Russell Simmons Endorses Hillary Clinton, Talks Prop. 8

The Hip Hop community lobbied long and hard, with mixed reactions, to drum up youth support for President-Elect Barack Obama. Most of the talk has calmed down now that the former Illinois senator will officially take office in less than a month. However, Def Jam co-founder and Hip Hop mogul Russell Simmons would like to see a few other changes made before January.

"President-elect Barack Obama is doing the right thing by strongly considering Hillary Clinton to be the next U.S. Secretary of State," Simmons writes in his blog at HuffingtonPost.com. "Hillary Clinton will be the most effective Secretary of State and the best choice for the Obama team."

Simmons cited his work with Sen. Clinton in the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network and the potential to "heal any divide that still exists within the Democratic Party" as key reasons for Obama to appoint his former rival.

"We do not see Hillary Clinton as a rival to Barack Obama," Simmons wrote. "We see Hillary as an Obama supporter and a champion for the change that Obama embodies. If chosen she would be one of Obama's most loyal advocates and team players."

Simmons also took time to weigh in on the highly controversial passing of Proposition 8 to ban gay and lesbian marriage in California.

"The passage of Proposition 8 to ban gay marriage in California is a public outrage," Simmons added. "I am calling on my good friend Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to take the deliberate and necessary steps to have this terrible proposition overturned."