Obama surrogates defend candidate
Posted: Monday, March 10, 2008 4:43 PM by Domenico Montanaro
From NBC's Victoria Riess and Lauren Gall
Seeking to further combat the Clinton campaign’s insinuations that Obama would not be suited to serve as Commander-In-Chief, the candidate was praised by three of his military advisors in a press conference in DC.
The advisers, took of whom served under Bill Clinton, lauded Obama’s judgment and leadership qualities, touted his ability to unify the country.
Clifford Alexander, Secretary of the Army in the Carter administration reflected on Obama's qualifications. "I've known Barack since the mid-90s,” he said, “I've seen him in lots of positions, and I compare his leadership skills, most favorably, with the civilian and military leaders that I've seen throughout my professional life."
Secretary of the Navy under the Clinton administration, Richard Danzig, described Obama's ability to lead as obvious. "I think people recognize, anybody who deals with Sen. Barack Obama, what an extraordinary Commander-In-Chief he would be," Danzig said. "And I think it's difficult for others to effectively deny that. … The reality is, as Secretary Alexander said right at the outset, and Secretary Peters seconded it, it's character, and it's judgment."
Susan Rice, foreign policy adviser to Obama, re-iterated that “none of the three remaining candidates in the field have been in an executive position whereby they've had to respond to that proverbial 3 am crisis, and for Sen. Clinton and others to suggest that somehow their experience as first lady or some other set of experience uniquely qualifies them for that phone call is a dubious proposition.”
Alexander said with regard to Clinton’s tendency to name military officials in her list of supporters, "I do think that it is important not to count the countries you've gone into, and not to count the number of people that you know, but to understand fully that you are going to be a better leader if you have consistency, good judgment, thoughtfulness, and an ability to execute. Sen. Obama during this campaign has exhibited those traits."
