Bill Clinton: Hillary The Right Person For Job Of Secretary Of State

December 1, 2008 3:49 p.m. EST

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - Former President Bill Clinton on Monday said he was thankful that President-elect Barack Obama had chosen his wife, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), as secretary of State.

In a statement release by the Clinton Foundation, the former president said, "As an American, I am thankful that President-elect Barack Obama has asked Hillary to be Secretary of State and that she has accepted. As her husband, I am deeply proud."

Saying his wife has earned the respect of foreign leaders, he added, "She is the right person for the job of helping to restore America's image abroad, end the war in Iraq, advance peace and increase our security, by building a future for our children with more partners and fewer adversaries, one of shared responsibilities and opportunities."

Obama announced his nomination of his former rival on Monday in a press conference to present members of his national security team. The team included Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and Eric Holder, one of three members of his vice presidential search committee and the former Obama campaign legal adviser, as attorney general. Defense Sec. Robert Gates will also remain in his current post.

Sen. Clinton spoke during the same press conference and said the fate of the nation and the future of young Americans will be forged in how the economic crisis, "relentless" terror threats worldwide and global warming are handled. She added that the United States faces a "daunting" task and that the crises cannot be solved without joint efforts with the international community.

The former first lady's vetting for the Cabinet post included a review of her husband's numerous global advocacies such as the Clinton Global Initiative and the Clinton Foundation HIV and AIDS Initiative, and private business activities, such as his $30 million earnings in speaking fees from 2001 to 2005.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) responded to the announcement by citing a memo from the Obama campaign earlier this year that said the New York senator had not played a role in national security issues when she was first lady.

Sen. Clinton will serve as the third woman secretary of State after Condoleezza Rice and Madeleine Albright.