Albright to speak on foreign policy, stump for Obama

Madeleine Albright’s journey through life and politics includes a modest beginning as an American immigrant and an ascension to becoming the first female secretary of state.

Now, it even includes a journey to IU.

On Friday, Albright will speak regarding her substantial knowledge of foreign policy. The event is sponsored by Campaign for Change, a group comprising IU College Democrats and Students for Barack Obama. Albright will take the podium from 2:30 to 3:45 p.m. Friday in the Indiana Memorial Union Alumni Hall.

Currently a member of Sen. Barack Obama’s national security working group, Albright will also stump for the presidential candidate.

Compared to other political figures across the country, Rose Byrne, president of the IU Students for Barack Obama, said Albright was a prime choice to speak at IU because of her experience in politics that spans more than 30 years.

“The foundation of the argument against Barack Obama had been the ‘inexperience,’” Byrne said. “But I think he’s really raising the bar by having friends like Joe Biden and Madeleine Albright.”

Albright is the latest of a line of political speakers to come to IU. Both Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton spoke on campus in the spring, and President Clinton stumped for his wife on April 2.

“I just think that the election and the primaries have afforded IU students to see some historic and amazing speakers that they wouldn’t get to see otherwise,” said IU College Democrats President Anna Strand. “I hope it gets people more engaged in this election and in educating them.”

Though Albright’s visit to campus will in part be to support Obama, Chelsea Kane, the IU College Republicans chairwoman, said she fully supports the event.

While her organization did not receive an invitation to the event, Kane said it is an opportunity she would like to take advantage of, and she urged students to do the same. Kane added that the College Republicans are working on bringing in a speaker of their own before the election.

“I’m really happy to have her here,” Kane said. “She’s a prominent woman in the political scene and in national foreign policy. I’m happy that the Campaign for Change and the IU College Democrats have been able to get her here – that’s a big accomplishment.”

Under President Clinton and serving as the 64th secretary of state, Albright dealt with the Kosovo Conflict and policy in the Middle East.

Born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, in 1937, Albright immigrated to the United States in 1948 and eventually became a citizen nine years later.

An extensive career in politics made headway when she was a staff member on the National Security Council and a White House staff member from 1978 to 1981. Albright was then the foreign policy adviser to Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro and eventually the senior policy adviser to Michael Dukakis.

Recently, Obama brought her onto his campaign as a policy adviser.

“It seems as if Obama has gotten a lot of the old Clinton people to work for him, which is probably a good sign,” said Jeffrey Hart, a political science professor. “Now that some of the best people from previous administrations are working for him will help.”