Janet Napolitano, Homeland Security Secretary?

***Update 12/1, 11 AM***

At a news conference today, Obama introduced his picks of retired Marine Gen. James Jones as White House national security adviser, former Justice Department official Eric Holder as attorney general, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano as secretary of homeland security, Susan Rice as UN Ambassador, Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State and Robert Gates as Secretary of Defense

Read more here.

***

CNN is reporting Wednesday night that Obama has chosen Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano to become secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

President-elect Barack Obama's top choice for secretary of homeland security is Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, multiple Democratic sources close to the transition told CNN on condition of anonymity.

One source said he believed the final decision depends on the vetting of the Democratic governor, much like the selection of Eric Holder for attorney general.

Politico has more details on the Napolitano pick:

Napolitano (na-pawl-i-TAW-noh) brings law-and-order experience from her stint as the Grand Canyon State's first female attorney general. One of the nation's most prominent female elected officials, she made frequent appearances on behalf of Barack Obama during the campaign. She was re-elected to a second four-year term in 2006.

Transition insiders have long expected she would be offered a Cabinet slot, although she had also been mentioned for other posts, including attorney general.

Read more about the speculation that Janet Napolitano would be Attorney General.
Read the Obama's Cabinet BigNews Page.

Comments

[daddysboy]

NO! She is so excellent, Arizona NEEDS her. For two long years, Arizona will be left to the old-school good-ol-boys network she was able to transcend to get things done! With mccain still senator for those years and the ever-terrible jon kyle at his side and a republican governor there will be no stopping the backward scramble. Arizona can't afford to regress since the state has just began the slow climb toward greatness.

[spartanmom]

Who would take over for her? In NY we have a Lieutenant Gov. who is of the same party. That is why we have the most excellent David Paterson.

[Wilburrr]

Republican Sec of State Jan Brewer

[SabrinaFair]

Don't worry. Arizona is trending blue. The race was so close and Obama was gaining ground so quickly against McCain, that if the election were a week later, Obama would have won Arizona. Great things are ahead for Arizona!

[stell]

The race was close? Senator Obama did better in Montana, even Georgia and Missouri for Pete's sake. When Hillary Clinton won Pennsylvania in the primaries against Obama by the same margin, they said she smoked him.

[Sariti]

Obama Knows A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE when he sees one

Obama has chosen Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano to become secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Unlike Hillary, she is A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE. . Unlike Hillary, she is A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE. . Unlike Hillary, she is A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE. . Unlike Hillary, she is A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE.
-figure it out

[phoffman]

Border state gov for DHS Sec. - Smart and progressive woman. here comes smart foward thinking immigration reform. Its not gonna be an easy ride, but i like the choice.

She was my outside bet on VP.

[Egalitare]

Exactly. A clear sign that Obama is not going to duck on the issue of immigration, or any of the other difficult issues.

[harriscrl3]

Looks like there will be no basis for the criticism that he is not bringing in any women.

I dont like HIlary's drama but I believe if Obama picks her he trust that she will support his agenda. I know people dont like Hilary but she came through for him in the general election. He believes she is the best for the job and we have to remember that right now America's foreign policy is shot to hell and Obama is not going to be able to do what we wants on that front for a while since he has to focus on being the CEO of the economy. He needs someone strong and recognized world wide.

Carol

[indieyell]

exactly. ten points for being reasonable.

[Grunty1]

Of course, there never was. But we know that the tr0llish haters don't need basis.

[Republicrats]

Her first day on the job she should announce a 25% reduction it her own budget, 33% in the second year, 50% in the third, and be done with it in her third!

[oceano]

Interestingly, Napolitano was interviewed by Charlie Rose http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/87366) in October of 2007 along with none other than Sarah Palin .

Napolitano was immensely impressive­..........­..
Palin was her typical obfuscatory self......­...not that she knows what that means.

[Republicrats]

yeah and for once, NOT from DC!!!

[SickStan]

what does "self" mean, again?

[DGregory]

just realize that i dont think this stuff is leaks more so, someone asks a question.

reporter "who do you think the top choices of "

advisor "well i know he likes people like "

reporter "Obama is looking at "

obama made no decision but the media did.

quite evident when you look at the hillary fiasco.

she still wasnt tapped, shes 1 of 3 choices and the media is picking it for him. I just find it ridiculous.
Then they report "Camp Obama leaking stuff"
no... more so, Media Jumping to conclusions

[Grunty1]

Exactly. They are all rumors at this point. Until you see it officially announced by Obama or one of his high member transistion teams, just treat them as rumors.

