President-elect Obama has assembled a solid bipartisan team to restore frayed international alliances and combat global terrorism more effectively.
His nomination of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state would provide a chief diplomat with instant credibility overseas and unmatched star power. A member of the Armed Services committee, the former first lady has the experience and determination to serve with distinction on the world stage.
Of course, with one Clinton, you unavoidably get two. But the former president might not be the distraction that critics fear. Bill Clinton is still respected enormously worldwide, and could have a valuable role to play as an unofficial goodwill ambassador. It's a good sign that he has pledged transparency in his far-flung international dealings.
The political intrigue in this choice is undeniable. Even Rush Limbaugh called the nomination "brilliant" because Obama is hiring the woman who was his main Democratic rival for the presidency.
But after debating her more than 20 times in the past two years, it's more likely that Obama was motivated more by Clinton's enormous intelligence and capabilities than by his desire to eliminate a competitor in 2012. This pairing speaks to their willingness to set aside differences to work for common national goals.
Besides being well-versed in diplomacy, Clinton should be a highly effective advocate for human rights and women's rights. It's admirable that hers is the face Obama wants to present to a world grown weary of U.S. military might.
It's also encouraging that Obama has decided to retain Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, and that Gates agreed to stay on that duty. This Republican has done a remarkable job in cleaning up the mess bequeathed to him by Donald Rumsfeld and his neocon pals.
Contending with two wars, Gates has been an unflappable pragmatist. He has held Defense Department officials accountable for their mistakes, and helped to reshape the ineffective Bush policies in Iraq.
Gates understands the importance of "soft power" - winning over hostile populations with diplomacy and rebuilding projects, rather than with tanks and missiles.
Continuity in this post is critical. The horrifying terrorist attacks on Mumbai, India, last week highlight the importance of having a foreign-policy team that can hit the ground running. Gates will be a key part of that transition.
Obama also chose well in selecting retired Marine Gen. James Jones as his national security adviser. Jones is another experienced hand in international affairs as well as in top-level military planning.
Sen. John Warner (R., Va.), a former Navy secretary, said Obama's selection of these three advisers "instills great confidence at home and abroad and further strengthens the growing respect for the president-elect's courage and ability to exercise sound judgment."
There have been complaints that Obama is behaving presumptuously by announcing his economic team last week and his foreign-policy team yesterday. To the contrary, his actions have been welcome signs of thoughtful preparation in what would otherwise be the power vacuum of a lame-duck presidency.
With the economy worsening and hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops serving overseas, the public deserves some assurances that "help is on the way," as Bush once was so fond of saying.