Obama picking Washington insiders for cabinet despite promising change

Thursday 20th November, 04:46 PM JST

WASHINGTON —

President-elect Barack Obama promised the voters change but has started his cabinet selection process by naming several Washington insiders to top posts.

Obama is enlisting former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle as his health secretary. Hillary Rodham Clinton, a well-known Washington personality, seemed more likely than ever to be his secretary of state. Clinton is deciding whether to take that post as America’s top diplomat or stay in the Senate, her associates said Wednesday

Obama is ready to announce that his attorney general will be Eric Holder, the Justice Department’s No. 2 when Clinton’s husband was president. Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s chief of staff, is another veteran of the Clinton White House.

Holder, 57, would be the first black person to serve as the country’s top legal official.

Daschle’s selection to head the Health and Human Services Department—confirmed Wednesday but not yet announced—isn’t at the same level of cabinet prestige as the top spots at the State and Justice departments. But the health post could be more important in an Obama administration than in some others, making Daschle a key player in helping steer the president-elect’s promised health care reforms.

Separately, Obama’s transition team announced that Daschle would oversee Obama’s health policy working group assigned to develop proposals and plans for action for the next administration.

Daschle could push Obama for quick action on health care reform next year, if he follows his own advice.

Daschle said efforts during the Clinton administration, led by Hillary Clinton, took too long and went into too much detail, giving every interest group an opportunity to find something they didn’t like about the plan.

“The next president should act immediately to capitalize on the goodwill that greets any incoming administration. If that means attaching a health-care plan to the federal budget, so be it,” Daschle wrote in a book he released this year, “Critical: What We Can Do About The Health-Care Crisis.” “This issue is too important to be stalled by Senate protocol.”

The former South Dakota senator’s return to the government will be a vindication of sorts. He was the Senate Democratic leader when he was defeated in 2004 by Republican John Thune, who convinced voters back home that Daschle was more concerned with Washington than with them.

In fact, Daschle stayed in the capital city after his defeat, becoming a public policy adviser and member of the legislative and public policy group at the law and lobbying firm Alston & Bird. Daschle isn’t registered as a lobbyist. He advises clients on issues including health care, financial services, taxes and trade, according to the firm’s Web site.

Health care interests, including CVS Caremark, the National Association for Home Care and Hospice, Abbott Laboratories and HealthSouth, are among the firm’s lobbying clients.

Daschle’s appointment was not formally announced, but Democratic officials said the job was his barring an unforeseen problem as Obama’s team reviews his background. One area of review will include the lobbying connections of his wife, Linda Hall Daschle, who has worked mostly on behalf of airline-related companies over the years. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

Republicans sniped at what they saw as an unwelcome trend. Alex Conant, spokesman for the Republican National Committee, said: “Barack Obama is filling his administration with longtime Washington insiders.”

The Obama transition team also announced Wednesday that the incoming president had filled four key White House positions, including his pick of David Axelrod, chief campaign strategist, to serve as senior White House adviser.

Obama transition officials say other candidates have been vetted for the secretary of state job, but the New York senator—who was Obama’s fiercest rival for the Democratic nomination—has emerged as the leading contender and the vetting of former president Bill Clinton has been particularly intense.

The Hillary Clinton associates said she has been told that Obama wants her to be secretary of state, although accounts differ on how bluntly and directly Obama made the overture. They would speak only on grounds of anonymity because of the private nature of the negotiations.

Bill Clinton reportedly has agreed to help his wife’s vetting process for the U.S. foreign minister position by releasing the names of several major donors to his charitable foundation. He also will submit future foundation activities and paid speeches to a strict ethics review, said Democrats knowledgeable about the discussions.

They also said that Clinton would step away from day-to-day responsibility for his foundation while his wife serves and would alert the State Department to his speaking schedule and any new sources of income.

The Democrats spoke only on grounds of anonymity because of the private nature of the cabinet-selection process.

Bill Clinton briefly addressed questions about the vetting process in New York on Wednesday.

“I’ll do whatever they want,” the former president said at a ceremony renaming the Triborough Bridge for the late Sen Robert F Kennedy.

Bill Clinton’s post-presidential ventures around the globe were heavily scrutinized this week during two days of intense negotiations in Washington between transition officials and a team of lawyers representing the former first couple.

Since Hillary Clinton emerged as a top contender for the State job, currently held by Condoleezza Rice, her husband’s international business deals and the fundraising he has done for his foundation and presidential library have come under careful review by Obama’s transition team.

A team of attorneys is representing the Clintons in negotiations with Obama officials. The talks have taken place this week at a law firm in Washington. Obama takes office on Jan 20.

Aides familiar with the negotiations said the vetting has gone smoothly and both Clintons had been fully cooperative with the process.

The former president has engaged in other deals that could complicate his wife’s work with foreign governments as secretary of state. Records show he raised money for his foundation from the Saudi royal family, Kuwait, Brunei and the Embassy of Qatar, and from a Chinese Internet company seeking information on Tibetan human rights activists.

____

Associated Press Writer Kevin Freking in Washington contributed to this report.

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Latest 15 of 38 Total Comments Show All

SushiSake3 at 11:29 PM JST - 20th November

Powderfinger - "we were supposed to be impressed with how he defeated the Clinton Machine."

As opposed to your guy, who didn't.

Considering this was Obama's first run for president, the fact he bet the Clinton Machine and the GOP slime machine on his first outing is incredibly impressive, but I think you just need someone to hate. :-)

He is 'reaching across the aisle', something the GOP seems to know nothing about.

