It’s official – Obama taps Clinton to head State

President-elect Barack Obama on Monday tapped his
toughest primary rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), to become
Secretary of State.

In glowing remarks, Obama commended the woman he beat for
the Democratic presidential nomination as a friend and colleague who “possesses
an extraordinary intelligence and toughness, and a remarkable work ethic.”

{mosads}“I am proud that she will be our next Secretary of
State,” said Obama, who then listed Clinton’s attributes for the position.

“She is an American of tremendous stature who will have
my complete confidence; who knows many of the world’s leaders; who will command
respect in every capitol; and who will clearly have the ability to advance our
interests around the world.”

Clinton thanked Obama for the honor of being appointed
and vowed to give “her all” to the job. While she said it would be very
difficult to leave the Senate, where she has served since 2001, becoming
secretary of State would best allow her to serve the country.

Obama and Clinton will face a number of serious
challenges on foreign policy, chief among them the continued American presence
in Afghanistan and Iraq. Moving forward in both countries will require
international help, and Clinton will be on the frontline in lobbying reluctant nations
to commit to Afghanistan in particular.

Clinton noted that the “fate of our nation and the future
of our children” depend on tackling global challenges and that the key to
solving current problems is to find more friends and reduce the number of
enemies.

Clinton’s husband, former President Bill Clinton, reacted
to the nomination by saying: “As an American, I am thankful that
President-elect Barack Obama has asked Hillary to be Secretary of State and
that she has accepted.  As her husband, I am deeply proud.”

Bill Clinton added that she is the “right person for the
job.”

“She has already earned the respect of foreign leaders
and diplomats through her work to promote human rights and the empowerment of
women through access to education, healthcare and economic opportunity,” Bill
Clinton stated. “And Americans know, from her leadership in the Senate on
national security, that she will always put the security, values and the
interests of our people first.”

The bruising primary battle between Clinton and Obama was
not decided until after Obama won a decisive victory over Clinton in the May 6
North Carolina primary. That win combined with a narrow loss to Clinton in
Indiana led to the end of a race that deeply divided the Democratic Party, but
Clinton still did not conceded until a month later.

Overall, Clinton won 1,639.5 pledged delegates to Obama’s
1,766.5. She also won 23 states and territories, including California, New York
and Florida.

The two clashed memorably over foreign policy during
their primary fight, with Obama criticizing Clinton’s vote backing the Iraq
War. Clinton, for her part, criticized Obama’s statement that he would meet
with the leaders of hostile regimes with no preconditions.

After the battle, however, Clinton helped unite the party
behind Obama by campaigning furiously across the country for the party’s
nominee.

The president-elect also announced that he would retain
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, named retired Gen. Jim Jones as National
Security Adviser, Eric Holder as Attorney General, Arizona Gov. Janet
Napolitano (D) as Homeland Security secretary and Susan Rice as ambassador to
the United Nations.

“In this uncertain world, the time has come for a new
beginning – a new dawn of American leadership to overcome the challenges of the
21st century, and to seize the opportunities embedded in those challenges,”
Obama stated.

“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,” the president-elect added. “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.”

Vice President-elect Joe Biden said Obama’s national
security team “is poised to recapture the totality of America’s strength.”