Minorities, women seek Cabinet diversity

WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- U.S. minorities and civil rights groups say they are hoping President-elect Barack Obama will appoint a Cabinet with more women and racial diversity.

After eight years of feeling frozen out under the administration of President George Bush, advocates for women, racial minorities and civil libertarians are watching Obama's moves closely, The Washington Post reported Saturday.

"There are huge expectations on him because he's the first black president, the first civil rights lawyer, the first president with an Arab middle name," NAACP President Ben Jealous told the Post. Obama, he said, is "the first president to have been the victim of multiple forms of discrimination and the first to have made fighting discrimination a part of his career."

Sources said Obama is set to choose an African-American, Eric Holder, as U.S. Attorney General; and a woman, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., as secretary of state; and a Hispanic, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, as commerce secretary, moves that that have gained the approval of such interest groups. But, the Post said, they are looking for more.

"Groups that are concerned with racial and gender diversity are certainly wise to keep the pressure on," said Professor Paul Light of New York University.