Obama Makes It Official: Hillary Clinton Will Be His Secretary of State

Sen. Hillary Clinton speaks after being introduced by President-elect Barack Obama as his nominee for Secretary of State.

Obama had kind words for his other nominees as well, often sketching what their priorities would be, including:

• Defense Secretary Robert Gates: "As Bob said not too long ago, Afghanistan is where the war on terror began, and it is where it must end. And going forward, we will continue to make the investments necessary to strengthen our military and increase our ground forces to defeat the threats of the 21st century."

• Attorney General Eric Holder: "Let me be clear: the Attorney General serves the American people. And I have every expectation that Eric will protect our people, uphold the public trust, and adhere to our Constitution.

• Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano: "She knows firsthand the need to have a partner in Washington that works well with state and local governments. She understands as well as anyone the danger of an unsecure border. And she will be a leader who can reform a sprawling Department while safeguarding our homeland."

• National Security Advisor James Jones: "Generations of Joneses have served heroically on the battlefield–from the beaches of Tarawa in World War II, to Foxtrot Ridge in Vietnam....He will bring to the job the dual experience of serving in uniform and as a diplomat. He has commanded a platoon in battle, served as Supreme Allied Commander in a time of war, and worked on behalf of peace in the Middle East."

• UN Ambassador Susan Rice: "She shares my belief that the UN is an indispensable–and imperfect–forum. She will carry the message that our commitment to multilateral action must be coupled with a commitment to reform. We need the UN to be more effective as a venue for collective action."

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