"Obama and the Transformation of America?"

Lynn Forester, Lady de Rothschild - Business Leader,
Campaign Advisor for Hillary Clinton and John McCain,
and one of Forbes' "Five Most Powerful Women in Europe"

6.30-7.30pm, Wednesday 8th July 2009

Committee Room 9, House of Commons

To attend, please RSVP to: jana.kobzova@henryjacksonsociety.org



Barack Obama came into office riding a wave of popular support both domestically and internationally. His promise was "change". It has been almost six months since he was inaugurated on 20th January. It is therefore a good time to revisit his promises and evaluate President Obama's impact on US foreign and domestic policy and whether the change he spoke of was cosmetic for the cameras, or is now being driven through as a fundamental shift in the way that the US perceives itself, its society and the rest of the world.

There is certainly plenty to assess. Overseas, Obama has tried to reinvigorate the campaign in Afghanistan, implementing new strategies and reshuffling the military leadership. He has provoked ripples through his willingness to reach out to Muslims worldwide in an unprecedented fashion, coupling this with perceived criticism of America's strongest ally in the region, Israel. In an attempt to change the perception of the US throughout the world, he has launched a campaign of engagement with countries such as Russia and Iran, as well as America's European allies, promising that negotiations will be the cornerstone of his diplomacy. But not everyone has read the script. Events in North Korea and the recent turmoil in Iran in particular highlight that the Obama approach is not without its flaws. So is multilateral detente and soft power now back in vogue? And what does that mean for US policy and the US capacity for hard power action when the oppressed rise up against their oppressors and rogue regimes refuse to play their part in the spirit of international cooperation?

At home too, Obama's approach is already being much debated. The economic crisis has seen a colossal increase in US government spending through the fiscal stimulus and bailout packages, and while President Bush played his part in this, the US national debt is now set to balloon to record proportions. With Bush's tax cut programme expiring next year Obama looks set to increase taxation to fund ambitious plans for a universal healthcare system that suggests he seeks to permanently transform the US economic model. With big government now being seen as the solution rather than the problem, can we expect a more Europeanised US to emerge as a consequence, and what are the implications of this for US society and power?

By kind invitation of Nadine Dorries MP, the Henry Jackson Society is pleased to invite you to a discussion on "Obama and the Transformation of America?", with Lynn Forester, Lady de Rothschild. A prominent business leader, Lady de Rothschild was a former campaign advisor to Hillary Clinton who then crossed over to support John McCain once the primaries had concluded. She will assess if President Obama is truly pursuing his promise of change as an agenda in government and the implications of this, as well as whether - with the benefit of six months of hindsight - she would repeat her political journey.

TIME: 6.30-7.30pm


VENUE: Committee Room 9, House of Commons


To attend, please RSVP to jana.kobzova@henryjacksonsociety.org


Lynn Forester, Lady de Rothschild, is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Foreign Policy Association. She served as a member of the National Information Infrastructure Advisory Committee and as the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board under President Clinton and was a major fund raiser for Hillary Rodham Clinton's 2008 presidential bid but endorsed John McCain for President. She is also an accomplished businesswoman described as one the five most powerful women in Europe by Fortune.

Lady de Rothschild has been Chief Executive of E L Rothschild LLC, a private investment company, since June 2002. From 2004 to 2007, she was Co-Chair of FieldFresh Pvt. Ltd., a joint venture with Bharti Enterprises to develop Indian Agriculture. From 1990 to 2002, Lady de Rothschild was President and Chief Executive Officer of FirstMark Holdings, Inc., which owned and managed various telecommunications companies. She was Executive Vice President for Development at Metromedia Telecommunications, Inc. from 1984 to 1989.

The Henry Jackson Society, 38 Craven Street, London, WC2N 5NG, United Kingdom