Posted on 12/03/2008 6:59:24 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Barack Obama, soon to be the first black U.S. president, is on the road to making good his pledge to have a Cabinet and White House staff that are among most diverse ever, although some supporters are asking him to go even further. He added to the minority representation at the top of his administration Wednesday when he named New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Hispanic, as Commerce Secretary.
But some Latinos are grumbling it is not enough after all the support they gave him in the campaign, and gays and Asian-Americans are pushing for some representation in remaining Cabinet announcements. But overall Obama is allaying some early concerns that a black president wouldn't need to put so much importance on diversity of those working under him.
"The question was: Because he's black, how much pressure would he feel to be more traditional with appointments?" said Jamal Simmons, a Democratic consultant who worked with the Obama campaign. "The leadership of the campaign in the beginning wasn't very diverse, so there were questions about that. But I don't hear those questions any more."
In Obama's seven Cabinet announcements so far, white men are the minority with two nominations — Timothy Geithner at Treasury and Robert Gates at Defense. Three are women — Janet Napolitano at Homeland Security, Susan Rice as United Nations ambassador and Hillary Rodham Clinton at State.
With Clinton set to replace Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Secretary of State Madeline Albright was jokingly asked at an appearance this week whether there will ever be a male secretary of state again. There probably will be "someday," she told her audience of business executives at the Fortune 500 Forum.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
“With Clinton set to replace Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Secretary of State Madeline Albright was jokingly asked at an appearance this week whether there will ever be a male secretary of state again.”
Aside from Condi, who are the other women? Snicker....
Obama’s biggest supporters fell most comfortable with cabinet members who look like public defender lawyers.
Obama IS diversity.
He's black? I thought he was a landmark because he was...because he had...something about character...
A lot of folks on our side have written/said that, but I think they've drunk too deeply from the Kool-Aid. They would have to admit they were wrong in voting for him, and in today's narcissistic, self-esteem driven, morally relativistic culture, there's not enough humility to go around. Oh...a few may grow up and acknowledge Obama wasn't the best choice they might have made, but the overwhelming majority will still be blaming Bush, Cheney, Palin, Halliburton, Christianity, heterosexuality or the NRA for anything bad that happens under the POR (Pelosi/Obama/Reid).
Gee, isn’t Carlos Gutierrez, current secretary of Commerce, one of them His-panics?
To the left, Cubans don’t count I guess.
Two groups you can reliably pick on without fear of repercussion, whites and Cubans
I think ONLY if they've got some skin...er....MONEY in the game....I'm waiting for our retired liberal friends (i.e. project) who've lost bucko bucks in bonds and stocks to wake up....
Some are more diverse than others...
Wouldn’t it be wild to appoint people because of their talents and skills rather than their skin color, gender, or where they put their genitals!
I seek more...where’s my gas and mortgage payment?
Mark my words...it will still be Bush's fault. Even in Obama's fourth term a la FDR, we'll be hearing how understanding and patient we need to be with him because of the "mess" he inherited....
Me too.
Wouldn’t it be wild to appoint people because of their talents and skills rather than their skin color, gender, or where they put their genitals!
You are asking a lot here.
Aside from Condi, who are the other women? Snicker....
Colin Powell?
Why shouldn’t they whine for more?
It has worked for blacks for 45 years.
I demand representation for bestiality and sadomasochism. Sodomy without representation! Boston pee party! One if by gland, two if by pee!
Where is Mark Morford in the new cabinet?
“”his pledge to have a Cabinet and White House staff that are among most diverse ever”” (from original post)
this cabinet is so NOT diverse - a rogues’ gallery of the left, regardless of sex, skin color or ethnicity.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.