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Obama Unveils Presidential Transition Team
As Congratulations Pour In, President-Elect Begins Process
To Build Cabinet To Help Deal With Challenges At Home
And Abroad
Nov. 5, 2008
(CBS/AP) President-elect Barack Obama today announced that his
presidential transition teamwill be led by John Podesta, who served
as chief of staff under President Bill Clinton, campaign
advisor Valerie Jarrett, and Pete Rouse, who has been Obama's
chief of staff in the Senate.
Though informal transition planning has been going on for
months, the creation of the Obama-
Biden Transition Project gives Obama and Vice President-elect
Joe Biden a formal structure
through which to undertake the tasks necessary in transferring
power, chief among them helping toselect Cabinet members and White
House staffers in the new administration.
There have been reports that one decision has already been made:
Some news organizations
reported Wednesday that Illinois Rep. Rahm Emanuel was offered
the position of White Housechief of staff. But the Obama camp has
indicated that Obama has not formally offered Emanuel the
position, and aides to the Democratic Caucus Chair, the
fourth-highest ranking Democrat in the
House, told CBS News that the reports are wrong.
Not since Franklin Delano Roosevelt won the 1932 election has a
president-elect faced so many
problems both at home and abroad. Obama has just 76 days until
his inauguration.
Ken Duberstein, former chief of staff under Ronald Reagan, told
CBS News senior White HouseCorrespondent Bill Plante, "You gotta
hit the ground running. You have to be going a hundred
miles an hour from day one."
Obama has told aides that he wants to take his time and choose
his cabinet carefully. He presently
aims to announce his choices after Thanksgiving, CBS News has
learned, and does not want to
rush the process - or appear to be doing so.
On Thursday, Obama will begin receiving highly-classified daily
briefings from top U.S.
intelligence officials. He will receive information, mostly
written by the Central Intelligence
Agency, to which he never before had access, even as a
senator.
Biden will also begin to get his own briefings beginning this
week.
Despite all this, Obama managed to enjoy a relatively normal day
in his hometown of Chicago on
Wednesday: Seeing his two young daughters off to school - a
simple pleasure he's missed during
nearly two years of virtually nonstop travel - and then a
workout.
The quieter morning followed an electric night of celebration,
anchored by his victory rally of
125,000 in Chicago and joyful outpourings of his supporters
across the country.
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three key sources: Democratic governors midway through their
second and final terms in office;
former top appointees of Bill Clinton's administration; and
political pros from Obama's hometown
of Chicago.
People close to Obama believe he would offer jobs to some or all
of a quartet of Democratic
governors who campaigned hard for him, even if a couple of them
opposed him initially.
Two who have thrived in Republican-leaning states - Gov. Janet
Napolitano of Arizona and Gov.
Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas - backed Obama from the start.
Napolitano is seen as a possibleattorney general. Sebelius is
mentioned as a possible secretary of Education, Commerce, Energy
orHealth and Human Services.
Gov. Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania is seen as a possible pick for
the top Energy or Transportationposts. Gov. Bill Richardson of New
Mexico, who sought the presidential nomination himself, is
thought to be on a short list for secretary of state.
The four would have to give up the last two years of their
eight-year terms as governor, something
that might give them pause.
Former Democratic governors who might become Obama appointees
include Tom Vilsack ofIowa, mentioned as a possible Agriculture
secretary.
Obama already has turned to a former Clinton aide, John Podesta,
to head his transition planning.
Top Obama campaign aides David Axelrod and David Plouffe of
Chicago would be probable picks
for senior adviser or political posts. Campaign aide Robert
Gibbs has the inside track to be presssecretary.
Other Chicago associates likely to land posts in an Obama
administration include lawyer and
fundraiser Penny Pritzker and business executive and family
friend Valerie Jarrett. Also deemed
certain to have a prominent role, if he wants one: Former Senate
Majority leader Tom Daschle ofSouth Dakota.
One major task facing Obama, writes CBS News legal analyst
Andrew Cohen, is to pick an
Attorney General who will continue to rebuild the Justice
Department "in the wake of AlbertoGonzales disastrous reign."
"The candidate must restore professionalism and nonpartisanship
within the Department and alsocontinue to adapt to the evolving
legal war on terror," writes Cohen.
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may not be published,broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The
Associated Press contributed to this report.
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