President-elect Barack Obama today announced that Sen. Hillary Clinton is his nominee for secretary of state, and that he will retain Defense Secretary Robert Gates, a Republican. Obama also named Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano as homeland security secretary. Eric Holder for attorney general, Susan Rice for ambassador to the United Nations, and retired Marine Gen. Jim Jones is Obama's pick for White House national security advisor.
In a press release today, Napolitano said she will deliver her State of the State address, and will then present a balanced budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2010. She said that upon U.S. Senate confirmation as Homeland Security secretary, she will submit her resignation as governor of Arizona, and Ariz. Secretary of State Jan Brewer will then take over. She said that in the meantime, members of her staff will oversee the Arizona transition, "to ensure that power and responsibility are transferred seamlessly."