Washington (CNN) -- In one move Wednesday, President Barack Obama managed to reshape his national security team, bring longtime confidante Susan Rice to the White House and annoy Republican critics of the U.N. ambassador. Obama announced in the White House Rose Garden that Rice, who got caught up in political controversy over the Benghazi, Libya, terrorist attack, will replace the retiring Tom Donilon in the influential foreign policy post of national security adviser. Donilon will step down in July following this weekend's meetings between Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The president also said he would nominate Samantha Power of the National Security Council to succeed Rice at the United Nations.
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NEW: President Obama names U.N. envoy Susan Rice his national security adviser
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Columnist John Avlon says Obama made a "fascinating, decisive move"
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Obama will nominate Samantha Power as U.N. ambassador
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GOP opposition forced Rice to withdraw from consideration to be secretary of state
Samantha Power
Samantha Power
To columnist and CNN Contributor John Avlon, Obama's choice of Rice and @placeholder showed the freedom he felt now that he won the last election of his career last year.
John Avlon
@placeholder called Obama's move "a coalescing within the Obama administration" by promoting "two women who are in policy terms not that far from their Republican critics. "
Barack Obama
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Avlon called @placeholder's move "a coalescing within the Obama administration" by promoting "two women who are in policy terms not that far from their Republican critics. "