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Mike Huckabee Slams Obama Cabinet's Lack Of Diversity

Mike Huckabee Obama Cabinet

The Huffington Post     First Posted: 01/09/13 EST Updated: 01/10/13 EST

Mike Huckabee criticized President Obama on Wednesday for the lack of diversity in his cabinet, accusing the president of waging his own "war on women" by not appointing more women to top administration posts.

"Now a lot of those females who supported Barack Obama are scratching their heads, and they're saying, 'Whoa! How come there is so much testosterone in the Obama Cabinet and so little estrogen?'" the former Arkansas governor and one-time Republican presidential candidate said during his radio show. "Because if you look around, all of these high-powered appointments that he is making are all white guys."

According to Huckabee, Obama used charges of a Republican "war on women" and promises of "contraceptives and free abortions" to get women to vote for him, but "never promised women would have seats of significance at the table of power."

"But don't worry about positions of authority," he sarcastically continued. "They shouldn't be asking for such things."

As many of his cabinet members depart their posts at the outset of his second term, Obama has faced scrutiny over the dearth of women being appointed to seats left vacant by the likes of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.

Earlier this week, Obama announced his nomination of former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) to take over for Panetta at the Pentagon. Obama is expected to announce White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew as his pick for Treasury Secretary on Thursday.

Obama also nominated Deputy National Security Advisor for Homeland Security John Brennan to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency. None of the recent cabinet appointments the president has made have been women.

While Obama's top pick to fill Clinton's role was U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, she withdrew her name from consideration after Republicans vowed to wage a brutal confirmation fight. Obama instead nominated Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.).

On Wednesday, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis announced her resignation, marking another female departure from the administration.

According to the New York Times, about 43 percent of Obama's appointees have been women -- more women than George W. Bush appointed, but about the same ratio as Bill Clinton.

"We're not only getting better than previous administrations, but we also want to get better ourselves as well," Nancy D. Hogan, assistant to the president and director of presidential personnel, told the Times. "The president puts a premium on making his team representative of the American people."

(h/t Politico)

This post has been updated with more information on Obama's recent cabinet appointments.



 
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
eenp718
Justice and Fairness is Key
10:22 PM on 01/12/2013
Here's a guy, who tells anything he can, just to get rich. Those ACA-ads & campaign-donations, all went to him. Just follow the links he gave. repubs, faux-followers, and rush-folks are the most gullible in the country.
05:17 PM on 01/11/2013
Hey twf676
Your as nuts as he is.
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CharliePalms
Don't Lean Left or Right--Just Move Forward
04:17 PM on 01/11/2013
Even fricking Huckabee wants to talk?
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Babs Strident
03:01 PM on 01/11/2013
Come on Huck. What lack of diversity? The cabinet is awash in diversity, He's got Socialists, Communists, Marxists, Fascists, and Statists everywhere you look. Oh, you mean women?

Well we all know that there are a dearth of qualified women in our country, and expertise is Obama's number one priority. That's why he has Joe Biden, Susan Rice, Tim Geithner, and his good buddy Eric Holder, Obama's Janet Reno!
02:55 PM on 01/11/2013
In response to the person who pointed out the black repuiblican senator appointed to fill out Jim Demints term by a Republican governor, so what? It will take lots of appointments for the Republicans to catch up, and then, will this Senator be his own man, or be just a parrot for the Tea Party? If Nikki Haley has her way, he probably will be.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Bobby Whyaskin
Out of order comes chaos
01:31 PM on 01/11/2013
This criticism from the same pig sty that was ready to send Susan Rice to the gallows before Obama could even nominate her for SecState....hilarious
HunckaBS is one of the biggest lying hypocrites in the neocon sty (there are so MANY!)
04:16 PM on 01/11/2013
Earth to Bobby: Obama sacrificed Rice's integrity and diplomat career for his re-election campaign. Wallow in that.
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CharliePalms
Don't Lean Left or Right--Just Move Forward
04:21 PM on 01/11/2013
No not at all---Obama saw the hyena camp waging war against Dr. Rice--She was a victim of wing nuts' racism
01:29 PM on 01/11/2013
put all the women to work its good for them
04:16 PM on 01/11/2013
shoes?
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
wcritizing
StopShovingDownYourReligiousViewsOntoEverybodyElse
01:22 PM on 01/11/2013
number of the day: 0.

That is the number of women or people of color who will chair a ( Republican) committee in the House of Representatives next year.

Somehow, OUT OF 19 CHAIRMASHIPS, EVERY SINGLE ONE HAD TO GO SOME OLD or middle-aged white guy.

http://current.com/shows/viewpoint/blog/why-the-gops-house-committee-appointments-just-disappoint/
04:19 PM on 01/11/2013
Not quite. Please check your facts, again.
01:05 PM on 01/11/2013
It shows Obama's class that he's not been criticizing Huckabee for (a) his lack of Christian spirit and (b) absence of a brain.
02:11 PM on 01/11/2013
I pick c
(c) Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.), the second-longest serving African-American congressman in the House, slammed the lack of diversity in President Barack Obama's second-term cabinet Thursday.
12:45 PM on 01/11/2013
I say let the women work so we dont have to lets have womens lib all the way go you women go Ill watch you drive home in the evening and be very proud
01:06 PM on 01/11/2013
Huh?
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
osubest1
12:37 PM on 01/11/2013
Serious? The party that is 92% white, is complaining that Obama isn't appointing enough women? Didn't they just run Susan Rice out of town on a rail? Obama is 2 for 2 on women with his supreme court appointments. 46% of his staff is made up of women. Repubs don't realize that they lost the election. They even were outvoted in the house. The only thing that saved them from losing it was the gerrymandering they had set up that makes it almost impossible to beat them ever, even when getting outvoted nationwide. So what do they do after being trounced by women in particular? They spend their first week in session proposing even more anti-women bills, including more "personhood" bills, sponsored by none other than Paul Ryan. These people are crazy. The women's vote beat you and you come right back and start after them again. Way to go! You are ensuring Democrats in the White House for years to come!
04:21 PM on 01/11/2013
Obama destroyed Rice's career for his re-election. Doubt he loses sleep over it, as he believes himsolf deserving.
12:30 PM on 01/11/2013
Why are appointments based on " diversity" better than appointments on merit. The need for the best people for the job is most important decision. This need to be diversity at all cost is just wrong. And you left wringers would be screaming just as loud about lack of diversity if a Republican has appointed this cabinet.
11:53 AM on 01/11/2013
OMG!!!! Obama is morphing into a...... Republican!!!
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
jwillif868
11:17 AM on 01/11/2013
You pick the best person for the job mike...Thats why you were always picked last in school sports
11:14 AM on 01/11/2013
Huckabee isn't even worth listening too. Go find a church and yell at the people that want to hear you. Hilary wants a well deserved rest and GOPTP said NO to Susan Rice before she was even selected,so who's fault was that? The GOPTP complains every way they can and only make themselves look more ridiculous. You can't have everthing both ways. You lost the election so let it go and try and help this country instead of dividing it.