Obama Presents His Notably Centrist National Security Team

President Barack Obama has unveiled his national security team — formally announcing names that had already drip-dropped into the news media over the past few weeks…names that are notably centrist in character and reputation.

The biggest two names: his formal rival for the Democratic Presidential nomination New York Senator Hillary Clinton and present Bush administration Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, who some consider to be closer in attitude to the Bush 41 administration than to Bush 43. These two names and others present a portrait of a national security team of serious task-tacklers who enjoy the support of politicos and voters in America’s political center. Here’s how the announcement looked on TV:

The L.A. Times report on the announcement also focuses on Clinton and Gates, and provides additional perspective on Clinton’s new role and some of what went into sealing the deal for her to be in the cabinet — and noted that GOPers were quick to pounce on Clinton, given what she said about Obama during the tough campaign and what he said about her:

The nomination of Clinton comes only months after a hard-fought and often caustic Democratic primary in which the former first lady, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, questioned Obama’s experience on the world stage and his credentials to become commander in chief in contrast to herself and Republican nominee John McCain.

But Obama called Clinton “a friend, a colleague, a source of counsel” and “a tough campaign opponent.”

“She is an American of tremendous stature who will have my complete confidence, who knows many of the world’s leaders, who will command respect in every capitol, and who will clearly have the ability to advance our interests around the world,” Obama said, adding that her appointment was “a sign to friend and foe of the seriousness of my commitment to renew American diplomacy and restore our alliances.”

Clinton said it was “very difficult” to leave her Senate seat of eight years but said her service prepared her for the job since “New Yorkers aren’t afraid to speak their minds and do so in every language.”

She called Obama’s election a signal that the American people have demanded not only a new direction on domestic affairs, but in foreign relations as well, in which “vigorous diplomacy” is balanced with military might.

The Times notes that Bill Clinton had to agree to a few things before Hillary Clinton was formally on board:

Clinton’s nomination comes after her husband, former President Bill Clinton, agreed to curtail his foreign speechmaking and acceptance of money for his Clinton Global Initiative charitable conference. The former president also agreed to disclose the names of all contributors to his charitable foundation and submit his speech schedule for review by the State Department and the White House counsel.

Meanwhile, on the Republicans’ front:

But Republicans were quick to pounce on the appointment, noting that during the Democratic primary campaign Obama’s camp said Clinton was never a “player” on foreign policy and did not do “any heavy lifting with foreign governments” during her time in her husband’s White House.

Obama said he knew it was “fun for the press” to contrast the statements from the campaign trail to today’s announcement.

“Look, if you look at the statements that Hillary Clinton and I have made outside of the heat of a campaign, we share a view that America has to be safe and secure, and in order to do that we have to combine military power with strengthened diplomacy,” Obama said.

The bottom line is that except for those who voted against Obama, few Americans will be repeating campaign charges and fixate now on the bitter primary campaign. With the economy in a tailspin, plus bloody reminders from India that an even more acutely personal form of terrorism still lurks on the vulnerable world stage, most of the country (which excludes talk show hosts) have moved out of election mode into problem-solving — or, more accurately, crises resolution — mode.

On paper, Obama’s national security team seems like a bunch of problem solvers.

But whether the Obama cabinet with its “team of rivals” concept proves to be a bunch of problem solvers or clashing second guessers will become better known after January 20th.