Barack Obama's secretary of state will be the point person on the president-elect's campaign pledge to restore America's standing in the world. Sure, it will be important for Obama to find someone who shares his world view, but Obama appears willing to tap someone who is able to come see the world as he sees it.
Who are the contenders? Massachusetts Sen, John Kerry has kept fairly quiet over the past months, which is perhaps a sign of something in the works. After endorsing Obama in January, he declined requests (including NEWSWEEK's) to talk about any specific policies in a future Obama administration. But one of Kerry's major goals—a card he often played during his own presidential bid in 2004—is his pursuit of reining-in nuclear proliferation, which aligns with Obama's intent to bring national and global security. Writing on the Huffington Post, Al Giordano labeled Kerry the most "no drama" pick, which aligns with how Obama ran his campaign, and how he has signaled he'll run his administration
Add to the mix Richard Holbrooke, a Clinton appointee as U.N. ambassador with an impressive diplomatic resume. He was assistant secretary of state for two different regions (Asia and Europe) under two different presidencies (Carter and Clinton) and helped, in 1995, broker the Dayton Accords, which brought peace to Bosnia. He was even considered for the top post at State in a potential Kerry administration in 2004.
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson would also come with a hefty tool belt of diplomatic credentials. A seven-term congressman who preceded Holbrooke as U.N. ambassador, Richardson was also secretary of energy during the Clinton years, which—as he liked to emphasize during his bid for the Democratic nomination earlier this year—means he's got experience as an executive running a department ... and a state.
The choice appears to come down to Obama's planned direction: Whether he'll fill his cabinet with recycled Clinton names that come with experience in the role, or stick to the promise of change he made repeatedly during the campaign.
