Jarrett named senior advisor to Obama

Longtime friend and confidant of President-elect Barack Obama will be joining him in the White House.

Jarrett confirmed to me a few moments ago that she has been named senior advisor to the president and assistant to the president for intergovernmental affairs and public liaison.

The Chicago business executive has long been a friend and mentor of the Obamas. She once hired Michelle Obama when she served as chief of staff to Chicago Mayor Richard Daley.

President-elect Obama has often said that Jarrett is often the first person he turns to for advice and counsel on critical issues.

She is currently president and CEO of The Habitat Company, a Chicago real estate firm.

Comments

[Kyara]

It's great to know the Mr. Obama is moving so efficiently to get his WH staff arranged. This is part of the reason why he had such a great campaign; he thought things through and didn't rush the process. I have very high hopes for him and his policies in the big house.

[Lois]

It is important for him to have his confidants around him, but some of his people are going to have take on the cabinet positions that actually run the government. If he appoints all Clinton people to these essential administrative functions, he will have set himself up with a shadow government whose loyalities lie with others.

[Nesia]

No surprise!! I think he is making great decision with blending his admin with friends and foes. I guess he believe in that hold saying, keep your friends close and you enemies closer.

[iawill]

I am glad to see that President-elect Obama is bringing some of the masterminds from his campaign team with him to the White House. Robert Gibbs, David Axelrod, and now Valerie Jarrett will also bring a sense of continuity that he will need. I too would like to see the President-elect bring more of his people instead of so many of persons from Clinton's cabinet. While those persons were good, too many of them will give the impression of a Clinton recycled cabinet instead of an Obama cabinet that reflects "change". My prayers are constantly with President-elect Obama, Vice President-elect Joe Biden, their families and their still forming team.

[Char`den]

Maybe, I missed something in reading the article. Does Jarrett have a first name? Btw, I love you Roland. Thanks for keeping US informed.

[divalocity]

Yeah! Valerie Jarrett does not play, here is another phenomenal and brilliant Black Woman on the rise. Personally, I feel that Obama should take with him to Washington, everybody who worked on his outstanding campaign. They can write a book called: Campaign 101 For Dummies, maybe the GOP can learn more up to date techniques and strategies of the 21st Century and not those of the 1960's or 1800's.

[Su Jay]

I sure hope that Ms. Jattett will not be the lonely only prominent person of color in Pres. elect Obama's inner circle. So far, there have been too many white men and former Clinton administration appointees. Where are the first line appointments of Asians and Hispanics?

[will]

Terrific: Barack Obama, John McCain, and Lindsay Grahamnesty are united in their pledge to “fix up the country.” If Lindsay Grahamnesty is tagging along, you know what this means don't you? I smell a massive foreclosure prevention program coming on, followed by the McCain-Obama Shamnesty 2.0.

[touch]

this is not about what color his cabinet is... It's about getting a cabinet that works for this nation...

Let's not turn it into what it's not... Obama did not run on a race based platform, he ran as an American Man, for the American People..

give him the regard to make the right choices, and leave the element of what color his choices are.. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

if many want to help us as a black people... then ask your kids, your neighbors, and others' to pull up their pants, present themselves with the dignity of presentation, and to stay in school..

Ask them to put down the guns, and stop killing each other like a wild west shoot out..

If our nation of women, start rejecting the men with their pants hanging down.. the men will change quickly.. to pull up their pants; If the women of our nation stop catering to the "bad boy" images the men will stop pushing to be the "bad boy" image..

As some of the great black promoters, to stop with all the "hip hop" imagery as if that is the image of black people as a whole..

ask some of our sitcom developers, to stop with the laugh a minute, make a fool of self" shows.. and stop all the reality shows, of a bunch of people bickering and acting an ass on national media, arguing and engaging conflicts.. then we take a step ahead.. and follow the lead that Obama has set..

Get the black people who have racist mindsets to abandon their racism, before they claim others are racist.. then we can find ways to change the racist mentality from other nationalities.

Get people to stop with the walking around looking pissed off, and learn to smile and greet people.. of all color, race and nationality.. then we change the perceptions that are not only thrust upon us, but we support it, by the attitudes ..

clinging to a fad, that is 25 years old, of baggy pants hanging down below the butt.. and learn to change with the times... and pull up the pants and stop dressing so their body looks out of proportion.. trying to project an image that infects the minds of the youth..

Change.. is not just at the top... it's needed from within your, and within the enviornments which you live... now if you don't address that, and do something to change that.. then "whom ever you are", you are contributing to the problem, not promoting progress or providing a remedy...

