Obama Camp Announces Foreign Policy Advisory Team
The Obama campaign is seeking to beef up its profile on foreign policy, with an announcement of a new "Senior Working Group on National Security," a Who's Who of senior Democrats who will be advising the candidate on foreign policy -- and presumably acting as campaign surrogates -- between now and the election.
The group includes such names as former Sec. of State Madeleine Albright, former Sen. David Boren, former Sen. Sam Nunn, former Rep. Lee Hamilton, former Sec. of the Navy Richard Danzig, former Sec. of State Warren Christopher, former Sec of Defense William Perry and others. Overall, it's a good cross-section of Dems who supported Obama as well as Hillary Clinton in the primaries, and many of them served in Bill Clinton's White House.
Sing it with me, people: Kumbaya, My Lord, Kumbaya!
June 18, 2008 9:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
This is an impressive set of foreign policy thinkers who will undoubtedly be smeared as Judases among the NoQuarter crew.
June 18, 2008 9:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe he can have a little talk with his spineless son?
June 18, 2008 9:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
Another thought -- while it's good to have the Dems' foreign policy establishment supporting him and providing advice, it would be a shame if his foreign policy approach was limited by them. Both here and on the economy, he more than deserves some "out-of-the-box" thinking, too.
June 18, 2008 9:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
With this line-up it sounds like "change we can revert to". He needs some new blood in this group!
June 18, 2008 9:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
I pray this means Sam Nunn is not seriously being considered for VP.
June 18, 2008 9:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
Double-pray.
June 18, 2008 9:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
"Senior" is right. this is pretty disappointing; he should stick to people who aren't walking anachronisms. where's Sam Power when we need her?
June 18, 2008 9:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yuk!
June 18, 2008 10:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
Madeleine Albright once said (paraphrase); what's the use of having this kind of military if you aren't going to use it.
This is the kind of thinking that gets us into trouble around the world. Iraq anyone?
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If the HBO movie, Recount, on the 2000 election is accurate, Warren Christopher's tactics were a big part of Gore losing in Florida.
Hamilton is someone I see who the Government goes to when they want to ameliorate governmental incompetence or irresponsibility.
David Boren and Sam Nunn (and Hamilton) are red state conservative Dems.
This crowd is 'change"?
Where are the liberals and the anti war appointments?
June 18, 2008 10:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
Good job, John.
Yep, same old crap. Same old Iraq-sanctions, Sudan-bombing, Yugoslavia-destroying crap.
I figured he'd at least wait until September before showing his true DLC colors. Oh, well.
June 18, 2008 11:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
I was wondering about Samantha Power as well, though I have nothing against the people he has chosen so far. I have a lot of respect for some of these people, particularly Albright. I always thought she was great. Having picked these people and thrown them out there for the pundits and such to ooo and aaaawww over, now he should feel free to add a few less retro names as well. :)
June 18, 2008 10:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
The fact that he's announcing the assemblage of a group of advisors is good news in itself. I'm looking forward to hearing LOTS of discussion of the thinking that will come out of his "people" and how it reflects what his policies will be.
June 18, 2008 10:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
I hope Obama gets what he wants out of these people, but, jeepers, what a disappointing set of choices they are.
June 18, 2008 10:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
You are missing the point of the function they serve.
June 18, 2008 10:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
Missing the point of the function they serve? I don't think so; as I said, I hope he gets what he wants out of them.
June 18, 2008 10:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
I agree! I sincerely hope that Samantha Power comes back , ideally now, but if not, definitely in January. Her foreign policy views would be an powerful asset to the campaign, and will go a long way in repairing the damage done during the last 7 & 1/2 years. He needs new people with new insights to reshape US foreign policy.
June 18, 2008 10:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
As a former Army officer, I fail to understand how these individuals represent 'change' in any appreciable way.
Remember the bi-partisan 'summit' called on behalf of Mayor Bloomberg and the examination of an independent candidacy in January 2008 at the University of Oklahoma: this list looks a lot like the guest list for that event. Some change…
June 18, 2008 10:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
No Biden? -.-
June 18, 2008 10:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
Good question! Though this could mean they've got real plans for Biden, and not for Nunn.
And not for Madeleine Albright, who is a fucking nitwit, as I kindly offer.
June 18, 2008 10:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
I hope this is the last we see or hear of either Boren or Nunn.
June 18, 2008 11:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
How come you only put a few names and didn't put the list of 13 or a link? Kind of sloppy as campaign coverage, as these people need to be recognized as possible surrogates from now on. It's not like it's not a purposeful and important message from his campaign.
Yglesias has it:
June 18, 2008 1:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks, AA. Hmmm - Tim Roemer, wonder how that will play with Rudy?
June 18, 2008 1:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
P.S. This message comes out loud and clear to me from that list: I am going to do the same on foreign policy as Bill Clinton would.
Personally, I am great with that, but I think a lot of people who claim to be supporters are not going to be, and, more importantly, it's a message about how he's going to be countering McCain's points on foreign policy. Therefore, this is big campaign news and your readers deserve a full list. It's not at all a minor story as far as election news goes.
