Here's the team announced today by President-elect Obama:
- Secretary of State: Hillary Clinton
- Defence Secretary: Robert Gates
- National Security Adviser: General James Jones
- Department of Homeland Security: Janet Napolitano
- Ambassador to the UN: Susan RiceAttorney General: Eric Holder
- Half the members are women, which does make a statement; Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton heads the team as the highest ranking cabinet member on it.
- Senator Clinton is going to be an energetic, creative, intelligent and progressive Secretary of State - because she's an energetic, creative, intelligent and progressive person. Watch and listen to her acceptance remarks.
But items 1 and 2 do not mean that the President-elect has done what I believe is necessary: he has yet to create a dedicated institution to examine the status of women's empowerment. As I learn more about presidential advisory boards (so far I have written part one and part two of my discussion about them), I become increasing convinced that a dedicated, broadly scoped President's Empowerment of Women Advisory Board ("PEWAB") is the tool. More on PEWAB to follow in subsequent posts. While we celebrate Senator Clinton's, Janet Napolitano's and Susan Rice's appointments, we cannot see them as a substitute for sustained presidential attention to the issue of empowering women all across the country, in every sector and capacity.
For now: my heartiest congratulations and best wishes to Senator Clinton in her new post; my congratulations to President-elect Obama for adding the most progressive and prominent Democrat active today to his cabinet.
Heidi - great post!
I have created a petition which I will send to Gov. David Paterson, asking him to appoint a woman to Senator Clinton's seat. If you and your readers agree, I'd appreciate as many signatures as possible!
Posted by: madamab | December 01, 2008 at 02:27 PM
Not only should Paterson appoint a woman to the Senate seat, he should take a LONG hard look at the 7 names on the list submitted to him by the NY State Commission on Judicial Nominations with recommendations to replace Chief Justice Judith Kaye as she is reaching the mandatory age of retirement, 70. Kaye was the FIRST woman ever to sit on the NY Court of APpeals (the highest state court in NY) and of course the first woman to be Chief Justice of the NY Court of Appeals.
The list has 7 names, ALL MALE!!
According to one article, Patterson was disturbed by this list containing NO FEMALE recommendations and only one non-white recommendation. One woman who SHOULD have been named, was expected to have been named and was NOT named was Judge Carmen Ciparick, a WOMAN now sitting on the Court of Appeals of HIspanic heritage. THAT is what you should be up in arms about. UNACCEPTABLE doesn't begin to describe this bullcrap!
Posted by: ainnj | December 01, 2008 at 05:19 PM