I don't care.. get pissed off if that floats your boat.. but reality is... if the individual does not change.. don't expect Obama to do it for you. he can only do what he can do... and he has done his part very well.

now what will you the average citizen do ???

[Lois]

Saggy pants is the least of our problems...it is a trend that will eventually fade as did the mini-skirts...hot pants, darshikis, Afros... platform shoes...Boone Farm... I live in the Pacific Northwest where young people (whites, Asians and Latinos)personify themselves with tatoos, pink, orange and purple hair...mohawks, the gothic look and some practice poor hygiene; and most are ardent Obama supporters. The difference between these young rebels and some of our children who embraces the hip-hop styles is that their white counterparts seem to embrace learning more readily...and are in attendance at the U or community colleges...I think our folks in my city are very progressive and liberated people. However, I worry about those in Chicago, Detroit, Philly and other major cities with bigger problems. Nevertheless, I'm hopeful that our young people in greater numbers will go to school and delve into the sciences, or find their passion in other studies. I live in a very liberal town but racism still raises its ugly head...however we must never allow it to break our stride...unfortunately, electing a president who is black will not eradicate the disparities in education, employment, health and housing. I'm open-minded and optimistic about race relations...because I have wonderful Latino, white and Asian friends and neighbors. I've spent week-ends at their luxurious summer homes...and also on their social list. I love interracting with other cultures because it strengthens my love for my culture. I have no great expectations other than the progress that I make for myself, family and community. I treat all people the way I wish to be treated. Smiling and laughter is healthy...and I approach each day asking the Creator how may I serve. My family's mantra "help one somebody so that your living will not have been in vain" has been the reason for so many blessings. I see great things on the horizon for us as African-Americans and even for the nation as soon as we clean-up our individual stuff...cutback on waste and give some attention to the things we neglect and unburden ourselves of gluttony and greed.

[Jade]

