American society, it is hoped, has progressed sufficiently that the appointment of a woman to high office no longer is noteworthy simply for its novelty. Madeleine Albright may be the first woman ever named secretary of state, but her qualifications for the job should be weighed objectively. Fortunately, there is much by that standard to give hope for a successful tenure.
Albright has shown through her service as U.N. ambassador that she has the resolve and toughness for the job. Her background speaks to the ability to understand foreign affairs, as well as to a unique first-hand appreciation for the horrors of totalitarian regimes that deny human rights. She is the daughter of a Czech diplomat, and she became a naturalized U.S. citizen at the age of 11. Her emigration to the United States was not by choice. Her family fled Czechoslovakia ahead of the communist takeover that plunged the nation into several decades of repression.She is known as a tough administrator willing to stare down anyone who gets in her way. In perhaps her most well-known encounter, she pressed her point in favor of military strikes over Bosnia early in the first Clinton administration. That led to a confrontation with Gen. Colin Powell, who at that time was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Albright reportedly asked him, "What's the point in having this superb military you're always talking about if we can't use it?"
Powell's stand against military intervention won the day, but Albright's point of view eventually won in the long run. The use of U.S. air power arguably was a main catalyst toward the Dayton peace accord.
A strong, outspoken secretary of state could do much to enhance the U.S. presence abroad, particularly if Albright also demonstrates an ability to use discretion and to avoid the embarrassing gaffes that sometimes haunt outspoken public officials.
Clinton's appointment of William Cohen as defense secretary also is noteworthy. By doing so, the president fulfilled his wish to have a Republican in his Cabinet. A former senator, Cohen has hardly been a blindly partisan Republican. He was one of the first in his party to cast a vote to impeach Republican President Richard Nixon in 1974.
With the resignation of practically his entire Cabinet, President Clinton has a unique opportunity to set a new tone for his second term. His decisions regarding the secretaries of state and defense were particularly important because he has a widely perceived weakness when it comes to matters of foreign policy. The selections of Albright and Cohen give hope for successes abroad.