[rmax53]

I wonder if the Dept of Homeland "Security" will survive as a federal entity. It was created by the Bush "administration" and has caused more harm than good. Time will tell, and in the meantime, having a DHS secretary from a border state is definitely a good thing. First thing on the agenda, stop that stupid border fence from being built.

[jena132]

Maybe Dems can turn it into something worthwhile.

[Republicrats]

doubtful ,money could be used to pay down the debt

[Grunty1]

Its awfully hard to mine gold from a pile of sh*t.

[Samalabear]

It would be nice if FEMA was its own entity, as it was under Clinton. Get that agency back to the effective operating as it was then, too.

[Grunty1]

It really doesn't matter where FEMA is located, the Republicans would have put a horse-trainer in charge regardless.

[Republicrats]

dismantle it and pay down the debt! Make the fbi and cia do their jobs! end the wasteful war on drugs while we are at it!

[rcozad]

We in Arizona take this news with a big grain of salt! She is an incredible lawyer, of that there is no dispute! However we just elected the most conservative legislature in our history of conservative legislatures! The only defense we had against outrageous cuts to teacher pay and aggressive privatization of education for the wealthy was her veto pen! Now we are at the mercy of Jan Brewer! She has been against open elections favoring the use of corrupted voting machines, refusing voters the right to vote unless they have a valid Arizona drivers license!Worse we are currently at 49 out of the 50 states in educational spending and the legislature thinks that we spend TOO MUCH! It is no wonder that Gov. Napolitano wanted to get out as our future here is abysmal at best and it looked like a war without end. Our only hope now is that the right to a free education is considered a civil right and that the Arizona legislature will be violating our civil rights by transferring our tax dollars to their private schools!

[spartanmom]

That does make Country First a bit difficult.

[dezzertguy]

She has promoted the all day kindergarden and tried to support the teacher's union but edcuation has failed under her. AZ is one of the lowest in educational excellence. She has promoted illegal immigration and not followed the wil of the citizens. She has been a poor governor and won basically because the Reps ran a terrible candidate. She knows her political future here is over and this is a perfect way for her to move on. Great for AZ.

[sheine]

As a resident of Arizona, I think that one empty suit has picked another empty suit.

[MsLiz]

That tells us about you, but what about Napolitano?

[sheine]

I voted for Obama as the better of two choices but I am not a true believer as most of the people who post here are. As Attorney General Napolitano argued to the Supreme Court that prisoners who did not receive due process should be executed as long as the the violation was not too great. Lawyers would call this a slippery slope others would call it worse.

Napolitano has said that Arizona should be the Saudi Arabia of solar energy but we lag far behind California and Nevada in solar energy.

Napolitano is a conservative Democrat who a couple of decades ago would have been comfortable in the Republican Party.

[sherbug]

I'm onboard with everyone except Hillary.

[aubrey8]

get off the bus then.

[spartanmom]

Huh? What happened to being inclusive and civil?

[sherbug]

I am entitled to my opinion. You need to chill.

[Texvol]

President Obama is assembling the most impressive Cabinet in modern history. It speaks well of him that he is confident enough to surround himself with such strong-willed independent people. I hope those who mocked him before the election as some sort of incompetent, militant stooge are beginning to take notice.

[Republicrats]

and nothing will get done with all these planets pulling in diifferent directions! what a cluster...­.

[spartanmom]

You don't get it. A LEADER can get the planets to align.

In physics it takes gravity

In government it takes gravitas

[Grunty1]

Just because Bushco couldn't walk and chew gum at the same time doesn't mean that Obama wont be able to.

[Liberalforsure]

Obama has proven that he possesses brilliant judgement so far, and so although I know very little about this woman I fully trust his choice.

[Dailyfare]

Just what Homeland Security needed - a woman.

[MsLiz]

Well, you know the expression, a woman's place is in the homeland security.

[Grunty1]

I'm groaning in amused agreement.

[spartanmom]

You got a problem with that?

In my house, I know were everything is that I could use to dispatch an intruder and they'd never see it coming. No guns here, either.

That is how a woman deals with security

[haval2]

great choice...a­nd that's the mantra about Obama's choices. He is a bright man seeking out the best there is ... that is CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN... what a treat after 8 yrs of felons, cheats and crooks...n­ot to mention a VP candidates who is challenged to complete a sentence with nouns and verbs.