originally Posted by rubberneck

I'd rather see here as one of one hundred voices trying to be heard over each other than to be the face of the US to the rest of the world.

I have to agree with this...but Holder and Napolitano really scare me.

[Sigaba]

Source:
http://www.defenselink.mil/utility/p...eleaseid=12378

"I am deeply honored that the President-Elect has asked me to continue as Secretary of Defense.

Mindful that we are engaged in two wars and face other serious challenges at home and around the world, and with a profound sense of personal responsibility to and for our men and women in uniform and their families, I must do my duty - as they do theirs. How could I do otherwise?

Serving in this position for nearly two years - and especially the opportunity to lead our brave and dedicated Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Defense Civilians - has been the most gratifying experience of my life. I am honored to continue to serve them and our country, and I will be honored to serve President-Elect Obama."

[Sigaba]

Secretary of State-designate Clinton offered a curious interpretation of the recent history of American foreign relations today <link>.

"The American people have demanded not just a new direction at home, but a new effort to renew America's standing in the world as a force for positive change," Clinton told a Chicago press conference after being nominated to the post of secretary of state by president-elect Barack Obama.

[Ret10Echo]

Is this waaaay too "Conspiracy Theory?"


Saudis, Indians among Clinton foundation donors
By BETH FOUHY and SHARON THEIMER, Associated Press Writers Beth Fouhy And Sharon Theimer, Associated Press Writers
2 hrs 20 mins ago

WASHINGTON – Former President Bill Clinton's foundation has raised at least $41 million from Saudi Arabia and other foreign governments that his wife Hillary Rodham Clinton may end up negotiating with as the next secretary of state.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia gave $10 million to $25 million to the William J. Clinton Foundation, a nonprofit created by the former president to finance his library in Little Rock, Ark., and charitable efforts to reduce poverty and treat AIDS. Other foreign government givers include Norway, Kuwait, Qatar, Brunei, Oman, Italy and Jamaica.

The foundation disclosed the names of its 205,000 donors on a Web site Thursday, ending a decade of resistance to identifying the sources of its money. While the list is heavy with international business leaders and billionaires, some 12,000 donors gave $10 or less.

Clinton agreed to release the information after concerns emerged that his extensive international fundraising and business deals could conflict with America's interests if his wife became Obama's top diplomat. The foundation has insisted for years it is under no legal obligation to identify its contributors, contending that many expected confidentiality when they donated.

The list also underscores ties between the Clintons and India, a connection that could complicate diplomatic perceptions of whether Hillary Clinton can be a neutral broker between India and neighbor Pakistan in a region where President-elect Barack Obama will face an early test of his foreign policy leadership.

The former president did not release specific totals for each donor, providing only ranges of giving. Nor did he identify individual contributors' occupations or countries of residence.

Donors gave Clinton's foundation at least $492 million from its inception in 1997 through last year, the most recent figures available.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_campaignp...n_donors/print

[Box]

You can never have enough foil on your head brother... it keeps the gub-mint from stealing your thoughts, it keeps the aliens from finding you, and in a pinch you can use it to wrap a potato up before you bake it...

...if it protects a potato from being incinerated think of what it can do for a human head!


http://zapatopi.net/afdb/build.html

[Ret10Echo]

Originally Posted by Jgood

Bush administration holdover Robert Gates on Monday, and said he wants to consult with military commanders before settling on a firm timetable to withdraw U.S. combat troops from Iraq.

Gates faces Congress eager for Obama's war plans
January 27, 2009 - 6:43am
By ANNE FLAHERTY
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Congress is eager to hear from Defense Secretary Robert Gates how the Obama administration plans to salvage the war in Afghanistan and hold a relative peace in Iraq _ all the while reducing the stress on a force stretched thin by years of combat.
Lawmakers, set to question Gates on Tuesday, also want to hear details on the closing of the Guantanamo Bay prison, with some members of Congress concerned that their state might become the next location to house the nation's most dangerous terrorist suspects.
"There are a lot of questions as to what victory and the redeployment out of Iraq means," as well as plans to bolster forces in Afghanistan, said Rep. John McHugh of New York, the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee.
President Barack Obama has vowed to shift military resources away from Iraq and move them toward Afghanistan and Pakistan, which he says is the central front in the struggle against terrorism and extremism. In a plan initiated during the Bush administration and endorsed by Obama, the Pentagon is planning to double the 34,000 contingent of U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
But expectations in the troubled region may have to be tempered as top military advisers focus on showing even small security gains and development progress quickly.
"That's clearly the message I'm getting is, `what are the near-term goals going to be?'" Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said when asked about Obama's agenda for Afghanistan.
While lawmakers mostly support the plan to send more troops, several Democrats have expressed the need for a clearer strategy.
Without an idea of when the commitment would end, "we tend to end up staying in different places and not necessarily resolving problems in a way that fits our national interest," said Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., a Senate Armed Services Committee member.
Gates, the only Republican Cabinet member asked by Obama to stay on, oversaw the same buildup of military forces in Iraq in 2006 and 2007 that Obama opposed. Gates also at one point urged caution against setting a firm timeline for troop withdrawals as Obama campaigned on the promise to bring U.S. forces home within 16 months.
But in recent months, the two are believed to have found much common ground, including Obama's desire to step up diplomatic efforts
Last week, in a meeting with Gates and other national security advisers, Obama reiterated his plans to execute a "responsible military drawdown from Iraq," according to a White House statement.
There was no mention in the statement of the 16-month deadline Obama frequently cited while campaigning for president. A current U.S.-Iraq agreement calls for U.S. troops to leave Iraqi cities by the end of June, with all troops gone by 2012.
Also in his first week in office, Obama ordered the eventual closure of Guantanamo Bay prison. With many of the details yet to be worked out, lawmakers are wondering where the detainees will go and how they will be tried. Mostly, members of Congress want to know if they'll be consulted before the administration makes any decisions.
These perplexing questions confounded the previous administration and will also test the new administration, but our duty calls us to set policies which keep America safe and conform to American values," said Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.
Another issue likely to arise at Tuesday's hearing is defense spending and whether Gates expects the Pentagon budget to decline considering Obama's increased focus on domestic spending.
The Obama administration is not expected to complete its review of the defense budget until this spring. Meanwhile, Gates has already estimated that the Pentagon needs another $70 billion in war costs to continue operations through September.