Of the many Dartmouth alumni who play active roles in the domestic and international political spheres, five graduates have gained prominence over the past several years. Through various positions, both appointed and elected, these alumni helped shape the political agenda of one of the most contentious summers in recent Congressional history.
Chief Executive Officer of General Electric and College Trustee Jeffrey Immelt '78 serves as chair of President Barack Obama's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, while Timothy Geithner '83 has led the nation during the recent economic downturn as the Treasury Secretary. Sen. Rob Portman '78, R-Ohio, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand '88, D-N.Y., both played lead roles in addressing the U.S. debt ceiling crisis. In international affairs, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardone '73 has worked to strengthen the country's foundations during a time in which Turkey is under serious consideration for membership in the European Union, and has played a major role in diffusing conflicts in countries such as Syria.
JEFFREY IMMELT
Obama selected Immelt to chair the job creation panel in January. Since Standard & Poor's downgraded the U.S. credit rating to AA+ in early August, the council has met regularly with Obama to discuss potential tax cuts and other ways to stimulate the economy, The Washington Post reported.
Immelt identified small business development, technological innovation, overseas expansion and infrastructure investment as key issues driving the council's objectives during a March speech delivered to The Economic Club of Washington, D.C. and released to The Dartmouth by GE spokesman Andrew Williams. These areas of focus are important in the government's attempt to ensure market competitiveness and job creation, Immelt said in his speech.
"Competitiveness depends on productivity and U.S. productivity has to continue to expand to sustain growth," he said. "And productivity will accelerate job growth when it's driven by innovation and investment."
Immelt discussed the need for the U.S. to develop natural gas and solar and nuclear energy technologies in a speech he delivered at the College in August. His presentation was part of College's "Leading Voices in Politics and Policy" summer lecture series sponsored by the Rockefeller Center.
Government professor emeritus Roger Masters, who attended the lecture, praised Immelt for his broad-minded approach to economic issues.
"He shows extraordinary intelligence and ability to bring science to the understanding of contemporary problems," Masters said. "He is the leader of a huge company with global interest, and this means that he looks at problems and their substance value in a global context."
TIMOTHY GEITHNER
Geithner, who succeeded Henry Paulson '68 as Treasury Secretary, garnered national attention when he sharply criticized S&P's downgrade of the U.S. credit rating, labeling it "terrible judgment" and maintaining that it is still safe to invest in U.S. treasuries, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Although there was much speculation that Geithner would step down from the position he had assumed in 2007, he made numerous public statements in August affirming his dedication to the job and his intent to remain Treasury Secretary. Geithner has since met with Obama throughout the summer to discuss new job proposals and deficit reduction measures, The Times reported.
A major challenge for Geithner has been devising ways in which to "keep consumer confidence up" while the economy continues to fluctuate, Bafumi said.
"He's a bright guy, but he's in a difficult situation right now, because the economy has yet to recover in the ways we would expect it," Bafumi said.
Geithner's press office did not respond to requests for comment by press time.
ROB PORTMAN
Six Dartmouth alumni Portman, Gillibrand, Sen. John Hoeven '79, R-N.D., Rep. Charles Bass '74, R-N.H., Rep. Michael Capuano '73, D-Mass., and Rep. John Carney '78, D-Del. currently hold seats in Congress.
In August, Portman was named to the 12-member bipartisan "Supercommittee" charged with finding an additional $1.5 trillion in savings over the next decade, The New York Times reported.
Portman, who served as budget director under former President George W. Bush, became the first member of the committee to reach out to voters through the internet when he launched a website in late August seeking suggestions from his constituents on how to reduce the deficit, The Post reported.
Government professor Joseph Bafumi said Portman's recent endeavors may signal an attempt to increase his national visibility in preparation to enter future presidential campaigns.
"This is helping him to be on the political stage, and he comes from a crucial state," Bafumi said. "He may one day run for vice president perhaps."
KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND
In the debt debate in the Senate, Gillibrand cast a vote on the Aug. 2 debt default deadline against party lines, opposing legislation that would cut spending and raise the debt ceiling, The Times reported. The bill was subsequently approved by the Senate and signed by Obama into law.
Gillibrand criticized the bill on her website, stating that the bill was "cut behind closed doors with zero transparency" and unfairly favored the wealthy.
"Today we could have gone further in reducing America's debt with a sensible compromise that both cut discretionary spending and raised revenues," Gillibrand said in a statement on her website. "It is unfortunate Congress missed that opportunity."
Gillibrand also made national headlines with her campaign to increase women's participation in public life. The national operation, Off the Sidelines, is a crucial part of her campaign for re-election in 2012, according to The Times.
Bafumi said that both Gillibrand and Portman have filled their political posts well.
"It's exciting to see what they will do in the future in the national scene, and exciting for Dartmouth as well," Bafumi said.
The press offices of Portman and Gillibrand did not respond to requests for comment by press time.
FRANCIS RICCIARDONE
Outside the U.S., Ricciardone has focused on allying American and Turkish governments and strengthening the friendship between citizens in both countries, Ricciardone said in an interview with The Dartmouth.
Ricciardone said he has worked to expand trade between American and Turkish businesses, persuade the Turkish government to support NATO operations in Libya and ease tensions between Turkey and Israel. He added that "cross-cutting interests" between various groups and nations can sometimes impede diplomatic goals.
"With a country like Turkey that is developing as a democracy and is so pivotal to so many issues, it's about getting balances right and sustaining a voice in the cacophony in Turkey," Ricciardone said. "We try to find ways where we can harmonize our approach together."
The U.S. embassy is also focused on delivering a positive image of the U.S. to the Turkish people. Recent opinion polls in Turkey have revealed low confidence in the "peace-loving goal" of the United States, Ricciardone said.
"A huge part of diplomacy is public diplomacy, such as reaching out to different sectors of Turkish public opinion and trying to correct the misperceptions of the U.S.," he said. "We want to make sure they have a true image of how compatible and mutually reinforcing our national interests are, and how we are working together to advance them."
French professor and president of the Rassias Foundation John Rassias, who has remained close with Ricciardone since Ricciardone was one of his students, called the ambassador an "all-around man."
"He's someone who is extraordinarily brilliant and capable in languages such as Arabic, Turkish, French and Italian and who also has a drive to do work for the government," Rassias said. "He is the man to go to for help in any cause."
