Mitchell likely to lead Obama's Middle East effort
The Washington Post reports that one of President Obama's first duties will be to appoint former Sen. George J. Mitchell (D-Maine) as his Middle East envoy.
Aides told the paper that the appointment reflects the new administration's intention to move quickly to engage warring Israelis and Palestinians in efforts to secure the peace. Mitchell's appointment is expected to follow this afternoon's Senate vote on the confirmation of Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state.
Mitchell, a native of Waterville, was U.S. Senate Majority Leader from 1989 to 1995. Following his Senate service, he was appointed a special envoy to Northern Ireland. His efforts to broker peace there earned him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1999 and the Liberty Medal in 1998.
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