June 18, 2008 1:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
i'm not. Bill Clinton's foreign policy was by far the weakest and most counterproductive aspect of his administration.
June 18, 2008 1:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ohhh....yes..... there is still time for me to vote for Ralph Nader if we're just going to get more of the same foreign policy that gives us $3 trillion wars and failing levees along the Mississippi. The nation can't stand much more of this kind of security.
June 18, 2008 6:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Durrrr... Well gollllly! This sure don't look like change to me!!!"
Are you guys sleep deprived? Have you just been completely brainwashed by the last 8 years? It's an ADVISORY TEAM. They offer advice. The Candidate sets broad policy outlines. The President makes the decisions. He doesn't have to do everything they say. He doesn't have to do ANYTHING they say. They don't even have to agree on an approach to any one issue. They are going to play an advisory role because they are AN advisory team. Let me emphasize: AN. One of... One among... They are a group of people with foreign policy experience and gravitas among the general populace. They certainly are not the only ones that Candidate or President Barack Obama will call upon in his policy-making or decision-making processes.
And while I'm in my shouty place, let me just point out that none of you expert second-guessers and disapproving ninnies came up with an alternative list longer than "Anybody but Nunn", Joe "not exactly a fresh face" Biden and Samantha Power. If you don't like the list, or if it seems too much like "change you can blow dust off of", then tell us who else, in YOUR expert foreign policy minds, should be on the TPM SUPER AWESOME COMMENTS SECTION Foreign Policy Advisory Team.
June 18, 2008 1:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, though that's the message he's sending, I'm not entirely sure that's the complete result we'll be getting, and as a Clinton critic, that's me being hopeful. Everything he's doing is going to be political and right now he's sending the message that William Ayers isn't setting his foreign policy agenda. It works because he's always had a moderate (but not centrist) streak that this comports with, but that doesn't mean he'll do what these folks say.
But, here's the real question, who would we really like to see here? The only person I'd really like to add is Gary Hart and the only ones I'd maybe subtract are Nunn and Christopher (though I thought he did do fairly good work in my hometown around the police department/Rodney King fiasco/riots). But who's on our liberal dream team? Okay, I like Samantha Power too, but even she gets some criticism from lefties I respect like Robert Sheer for being sort of wishy-washy and pro-warish on Iraq early on.
Still, if you say Noam Chomsky or even Chalmers Johnson, I'm just going to laugh at you. (Well, this is TPM, so there may be less of that here than elsewhere.) So, if Obama asked you to choose the committee, who would you choose and, remember, your choices must not cause a political firestorm. Go!
June 18, 2008 1:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Former
Former
Former
Former
Former
Former
Former
Every person on that list is a former official. Um, let me guess, almost every currently elected or appointed official voted to authorize the Iraq war. That would be hard for Obama to defend. So, are we looking at a cabinet and administration of only people who never voted to authorize the war?
June 18, 2008 2:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'd of liked to have seen Gary Hart's name.
I know...monkey business, etc., but his writings on Foreign Policy/Affairs have been outstanding.
June 18, 2008 2:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ondioline is correct; it is an "advisory" team.
Obama has always said he wants opinions from all sides of the issues including those he disagrees with as well as those he agrees with. Obama has never veered from that stance. And he has consistently maintained he, and only he, after taking in all viewpoints, will be the final judge on the matter.
I agree Iam not crazy about the list either and wish Samantha Powers had been included. I think she would be a far better advisor than many on the current list (especially Madeline Albright).
Nevertheless one of Obama's assets to date has been his judgment. So I have no problem with him getting different advice. In fact I like that.
At some point we need to trust Obama's judgment until he demonstrates otherwise. Furthermore considering many voters are familiar with a few or more of the names on the list that might ease their questions or doubts some may harbour cannot be a bad thing.
It is a double-edge sword either way.
Until he proves otherwise Iam willing to give Obama the benefit of the doubt notwithstanding.
June 18, 2008 7:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm with ondioline and LaBobster. He's not announcing his Cabinet here. Albright's not going to be his Sec of State. Perry isn't going to be his Sec of Defense. . . . You get the idea.
And, for better or worse, the DLC perspective isn't going away. If Obama wins it should be diminished, but Obama's going to have to work with those people. I'm very hopeful for the ascendancy of a much less hawkish foreign policy. But this is still a national election, not a hardline ideological revolution. Coalitions and compromise will remain a fact of life.
And concerning Power, Obama can't formally bring her back right now. I know everyone (myself included) is heady with the numbers starting to disprove the party disunity "problem." But the MSM jumped all over Obama just for naming Solis-Doyle as VP chief of staff. What do you think they would do if Power came back in an official capacity. It would dredge up all over again the "monster" comment and send the MSM into euphoric fits of Obama vs. Clinton nostalgia. Add it to the same Solis-Doyle story from just a few days ago and it would become, "Why does Obama insist on trying to humiliate Hillary Clinton?" I'm not saying he would necessarily lose votes over that, but it would hardly move the media narrative in the desired direction.
June 19, 2008 2:12 AM | Reply | Permalink