Obama has hit the ground running. He's asked Congressman Rahm Emanuel (D-Illinois), a former Clinton aide, to be his chief of staff, and he's appointed his transition team: Obama Turns to Building Leadership Team.
The transition team will be headed by former Clinton White House Chief of Staff John Podesta, Chicago businesswoman and Obama family confidante Valerie Jarrett, and Mr. Obama's Senate chief of staff, Pete Rouse. The transition team is stacked with Chicago power brokers and Clinton administration officials, such as former Clinton Commerce Secretary William Daley and former State Department African specialist Susan Rice.
It also features Harvard Law friends such as Michael Froman, a former Treasury chief of staff, and Julius Genachowski, a former chief counsel of the Federal Communications Commission. Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano is also onboard. Offices will be open in Washington by Monday.
At least one expert thinks Obama showed a deft touch in setting up the team. Edward Luce reports (Treasury Chief is Obama's First Test):
Paul Light, a leading scholar of presidential transitions at New York University, says that Mr Obama had already crossed the first hurdle when he announced yesterday that he was integrating his Washington-based transition team, headed by John Podesta, Mr Clinton’s former chief of staff, with his Chicago-based campaign, headed by David Plouffe.
Previous incoming presidents, including Bill Clinton, allowed their transition teams and campaigns to fall out and complicate life. By appointing Valerie Jarrett, a close friend and adviser from Chicago, and Peter Rouse, his Senate chief of staff, to join Mr Podesta, Mr Obama has already begun that integration.
This reduces the chances that Mr Obama will make a mistake with a big appointment. “One thing that always complicates a transition is that you announce a big appointment and then that name goes sour and you expend huge energy defending that name 1,000 per cent, then 200 per cent and finally junk him or her altogether,” says Mr Light. “You have to have your own systems in place to vet all the big names. If you start screwing up you can waste huge amounts of political capital early on.”
Here's a complete list of team members: Obama Sets Transition-team: Staff.
Meanwhile, Doug Palmer reports on speculation about the next USTR: Business awaits Obama decision on trade chief. This may take a while:
Obama is expected to move quickly to announce his selection for Treasury secretary and other top economic slots. But typically the job of U.S. trade representative is often one of the last to be filled.
Among the prospects:
Daniel Tarullo, a Georgetown University law professor who has advised Obama on trade issues...
...Mike Wessel, a longtime aide to former House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt and current member of U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, a congressional watchdog group.
Lael Brainard, an international economics adviser in the Clinton White House now at the Brookings Institution...
...a politician like former Rep. Cal Dooley, a California Democrat, since working with Congress would be a big part of the job....
Some business lobbyists want Obama to consider veteran U.S. trade negotiators Peter Allgeier and Rufus Yerxa for the post.
Allgeier is the current U.S. ambassador to the World Trade Organization in Geneva. Yerxa was a deputy U.S. trade representative in the Clinton administration and has been a deputy director general of the WTO since 2002....
...Stuart Eizenstat, who held the job of deputy Treasury secretary and other senior economic posts in the Clinton administration...
Edit: Nov 6 added Edward Luce story
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