Former Senator Carol Mosely-Braun was sworn in as U.S. ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa by Vice President Al Gore on Thursday.
Mosely-Braun, the first black woman elected to the U.S. Senate, made it clear in her remarks that her diplomatic appointment is a vindication of all allegations against her. Mosely-Braun even thanked Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC), Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman, who tried to block her nomination, “for giving [her] a hearing and a chance, finally, to put an end to the pain.”
Gore, who has claimed credit for helping ensure Senate approval of her nomination, called Mosely-Braun “an embodiment of America in our most diverse and democratic spirit.”
Mosely-Braun will leave Friday for her new position in New Zealand.