Washington, DC — President-elect of the United States (US), Senator Barack Obama officially named his cabinet yesterday, revealing a diverse team that includes friends, foes women and African-Americans.

Former first lady, Senator Hillary Clinton accepted the position of Secretary of State, Defense Secretary, Robert Gates remains at this current post and Washington lawyer Eric Holder is Attorney General.

Retired Marine Gen. James L. Jones is National Security Adviser and Arizona Governor, Janet Napolitano is Homeland Security Secretary. These names have been discussed before but the president-elect made the announcement official yesterday in order to "hit the ground running".

It is believed that the financial crisis has compelled Senator Obama to move at a faster pace. About 1.2 million jobs have been lost this year as the US economy struggles under the weight of the greatest financial crisis since the Great Depression.

Obama says his team hopes to move to action once he is inaugurated on January 20, 2009.

Campaign foreign policy adviser Susan Rice is United Nations (UN) Ambassador, Last week, he named key members of his economic team, including Timothy Geithner, president of Federal Reserve Bank of New York, as Treasury secretary, Larry Summers as Head the National Economic Council, Christina Romer as Chair the president's Council of Economic Advisors and Paul Volcker as Head of the President's Economic Advisory Board.

Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle has been appointed Secretary of Health and Human Services and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, Commerce secretary, although they are yet to be officially announced.

Clinton lost the Democratic presidential primaries election earlier this year to Obama. But in a speech yesterday, she pledged her loyalty to the president-elect. Obama's team is said to have reached an agreement with former President Bill Clinton to make concessions in his fund raising activities in foreign countries.

Bill Clinton's foundation was a potential sore point in the vetting process. The activities of his foundation was pored over for anything that could be a source of embarrassment to the next president.

The long primary battle between Hillary and Obama gradually melted away after the Democratic Convention in September. She endorsed her former opponent and campaign for him in various states. Pundits questioned whether she would give up her independence to work under Obama. But Hillary was said to have given the offer a serious consideration after she was assured that she could have direct access to the president in addition to picking her staff.

There were concerns that she was too powerful. However, the appointment of other heavy weights such as Jones for National Security Adviser and Gates for Defense Secretary acts as a balance, pundits say.

The Obama team hopes the former first lady would bring credibility to the country's diplomatic relations around the world.

Both Democrats and Republicans have hailed his pick, describing it as an "A-list team". Republicans who view the president-elect as a far left liberal say he has shown that he can govern from the center.

US Radio and TV commentators however say his pick will give liberals a "heart-burn".