Monday, December 22, 2008

Obama names openly lesbian Rep. Tammy Baldwin as Inaugural co-chair

Does this make up for Rick Warren? Or is it just tokenism?

Today, the 2009 Presidential Inaugural Committee announced the honorary co-chairs for the Inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden.

In keeping with the President-elect's commitment to an inclusive and bipartisan Inauguration, the list of honorary co-chairs includes members of the President-elect and Vice President-elect's immediate families as well as prominent Americans from both sides of the aisle who have dedicated their lives to selfless service to their fellow citizens.

"Vice President-elect Biden and I are grateful to these distinguished men and women for agreeing to serve as Honorary Co-Chairs for the Inauguration," said President-elect Obama. "From family members to former Presidents, each of these leaders has an unwavering commitment to bipartisan cooperation and a proud record of service to their community and our country. They exemplify the spirit of unity and shared purpose this Inauguration will reflect."

The Honorary Co-Chairs for the 2009 Presidential Inauguration are:

President Jimmy Carter

President George H. W. Bush

President William J. Clinton

Mayor Adrian Fenty

Senator Dick Durbin

Senator Dick Lugar

Senator Claire McCaskill

Representative Tammy Baldwin

Representative Artur Davis

Representative Ray Lahood

Representative Linda Sánchez

General Colin Powell

Hunter and Kathleen Biden

Craig Robinson

Dr. Maya Soetoro-Ng