All Blog Posts from Political Hotsheet

The White House officially announced today Dennis Ross, previously Hillary Clinton's special adviser on Iran, is joining the National Security Council staff and will serve as a special assistant to the president.

The veteran Middle East negotiator will have a portfolio that encompasses the Middle East, the Gulf, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and South Asia, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said today. Ross will report to Deputy National Security Adviser Tom Donilon and National Security Adviser Jim Jones.

"If you look at all of the regions that are encompassed in that larger framework, you have different parts of the Middle East -- Iran and Iraq, the Gulf, Afghanistan, Pakistan. You've got a number of very important places in our foreign policy and in our national interests," Gibbs said today. "I can assure you, given the list of countries, that they'll be plenty busy."

Ross first gained notoriety as President Bill Clinton's Middle East envoy and director of policy planning in the first Bush administration.

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President Obama plans to give a major speech on national security and the Guantanamo Bay detainees tomorrow in Washington, D.C., and it seems that considerable thought has been given to the venue.

The speech will be given in a large room used to display the Constitution at the National Archives, CBS News' Mark Katkiv reports. The symbolism on a day when the president is discussing prisoner's rights and national security issues is obvious.

The documents on display in the room tomorrow will be reproductions, Katkov reports, because the originals cannot safely be exposed to light.

Senior Obama advisor David Axelrod landed some verbal blows on Dick Cheney today over the former Vice President's criticisms of the Obama administration on national security, as well as Cheney's own record in that regard. Appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press" today, Axelrod was asked about Cheney's recent comment in a Politico interview in which he criticized the Obama administration's stance on terrorism. Axelrod didn't mince words in responding.

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Vice President Joe Biden assured Americans that, following the Obama administration's announcement that it will close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, potentially dangerous detainees will not be released within our own borders.

"We won't release people inside the United States because all but one I believe is not an American citizen," Biden said during his 53rd interview (and first as vice president) on CBS' Face The Nation. He told host Bob Schieffer that the release and replacement of these prisoners will be completed within the administration's first year.

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Barack Obama and Joe Biden have unveiled their picks for four prominent spots on their national security team, and the list includes James B. Steinberg and Jacob Lew, chosen to be deputy secretaries of state. Also tapped were Thomas E. Donilon to be Deputy National Security Advisor, and Antony “Tony” Blinken to be National Security Advisor to the vice president.

Information on each is below.

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Prior to a 5 p.m. ET news conference where he is expected to announce his energy and environment team, President-elect Barack Obama will meet with his national security team.

The meeting will include Mr. Obama, Vice President-elect Biden, White House Chief of Staff-designee Rahm Emanuel, Secretary of State designee Hillary Clinton, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Attorney General designee Eric Holder, Secretary of Homeland Security designee Janet Napolitano, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen, Ambassador to the United Nations designee Susan Rice, National Security Advisor designee Jim Jones, Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell and White House Counsel designee Greg Craig.

A transition official provided CBS News with some background on the meeting:

"There is one president at a time and this meeting is part of the work being done during the transition to be ready to hit the ground running on January 20."

"This is not the first national security meeting. President-elect Obama previously held a meeting with key members of his team on Monday, December 1st, the day he announced key nominees. That meeting included the Vice President-elect, Clinton, Gates, Holder, Napolitano, Rice, Jones. Focus of that meeting was Mumbai."

"There will be more meetings like this between now and January 20."

"Focus of these meetings is international opportunities and challenges -- will cover a range of topics."

"President-elect Obama has made clear that he has no higher priority than advancing America's security and keeping America safe."

Reports CBS News' National Security Correspondent David Martin:

President-elect Barack Obama will meet with key members of his national security team and members of the current administration -- Defense secretary Robert M. Gates, Secretary Of State pick Hillary Rodham Clinton, national security adviser selection James Jones, Joint Chiefs of Staff chair Adm. Mike Mullen, and possibly the Director of National Intelligence, Mike McConnell – on Monday in Chicago. Among other things, they are expected to discuss who will fill the second tier of appointments in the national security agencies.

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Reports CBS News' National Security Correspondent David Martin:

President-elect Barack Obama will meet with key members of his national security team and members of the current administration on Monday in Chicago.

The meeting is expected to include Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Secretary Of State pick Hillary Rodham Clinton, national security adviser pick James Jones, Joint Chiefs of Staff chair Adm. Mike Mullen, and possibly the Director of National Intelligence, Mike McConnell.

Among other things, they are expected to discuss who will fill the second tier of appointments in the national security agencies.

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