Minnesota's Clout in Washington

A chat with Minn. native Thomas Nides, No. 2 at State Dept.

by Cathy Wurzer, Minnesota Public Radio

Washington, D.C. — Thomas Nides, one of Minnesota's most influential people in Washington, is being sworn in today as deputy Secretary of State -- the No. 2 position in the department.

Nides, a native of Duluth, had been working as chief operating officer for the global financial firm Morgan Stanley before President Obama appointed him to his new post.

Now, he's serving as the COO for the State Department -- working alongside Secretary Hillary Clinton to advise the president and Congress on foreign affairs.

MPR's Cathy Wurzer caught up with Nides in Washington, and he talked about his duties at the State Department.