Samantha Power: from HKS to Obama Administration
by Forrest Dunbar on November 29, 2008 in The Political Report
It certainly looks more likely, given the recent AP story. As the AP notes, and other commentators have pointed out, there is a particular irony in Power reviewing the very agency Clinton is slated to run.
Of course, our own Matt Homer placed her on Obama’s “HKS List” last week.
So where exactly will Power end up? Some have mentioned the UN Ambassador job, but that looks to be going to Susan Rice. More likely, she will receive a foreign-policy/national security advisor or deputy secretary job in DC. This would also allow Obama to bring down her husband, one Cass Sunstein, a potential pick for head of the OLS or Deputy AG and perhaps one day the Supreme Court.
The South Can Rise Again
by Carlyn Reichel, Opinions Editor on November 20, 2008 in Opinion
Before November 4, I’d bet dollars to donuts I was one of about four people at HKS who cared about Georgia politics. And to clarify, I’m talking about Georgia as in the largest state east of the Mississippi River, not Georgia the formerly communist country on the Black Sea. The country of Georgia has received much more attention of late, and deservedly so.
But I digress already. Georgia is usually just lumped into a mass of Southern stereotypes and redneck jokes. Some of which are unfortunately true (yes, the Civil War was once legitimately brought up in one of my classes as the War of Northern Aggression), and some of which have only served to exacerbate a dangerous political “wisdom.” Ever since Nixon’s “Southern Strategy” pried the South away from a yellow-dog Democrat stronghold and turned it into the Republican fortress it has been for the last 15 years, strategists have refused to bother with the South. Read more
Obama’s Stinky Fish
by Scott Darnell on November 20, 2008 in Opinion
On January 20, President-elect Barack Obama will become the least known, least experienced, and least tested president in the modern era. It’s worth remembering that just four years ago he was a state senator in Illinois, and the largest executive role he has ever played was as the leader of his political campaign.
Those realities, however, did not lose him favor with voters. In fact, his fresh face bolstered his message of bringing change to Washington, and many felt the discipline and stellar organization of his campaign was admirable and counted as relevant experience. But the challenge he now faces is one of expectations. The feats of his political campaign, while important, will pass, and his ability to govern will begin to have far greater weight. With the possible exception of extremely partisan Democrats, Americans expect him to deliver most of all on his promise of bipartisanship, and to continue his steady, unifying, and civil demeanor in the tasks of governance ahead.
The selection of Rahm Emanuel as Obama’s chief of staff undermines the credibility of his message of unity and change, and it immediately raises questions as to just how partisan this administration will be. It’s strike one for Obama, and the election has only been on the books for little more than two weeks. Read more
2012: The Hunt Is On
by Josh Archambault on November 20, 2008 in Opinion
While the GOP licks the wounds from its November 4 pounding, the Republican punditry has already begun discussing what went wrong and how to fix it. You will soon hear from all three legs of the Republican Party stool - social conservatives, fiscal conservatives, and national security/foreign policy “hawks” - arguing that the party needs to drift back towards its strengths to win in the future. Deliberations in Republican groups will quickly turn to the presidential race in 2012, and who will lead the Party out of the desert.
Below is a short list (in no particular order) of some of the names already being tossed around in Republican circles. Read more
Into The Light
by Hannes Grassegger on November 20, 2008 in Opinion
Jörg Haider †, 1950 - 11 October 2008
Falco (of “Rock Me Amadeus” fame) got it absolutely right: “In Austria, they rarely celebrate your life before you’re dead. But once you die, you live long.” Not only did this hold true for Falco himself, but it also does for the only other contemporary Austrian rock star: controversial far-right politician Jörg Haider. After lifetimes of scandals and nationwide frowns, both Jörg and Falco left the stage with a bang, in a car accident. And instantly, they received the public’s benediction.
But wait a second - wasn’t Haider the demagogue who called Third Reich employment policies “orderly”? The man who successfully re-introduced the Nazi-term Überfremdung (”over-foreignization”) into the public discourse? So why was there mourning? Why the thousands of candles and flowers in the streets of Carinthia? Why the public compassion unseen since the death of Lady Di? What chord did he strike, this populist, this disco-boy with a tan? Read more
Dear Dean:
by Emily Nielson on November 20, 2008 in Opinion
Why did we come to the Kennedy School? Despite our many differences, a common characteristic among all HKS students is a commitment to public service. President Kennedy’s call asking what we can do to improve our country and the world resonates with us. We choose HKS over business or law school not because it will help us earn more money or better connections, but because we believe it will endow us with the skills to make the world a better place. Add to this the election of President-e;ect Obama and the host of thorny public challenges we now face, and we at HKS become possessed with a sense of both possibility and of urgency.
In the October 29 issue of the Citizen, HKS Dean David T. Ellwood noted the need for the efforts of the best and brightest in remedying the world’s problems. He also pointed out that a decreasing percentage of HKS graduates have been entering the government and non-profit sectors in recent years. If the Kennedy School is not training public sector leaders, who is? Read more
Letter to the Editor
by Leah Vincent on November 20, 2008 in Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor:
My name is Leah, and I am the woman who you may sometimes see around school wearing zebra print leggings. I am possibly the only woman (or man) to ever wear zebra print leggings in the Kennedy School. And I, the zebra-print-legged woman, would like to ask you to consider that if you check yourself, you might just wreck yourself. Read more
HBS Might Have the Money, but HKS Has the Glory
by Victoria Criado, Asst. Culture Editor on November 20, 2008 in Culture
The world stopped for half a second on November 9. Read more
November 19 Issue
by The Editors on November 19, 2008 in Print Edition
Another Strong Woman for Obama’s Team
by Forrest Dunbar on November 19, 2008 in The Political Report
If Hillary Clinton survives the vetting of Bill and becomes our 3rd female Secretary of State (of the last four), her appointment should go some way towards alleviating feelings of disappointment from this election cycle felt by many feminists.
However, as Obama continues o build his “team of rivals”, he will no doubt seek out more candidates who are: a) the best in their field and b) of the female persuasion.
It now looks as though Attorney General, Health and Human Services, and OMB will go to men, along with Rahm Emanuel at Chief of Staff. Fortunately, there are plenty more positions to fill, and tough, qualified women to take them.
One such woman is Lael Brainard, a strong choice to become either head of USAID or the USTR (United States Trade Representative). Dr. Brainard holds a PhD in Economics from Harvard, and currently serves as a Vice President at the Brookings institution, where she is the head of the Global Economy and Development Program (full disclosure: the author interned in this Program two years ago, and found Dr. Brainard to be impressive in both leadership and intellectual ability). Previously, she served as Deputy National Economic Adviser in the Clinton White House and was an Associate Professor at MIT. Incidentally, she is legendary for her commanding style and dramatic white suits.
Dr. Brainard is a champion of the poor and helped reform the G8 Summit to include less-developed nations, but she is also a clear-eyed realist on matters of international economics. According to the Brookings press-releases, her expertise includes: “Competitiveness, Currencies (dollar and yuan), U.S. deficit, Foreign assistance, Foreign investment, Global poverty, Offshoring, and Trade.” Sound like useful knowledge for trade and development policy?
She would be a great pick for the Obama Administration.
