Senator Cochran Lauds Nomination of Gov. Mabus for Navy Secretary

The on-line version of the Mississippi Business Journal (which you can find here ) reports this morning that, in hearing in the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Thad Cochran has given a ringing endorsement for former Governor Ray Mabus to serve as Secretary of the Navy:

Cochran: Mabus 'excellent choice'
April 29, 2009

WASHINGTON — The Senate Armed Services Committee has begun the confirmation hearings of former Mississippi Gov. Ray Mabus as secretary of the navy. Mabus was introduced by Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.)

Cochran said, "This distinguished nominee has had a career of public service in our state that is quite impressive. After graduating summa cum laude from Ole Miss in 1969 and completing a Woodrow Wilson fellowship at The Johns Hopkins University in 1970, he served two years as a naval surface warfare officer onboard the USS Little Rock.

"After completing his active duty naval service, he attended Harvard Law School and graduated magna cum laude in 1976. He served as a law clerk to Judge J.P. Coleman on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and he also worked as legal counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee.

"He returned to Mississippi to work in Gov. Winter's office and was elected Mississippi state auditor in 1983, where he served with distinction. Four years later he was elected governor of our state. He led a period of record economic development, streamlined the state government and improved Mississippi's public schools.

"Ambassador Mabus was appointed by President Clinton to be United States ambassador to Saudi Arabia in 1994. He served there for two years before returning to the private sector, where he served on several corporate boards of international businesses and is a member of the RAND Center for Middle East Public Policy and the Council on Foreign Relations.

"I know that Ambassador Mabus will bring to this job the same high level of energy and skill that has been the hallmark of his career throughout the many responsibilities of public service that he has held. His academic credentials, his record of distinguished service to the State of Mississippi and to our country has been exemplary. His integrity and judgment will also serve him well and he will certainly prove to be, in my opinion, an excellent choice to be secretary of the United States Navy. I commend President Obama for nominating him, and I look forward to working with him in this new capacity."