The absolute wonderful thing about being Human is that we have the ability to Adapt and Change. Change is an Individual action and since each Human Being is a mere reflection of the other, Change is Hard. Why don't We, as Individuals, start actually putting our Collective money where our mouths have been? WE all can talk, hour after hour, day after day, adnauseum about all the wrongs that have been done to this one and that one, and the problems of this race and that race, but when it comes right down to it, what are We, as Individuals, really doing about IT? Are we stopping the young Men and Women and the Children on the streets, in the subways, on the bus, in the Bodegas, in the department stores, at the clubs, at the libraries, in school, at the park, in the funeral parlors, when we see them "acting the fool", speaking improperly, being disrespectful to the owners and operators of the placing they are frequenting, do we stop them and ask them politely to stop, and explain why its wrong when we see them throwing trash on the street, when we see them about to "get into it", do we try and stop them, telling them the horrific mistakes they are about to make will have some terrifying consequences simply because they are targeted and laws exist today solely for them to put them into Modern Day Slavery Camps, e.g. Jails, Prisons, Correctional Facilities, or are we simply, as the Adults, watching, wringing our hands and shaking our heads, as usual? I have lived in 7 different states and the Caribbean during the last 10 years and I currently reside in NYC, Brooklyn, where I grew up and I can tell you that, based on my Personal experiences and observations, the young Adults and children in NYC need role models, positive adult influences. All Races, Colors, Cultures, Ethnicities, but unfortunately, the Black Young Men and Women need it the most. The Adults in this current generation are out of control; they had no positive Adult influences in their lives. Nowhere else have I ever encountered the disrespectful Black Man more than right here in NYC. Black Men who have absolutely no respect for the Black woman but it is not their fault. Why should a Black Man respect a Black Woman if she does not respect herself? Black Men treat Black Women the way the See Black Women treat themselves and it is the behaviors of the Adults, which influence the behaviors of the young Adults and Children. Come on People, this is plain old common sense. We ALL are now, finally in a time where WE can no longer avoid looking In The Mirror. We have GOT to change ourselves, Individually, before we can even begin to see how to collectively foster change for the greater good. WE ALL have ALL the answers yet the statistics on Everything are growing every single day. So, if we want the Negative shows off the networks, as Individuals, call the show producers and writers and Ask For Change. If you want the images of Hip-Hop to change, call the Record Companies and Hip-Hop artists and MTV, VH1 and BET and Ask For Change. Why do our Men, Women and Children get arrested for smoking Weed, here in Brooklyn, every single day, and “That 70’s Show” glamorizes and is all about smoking Weed, in the Basement? One night, my close captioning wasn’t censored, sanitized and every fowl and curse word streamed across my screen, during Prime Time, before 10 pm. I called my local cable company, tv station and asked them to Fix It. If you want Our Young Men to Pull Up Their Pants, simply Ask Them TO when you see them, as you pass them by, each day, with a scowl on your Face. Ask these Young Men, with an Empathetic Smile on Your face, to Pull Up Their Pants, so That They can Learn how To Walk like real Men because it's time. These young Adult Men and Women are the potential role models and Adult influences for our Children and Folks, lets, face facts, We All have got Our work cut out for US. What are WE going to Do? What Am I going to do? Look at Myself, change what I know is wrong, what I can and Do IT! When I go to the salon, I talk to the young women, When I pass the Bodega, I ask the young people to be a little more quiet, say "Thank You and Please" or I simply say it myself. When I'm in the Chinese fast, fast food place/restaurant, I don't scream my order at the owner and then proceed to curse them out for no apparent reason, I say Please and Thank You. There is not one day that goes by where I do not hear the F word sprinkled throughout a seemingly normal, everyday conversation. I sit outside on my steps during the summer and Listen to the conversations all around me and what I hear is sad and disgusting. There is no such thing as Conventional Times anymore and it's time to throw out all those outmoded ideas about how to effectively change what is wrong. Change Yourself First and Change WILL enivitably follow. WE MUST CHANGE OURSELVES FIRST AS INDIVIDUALS. How can COLLECTIVE change possibly work otherwise? Thin about and today, here is a Challenge for every single Individual: When you hear something or see something that is Negative, look at yourself first to see if you are also guilty of this Negative Something. If you are, Keep Walking, talking. If you are Not, say Something, Be polite and watch Change Happen! And always remember, as Individuals, We ALL possess the two greatnesses gifts, known to MAN/Woman/Child that GOD gave us and gives us and Will Always give us, Free Will and Unconditional LOVE! We have the Will to do absolutely anything we want to do! What are WE ALL going to do Today, as Individuals, to affect Positive Change, for each other and ourselves? As Individuals, WE Voted a Black, African-American, Bi-Racial, Multi-Cultural MAN into the White House of these United States and TODAY he needs our love, support and prayers. Look what we just did, as Individuals! WOW! GOD IS MAGNIFICENT! Our FUTURE Presidents, Prime Ministers, Kings, Queens, Pastors, Reverends, CEOs, Board Directors, Lawyers, Doctors, Sanitation Workers, Artists, Stylists, Hip-Hop Moguls, Non-Profit Employers, Real Estate Moguls, Writers, Journalists, Bus Drivers, Policeman, Military Officers, Teachers, Co-Workers, Neighbors and Friends need OUR Help! Today! How about we start, where it all starts, In The Classroom! Let’s start “encouraging our Children, right here in Brooklyn, to become the future Corporate American CEOs, Board Directors, Walk Street Financial Analysts, Investment Bankers, Motivational Speakers, Speech Writers, Astronauts. Lets’ inspire Our Children to want to know what is taking place on the International Space Station, Today! Let’s Sponsor a Trip to Africa, bi-annually, for Two Weeks, for each grade school, 1 class, from each of the Five Boroughs. IF We can find the funds to bail out the Wall Street Criminals, surely we can fund a little ole field trip for our future, Right!? Why are Children being taught out of Trailers, sitting in the parking lot of the school grounds, in Brooklyn? Why is there no Starbucks, Jamba Juice, in Bed-Stuy? Why is there an ATM, that spits Ten Dollar Bills, in every Bodega, which resides on every Street Corner, in Brooklyn? I’m a Black Woman from Brooklyn, born and raised 45 years ago and there is much about myself I need and want to change and with GODs help, I Will Change! Many blessings to you all as you go out into the day, today and everyday for the rest of OUR lives, to Effect Positive Change for OURSELVES, for every Man, Woman and Child.

[Taliba]

Lois:
Thank you, I am so glad somebody finally addressed the "baggy pants" issue. Which by the way "touch" is not a 25 year old trend. Me and my Black friends went through mini skirts, Dashikis, and the Black Poets. I had a huge Afro ( that took way too much time for me to try to keep standing upright), that I thought I would never change. My white friends had long hair (male and female) and a penchant for flowers, and "trippin". But did that stop us all from being college students, getting our degrees or just learning more about life in other ways; getting older and eventually (most of us) growing out of the trends? No, and these youth will be no different. Let them grow up. We have far bigger fish to fry as a culture and as a nation.