Obama's Mantra: Do What We Discuss

On Sunday, President-Elect Obama announced Eric Shinseki (Secretary of Veterans Affairs). “As we seek a new national security strategy that uses all elements of American power, we must also remember those who run the greatest risks and make the greatest sacrifices to implement that strategy – the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States of America,” said Obama. “Even as I speak, they are serving brilliantly and bravely in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world. And we must show them and their families the same devotion that they have shown this country. We don't have to do our troops and our veterans a favor, we have a sacred trust to repay one.”

From 1999-2003, Shinseki served as Army Chief of Staff. “Throughout his nearly four decades in the U.S. Army, he won the respect and admiration of our men and women in uniform because they have always been his highest priority,” said Obama. “He has always stood on principle -- because he has always stood with our troops. And he will bring that same sense of duty and commitment to ensuring that we treat our veterans with the care and dignity they deserve.”

Prior to the Iraq War, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Shinseki clashed. Their conflict? Commitment of combat troops. Shinseki’s nomination symbolizes another approach. As Obama stated, “One of the things I’m good at is getting people in a room with …different ideas and finding common ground, and a sense of common direction. And that’s the kind of approach that I think prevents you from making some of the enormous mistakes that we’ve seen over the last eight years.”

President-Elect Obama Complete Text