Jarrett emphasizes the grassroots

From NBC's Cherelle Kantey Valerie Jarrett , who has been selected to be a senior adviser to President-elect Obama , got back to her Chicago roots by reaching out to community organizers at a roundtable event at the Washington Hilton yesterday. “Realizing the Promise,” a forum designed to give the transition team input on solutions from the grassroots level, showed Jarrett in a light similar to the president-elect, rallying the masses with a message of hope. “Yes we can!” she cheered, stirring up the crowd. The audience, filled with nearly 2,500 community activists from around the nation stood to their feet as she entered the room. Jarrett’s speech was more of an Obama stump than a policy address on the next administration. She relied on rhetoric about how optimism and unification are the keys to the success of the new administration. “Our future is bright, and there’s nothing we can't do if we can come together as one,” said Jarrett. “The challenges are daunting ... but [we can] hold ... (link)