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• Since 1970, James Addison Baker III has been an active figure in American politics and the Republican Party, a career highlighted by his tenure as Secretary of State from 1989 to 1992.

  At a talk at a private girls school in Virginia on May 2, 2009, James Baker made statements in support of a military draft. He commented that although one would risk his/her political career if they came out in support of the draft, "it sure would raise the stakes. Everybody would understand a lot better what we have at stake when we go to war."USNews and World Report: James Baker Backs Reinstating the Draft (May 3, 2009)

• Fast Facts

  1. Born: April 28, 1930, in Houston, TX
  2. Originally a Democrat
  3. Graduated from Princeton University, 1952
  4. Served as Marine, [http: //www.state.gov/secretary/former/40404.htm 1952-1954]
  5. Law degree from University of Texas, 1957
  6. Under Secretary of Commerce, [http: //www.state.gov/secretary/former/40404.htm 1975-1976]
  7. White House Chief of Staff, [http: //www.state.gov/secretary/former/40404.htm 1981-1985]
  8. 61st Secretary of State, 1989-1992
  9. Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom, 1991
  10. Co-chaired Iraq Study Group, 2006

• Presidents Served:

  1. Gerald Ford
  2. Ronald Reagan
  3. George H. W. Bush
  4. George W. Bush

• Controversy

  Baker has been controversial on both sides of the ideological spectrum. Much criticism of Baker has come from the left—particularly for his role aiding the George W. Bush 2000 presidential campaign in efforts to halt vote counts in Florida, as well as his alleged financial interests in Iraq. However, his later career has also been marked by criticism from fellow Republicans. He was targeted in 2006 for the relatively dove-ish conclusions of his Iraq Study Group, and in 2008 for joining four other former Secretaries of State to call for the closing of the Guantanamo Bay prison camp.

• Baker and the Bush Administration

  Baker is a longtime friend and associate of President George H. W. Bush. Their professional affiliation goes back to Bush's unsuccessful 1970 Texas Senate campaign, which Baker managed. He has served as Secretary of the Treasury and White House Chief of Staff, and co-chaired the Iraq Study Group commissioned by Congress in 2006 to assess US policy in Iraq.

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Madeleine Albright | Henry Kissinger | George H. W. Bush | George W. Bush | Iraq | Ronald Reagan

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