President-elect Barack Obama is struggling to satisfy minorty groups as he fills top-level positions in his administration.

From ABC News’ Jake Tapper

Even this trailblazing, eumelanin-rich president with the exotic name is facing questions and pressures about how diverse his Cabinet and White House staff will be.

”Nuestro voto ha sido nuestra voz,” said Gov.  Bill Richardson, D-NM, today after President-elect Obama introduced him as his nominee for Commerce Secretary.”Esta eleccion ha demonstrado nuestra fuerza y nuestra unidad.”  (Translation: “Our vote has been our voice. This election has demonstrated our strength and our unity.”)

Added Richardson in English, “It will be a great honor, to serve once again, a president, who recognizes that America’s diverse heritage is its greatest strength.”

But the announcement of the President-elect’s first Latino candidate for his Cabinet —coming on the same day as reports that Mr.  Obama has asked the son of Mexican immigrants, Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Calif., to be U.S. Trade Representative—was not enough for some.

After the announcement, Telemundo’s Vicente Serrano asked the President-elect what he thought about media reports that Richardson being named Secretary of Commerce is “somehow the consolation prize for Latinos and Hispanic politicians and groups that are calling Latinos to be included in your Cabinet, since many were expecting or hoping that Bill Richardson was going to be Secretary of State.”

Obama owes his victory to several groups and they are all expecting payback adding to the pressure as he names his cabinet and other members of his team.

 

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