New cabinet picks officially announced

Obama said the time has come for new leadership in America. Obama went on to say that his nominees share his pragmatism about the use of power and his sense of purpose when it comes to America’s role as a world leader. Clinton spoke shortly after Obama and both of their comments were in sharp contrast to the Bush administration’s go-it-alone policy. Robert Gates has expressed little doubt about what he thinks diplomacy can accomplish and he’s advocated for more soft power. This analyst says that thinking makes Gates a good fit for the Obama cabinet. He says this is also in line with a reshuffling of power between the State and Defense Departments. For his part, Gates was relatively brief in his comments today. This former diplomat says he’s looking forward to Obama’s foreign policy approach based on what he’s seen so far. Still questions remain about how well Obama, Clinton and Gates will work together. Obama tried to erase any doubts on that topic by saying he assembled this cabinet because of their strong opinions. But Obama emphasized that the buck will stop with him.