by Mark Silva
Months ago, when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made her rounds of the State Department to voice her commitment to new diplomacy, she also stopped at the U.S. Agency for International Development to voice her commitment to aid and development.
"This is not going to be easy,'' Clinton said then. "It's going to be hard.''
Not until today did President Barack Obama nominate an administrator for USAID: Dr. Rajiv Shah, a physician who is serving as a deputy secretary at the Department of Agriculture.
" "The mission of USAID is to advance America's interests by strengthening our relationships abroad,'' Obama said in a statement issued by the White House. "Rajiv brings fresh ideas and the dedication and impressive background necessary to help guide USAID as it works to achieve this important goal.
The agency is overseeing an initiative to deliver more than $20 billion for agriculture development to the world's "most food-insecure countries.''
Shah serves as Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics and Chief Scientist at the Department of Agriculture, where he manages the Agricultural Research Service, the Economic Research Service, the National Agricultural Statistical Service and National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
He had served as Director for Agricultural Development at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and was the foundation's first Director for Financial Services to the Poor. He had worked on health-care policy for former Vice President Al Gore's presidential campaign in 2000.
He holds a degree from the University of Pennsylvania Medical School and a M.S., in health economics from the Wharton School of Business. He also has attended the London School of Economics, and is a graduate of the University of Michigan.
Timothy Wirth, president of the private United Nations Foundation established by billionaire Ted Turner -- and a former Democratic congressman and senator from Colorado who served at the State Department as the first Undersecretary for Global Affairs from 1993 to 1997 -- commended the nomination today.
. Reform of U.S. foreign aid is urgently needed and we hope the long-awaited appointment of a new administrator will help in this endeavor,'' Wirth said. "It is my hope that Dr. Shah moves to dramatically increase cooperation with multilateral agencies to ensure that American development priorities and those of the UN are closely coordinated.
David Lane, president and CEO of ONE, the global advocacy organization for the poor, also praised the nomination. (ONE, formed from a a coalition of non-profit organizations, also has drawn support from the Gates Foundation.)
"I've been fortunate to know Raj as both a colleague and a friend for many years,'' Lane said. "His sharp intellect, creativity and experience designing and managing innovative development programs make him an outstanding candidate for this position.
"This agency is a lifeline for many people living in extreme poverty and critical to the implementation of smart American investments,'' he said. "USAID's dedicated staff have been without an administrator for too long. I hope the Senate--who unanimously confirmed Dr. Shah for his current position at the U.S. Department of Agriculture--will again move quickly to confirm him for his new role as USAID Administrator so he and his colleagues can get to work.''
Comments
What the article doesn't mention is that the "David Lane" who so extravagantly praises Mr. Shah, is a partisan Democrat--a Clinton administration official, HuffPo columnist, and large Obama campaign contributor.
What we have here is quotes from a former Dem senator and a major Obama campaign bankroller, praising the appointment of a Dem Party/Gore operative. Swamp journalism at its finest!
Posted by: Bruce | November 11, 2009 9:48 AM
Saying that someone is an outstanding candidate is "extravagant?"
Perhaps next time, at Bruce's request, the Swamp will ask one of the Republican Senators that voted for him to be confirmed to his former position. The Swamp can pick any one of them, since it was a unanimous vote.
Posted by: martin | November 11, 2009 2:06 PM