Change - I like it. :-)
goodDonkey at 11:36 PM JST - 20th November

Sarge said:

This article must be infuriating for all the Obama supporters.

Not at all Sarge; no anger here. I accept that a free, fair and balanced media will not always present the news to please me. I don't need to whimper about how they are unfair. I know what Obama needs to do and I hoped for the cabinet he is now forming. How could I be angry anyway, my president was elected with a mandate. He kicked butt. And we just won the Alaskan senate seat. Infuriated, hardly Sarge, I am still enjoying the moment.
powderfinger at 11:40 PM JST - 20th November

"He is 'reaching across the aisle', something the GOP seems to know nothing about."

First part of that statement is correct. You know next to nothing of US politics, and it's reflected in the second half of your statement.

I like Rahm Israel Emmanuel.

And Larry Summers.

I'm hoping Obama brings Holbrooke on board.

I noticed they will let Lieberman be.

It is driving his wingnut Daily Kos fan base crazy.

But I think you already knew that...
Taka313 at 11:42 PM JST - 20th November

Triumvere,

You are welcome.

While I think Sen. Clinton would be a very capable Sec. of State and a huge step up from our current one, I truly believe the best person for the job is Gov. Bill Richardson.

I read the other day (can't remember where) that President-elect Obama is also trying to bring Gen. (ret.) Tony Zinni onboard as a member of his staff.

I don't care what capacity it is, I really hope that turns out to be true. Gen. Zinni was my guy for president but said he wouldn't run. I have the upmost respect for him and think that he would really benefit the Obama Presidency, no matter what position he fills.

Taka
Madverts at 11:42 PM JST - 20th November

sarge, no, you flip-flopped. But then again, you were a die-hard bush supporter so who cares...

I'll reserve judgment like the other people with brains on this thread, until he's taken office and has had time to act.

As to the detrimental comments on this thead....well, heh, they just sound like the gratins of the most bitter and sore losers the planet has ever seen...

"Sarah" Who?
SushiSake3 at 11:43 PM JST - 20th November

powderfinger - "You know next to nothing of US politics."

That may or may not be accurate, but at least I know how to pick a winner, unlike yourself, who I actually once thought was American. :-)

And, I am in agreement with Good Donkey - no anger at all.

I'm stoked! Life IS good!
SushiSake3 at 11:46 PM JST - 20th November

Actually it seems like the GOP supporters are the ones who are angry and gnashing their teeth.

Their party is down to 42 seats with two still at risk. Some Senate Republicans are in a deep funk. Some are in denial. Some want a return to conservative principles. Some want to cut deals. Some want more filibusters.

Others want to jump out a window — but they’re afraid they’d screw that up, too.

“We probably wouldn’t die,” a Republican Senate aide joked Wednesday. “We’d just lie there, hurt and suffering, which is not too much different from where we are now.”

[www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15812.html]
USAkuma at 12:17 AM JST - 21st November

Triumvere - Good Post. It seems that no matter who Obama selects, nor what he does, he won't please the far right. But that's the nature of the game. As P.T. Barnum put it, you can please all of the people some of the time, or some of the people all of the time, but you can never please everyone all the time.

Thus, there's no reason to be surprised that those who voted for McCain are not going to be happy with anything he does. It's a proud part of the constitution's Bill of Rights that allows for freedom of speech. It's only during Bush's time that anyone who disagreed with Mein Fuher Bush's actions was labeled a "liberal" supporter of terrorists and marxism.

I am all for the council of Rivals. They should be able to keep each other honest. And it's the **first **big step towards mending fences and reaching across aisles.
Nessie at 12:30 AM JST - 21st November

It seems that no matter who Obama selects, nor what he does, he won't please the far right. But that's the nature of the game. As P.T. Barnum put it, you can please all of the people some of the time, or some of the people…

Or as the neocons say, you can torture all of the people some of the time, or some of the people all of the time...
EurajReturns at 01:46 AM JST - 21st November

Pretty funny article. I bet if everyone Obama picked were unfamiliar faces, these cats would be whining about him giving uncapable, inexperienced people too much power. As long as his choices don't ride on the policies of the last administration, change is nigh.
RomeoRamenII at 05:07 AM JST - 21st November

If obama were really serious about making good on his campaign promise to make "fundamental changes in Washington", he would have filled the HHS position with medical doctor who actually knows something about health and human services. Instead, obama gives the job to a person whom he owes a political favor to.

During the primaries, obama hammered hillary as being an insider. He claimed he was an outsider, and that it would take an outsider to effect "change" in D.C. Now, he is loading up his administration with insiders and cronies.

Yet another great example of obama's idea of "change". Heh, nothing like filling his administration's posts with retreads from the past.
Sarge at 07:13 AM JST - 21st November

Madverts - "sarge, no, you flip-flopped"

I did not.

"the detrimental comments on this thread"

Heh, any criticism of Obama is "detrimental" to liberals.
Sarge at 08:07 AM JST - 23rd November

Taka313: "While I think Sen Clinton would be a very capable Sec of State and a huge step up from our current one..."

You've got to be kidding. On what basis do you say this?
Devyatkova at 12:01 AM JST - 26th November

a clever, handsome new president in USA
soldave at 10:04 AM JST - 26th November

Sarge - probably that someone with an ounce of sense has picked her. And it's like Obama's first term: to be hailed as a success he's not really got to to much considering his predecessor.