Posted on 04/02/2011 7:00:36 AM PDT by freespirited
A flattering New York Times profile has increased speculation that Samantha Power, the Dublin-born aide to President Obama, could be his next Secretary of State or National Security Adviser.
She has been the main architect, along with Hillary Clinton, of the Libya policy and has an increasing influence in the White House inner circle.
No Irish-born person in recent history has had such influence on a president. Power, now 40, moved to the US from Ireland at age 10.
With Hillary Clinton due to step down after Obama’s first term, she would be a live candidate to succeed her if Obama wins re-election.
The Times reported that on Monday night last, Samantha Power took to the podium at Columbia University in New York two hours before President Obama was due to address the nation on Libya and received a rock star reception.
Power, who is one of Obama’s key advisers on foreign policy, insisted that Libya was not going to be the main topic of conversation.
“I’m not going to talk much about Libya,” she said, as quoted in The Times.
However, when later questioned she defended the administration’s decision in establishing a no-fly zone, adding failure to do so would have been “extremely chilling, deadly and indeed a stain on our collective conscience.”
Since she began her career working as a war correspondant in Bosnia at the tender age of 22, Power has believed that nations have a moral obligation to prevent genocide. She can bring life to these ideals from her position of the National Security Council.
“She is clearly the foremost voice for human rights within the White House,” Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, told the New York Times “and she has Obama’s ear.”
Power won a Pulitzer Prize for her 2002 book on genocide, entitled “A Problem from Hell,” which examined the U.S. foreign policy response to genocide.
The book argues that the Armenia, Nazi Germany, Cambodia and Rwanda genocides occurred because of government authorities averted their eyes and individuals made the choice not to intervene.
“The most common response,” Ms. Power wrote, “is, ‘We didn’t know.’ This is not true.”
Some of her critics say that she could be pushing the U.S. into another Iraq. The conservative blog American Thinker says that Obama has “outsourced foreign policy” to the Dublin woman. She has also drawn the ire of the Israeli lobby for her pro-Palestinian positions.
Power attempts to keep a low profile after she described Hillary Rodham Clinton as "a monster" during the 2008 presidential election campaign. Her remarks saw her step down from her position as an advisor on Obama’s campaign. Since then, the women have reconciled.
Obama initially headhunted Power in 2005, after reading her book. After a long meeting, Power decided to take leave from her Harvard professorship to work for the then senator.
Despite her efforts to remain low key, the Dublin woman has an impressive artillery with two Ivy League degrees (Yale undergraduate, Harvard Law).
She once posed in an evening gown for Men’s Vogue and played a game of basketball with George Clooney. She has been described by the Daily Beast as “the femme fatale of the humanitarian assistance world.”
Since the SOS is in line of succession for president, and this woman was born in Dublin, is she eligible to be SOS?
To 21 - Yes, she just cannot ever be VP or POTUS.
“I’m not going to talk much about Libya,” she said
You’ve got the job!
There should be a strong effort to deny Powers confirmation in the US Senate. She is a left wing radical and that would become abundantly clear if she is not given puff ball questions in a Senate confirmation.
“”Power won a Pulitzer Prize for her 2002 book on genocide, entitled “A Problem from Hell,”””
She IS a problem from Hell. There are a lot of “ifs” - IF the jerk in the WH wins a second term, IF Hillary steps down, IF the Republicans can’t find their backbone in confirmation hearings....
She is indeed one scary, spooky, kookie person.......
WHAT Libya policy ???!!!
Samantha Power Secretary of State, Eric Holder Attorney General, Janet Napolitano Director of Homeland Securitym Tom Donilon National Security Advisor, and Jamie Gorelick as FBI Director. Talk about Obama’s Audacity of Dopes, this is the kind of stuff you just can’t make up.
Entrusting the security of our country to this bunch if Power and Gorelick get the jobs they are rumored for is a fool’s erand. Of course, the fool is the guy who appointed them, the people clinging to their guns and religion just have to suffer the consequences.
Samantha Power as Secretary of State?
Why not, No one else in the administration has experience or knows what they are doing, Why should Secretary of State be any different.
You mean she has only one very wide breast? LMAO
LOL. No way in Hell.
She is the one that supposedly told him to get the brothershood in Libya with military force under the guise of humanitarian relief so I would not doubt this.
Onama has to win a second term first before he goes all out even more Hilter.
She’d never get confirmed. Too many radical (anti Israel) quotes on record.
Dollars to donuts she would.And a majority of Republicans would vote to confirm her.
Not only would we cut off aid to the Jews, we'd be arming the palis with every thing and training and fighting for them.
Of which country?
Thanks freespirited.
Cass Sunstein’s wife, Sec of State.
Not surprised.
Why should it matter for her? Sure doesn't for her (prospective) boss.
I think you are right. Some of the Jewish RATS in the Senate will likely advise Obummer not to bother sending her name over.
Samantha Power wouldn’t know a U.S. national interest if it bit her on the lybia.
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