President-elect Barack Obama announced his selections for numerous cabinet positions earlier… President-elect Barack Obama announced his selections for numerous cabinet positions earlier this week. Beginning on Monday, Obama announced his national security team, consisting of Hillary Clinton for secretary of State, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and James Jones for national security adviser. Additionally, Obama chose New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson to head the Commerce Department. The Commerce Department, which deals with, as stated by Richardson, ‘job creation, economic growth, sustainable development and improving living standards,’ should see its importance in the Obama administration balloon as it will serve an unquestioned role in the next president’s economic policy. As Richardson stated so eloquently, ‘Boosting commerce between states and nations is not just a path to solvency and growth ‘mdash; it is the only path.’ And he couldn’t be more right. Much like President Franklin D. Roosevelt used public works programs, farm subsidies and other job growth devices to boost the economy, many pundits are calling on Obama to implement similar programs to jumpstart the economy. If that is the case ‘mdash; and it is looking more and more likely that it will be ‘mdash; Richardson will undoubtedly play an essential role in the development of Obama’s new New Deal. The selections of Clinton and Gates to secretary of State and secretary of Defense, respectively, highlight not only a move toward a more bipartisan cabinet, but also a move toward a more pragmatic foreign policy. The Obama national security team shares support for a responsible and calculated withdrawal of troops from Iraq. More than any other member of Bush’s cabinet, Secretary of Defense Gates has called into question the Bush administration’s traditional foreign policy. Gates has cautioned against a military confrontation in Iran and has been supportive of responsibly removing troops from Iraq. Obama’s appointment of Clinton to be the next secretary of State is a remarkable exercise in diplomacy. Although Clinton gave up her much-cherished seat as a U.S. senator from New York, one cannot help but believe that her place as arguably the highest cabinet member in the president’s inner circle during such a critical time is exactly what she wanted ‘mdash; aside from the presidency itself. Furthermore, her place alongside Obama and Biden creates a political force to be reckoned with. The name Clinton alone causes a stir among most diplomats, both domestically and internationally. And let’s not forget about her husband, either. Former President Clinton still carries his presidential name and is an incredibly significant force and well-respected figure in the international community. If anything has been made clear by the appointment of Clinton, who at one point during her campaign for president employed some of the sharpest and most violent attack ads against Obama, and Richardson, who was also a one-time rival of the president-elect, it is that Obama wants to foster debate and dissent among his cabinet members. Unlike the Bush cabinet, where many of the top-level cabinet members ‘not;’mdash; most notably Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice ‘mdash; invariably fell in line with the president’s positions, Obama’s all-star cabinet team was assembled for the purpose of challenging him as president and cooperating to create more well-rounded and reasoned policies and legislation as a result. The intellect, experience and ability of each of Obama’s cabinet appointees allows Obama the ability to focus on restoring the U.S. economy and other urgent domestic problems. Having the confidence in knowing that members of the cabinet, specifically Clinton, Gates and Jones, are more than qualified to handle the foreign and security policy of the United States without constant intervention by the president-elect, Obama can rest assured that the United States’ foreign and security policy will be established practically and, more importantly, responsibly. E-mail Shane at [email protected].