Hillary Clinton officially announced as Obama's Secretary of State

[illusionofjoy]

With the election over, I've scaled back on the political rants for the moment and have returned my focus to all the other foibles of humanity along with music. That said, I think it bears noting that today it was officially announced that Hillary Clinton will be Barack Obama's Secretary of State. Quoth the AP:

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.

The president-elect said he hadn't changed his mind about bringing most U.S. combat troops home from Iraq within 16 months but added a cautionary note — he'll consult with his military commanders first.

While his new team may be a bit more centrist — some war opponents might even say hawkish — than many Obama supporters might prefer, he said the withdrawal timetable he emphasized in the presidential campaign is still "the right time frame."

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 effort to revamp U.S. policy abroad.

Ever since the first rumours surfaced that Obama had offered the job to Hillary and that she had accepted, I've had mixed feelings. While there was no doubt in my mind that she is amply qualified to be Secretary of State, frankly, I still trust Obama about as far as I can throw him. Regardless, at the moment I will be more or less content to sit back and watch how this all plays out, subtly hoping that this act on Obama's part is one of many ways he'll be making amends for running such a reprehensible campaign. I didn't like casting a ballot for John McCain, but Barack Obama left me with no choice: I have discovered that certain actions are bigger dealbreakers for me than certain policy positions.