Nov. 22, 2008
Team Obama Takes Shape
A Roundup Of Confirmed And Rumored Nominees For Top Posts In The New Administration
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Cabinet Takes Shape
After locking down his attorney general and chief of staff picks, the Obama transition team has moved on to fill the treasury secretary and secretary of state positions. Chip Reid has more.
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Obama Cabinet Choices
The number of "Clintonians" mentioned for President-elect Barack Obama's cabinet has raised eyebrows. Marcus Mabry of The New York Times explains some of the surprise candidates for posts.
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A Clinton In Obama's Cabinet?
Will Hillary Clinton be appointed secretary of state and, if so, what will be the effects of her appointment? Jeff Greenfield has more.
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Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton step off his campaign plane in Florida last month. (AP)
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In this Friday, Nov. 14, 2008 file photo, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., speaks at a New York Public Transit Association conference in Albany. (AP)
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New York Federal Reserve Chairman Timothy Geithner, left, talks with Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke in this Oct. 15, 2008 file photo. Geithner is reportedly President-elect Barack Obama's pick to be the next treasury secretary. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
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In this June 9, 2008 file photo, former Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington. Holder is President-elect Barack Obama's top choice to be the next attorney general and aides have gone so far as to ask senators whether he would be confirmed, an Obama official and people close to the matter said Nov. 18, 2008. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
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Photo Essay
United Front
Rivals turned allies Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton make show of unity ... in Unity.
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Photo Essay
Hillary Clinton
A look at a life and career full of firsts.
The adviser told CBS News that Mr. Obama formally told Clinton earlier in the week the job was hers if she wanted it.
But a Clinton spokesman stressed that this is not a done deal. "We're still in discussions, which are very much on track. Any reports beyond that are premature," said Philippe Reines, a senior adviser to the New York senator.
CBS News has also learned that New York Federal Reserve President Timothy Geithner is Mr. Obama's choice for Secretary of the Treasury.
The Associated Press reported late Saturday that Obama is planning to name former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers - previosly thought to be a front-runner to resume that post - as director of the National Economic Council.
Obama is expected to announce both of those economic picks, and possibly others, on Monday.
And CBS News has confirmed that New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson had emerged as a likely pick for commerce secretary.
Elsewhere, CBS News correspondent David Martin reports that the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, met Friday for a one-on-one meeting with Obama. Mullen flew to Chicago at the invitation of Mr. Obama and the men met for about 45 minutes. Mullen refused to say what was discussed. As the president's chief military adviser, Mullen will play a key role in helping Obama make good on his campaign promise to end the war in Iraq and get all combat brigades out by July, 2010.
A more complete rundown of the emerging Obama cabined is below, based on reporting by CBS News and the Associated Press:
"In many ways this pairing would seem the most unlikely of the new administration, especially given the often bitter primary battle between the two," said CBSNews.com senior political editor Vaughn Ververs. "But the president-elect has emphasized his desire to bring former opponents into his administration and there’s not a better example of this 'team of rivals' approach than this. Whether it works out in the long run is the $64,000 question."
CBS News' Chip Reid reported Friday that Clinton's decision to accept the job came only after additional conversations with Mr. Obama to make sure she was comfortable with the idea of the two former rivals working together.
An Obama transition aide told The Associated Press that the two camps have worked out financial disclosure issues involving Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton, and the complicated international funding of his foundation that operates in 27 countries.
Clinton is reported to have been mulling the post for several days, but the transition aide's comments suggested that Mr. Obama's team does not feel she is inclined to turn it down.
Some Democrats and government insiders have questioned whether Clinton is too independent and politically ambitious to be an effective secretary of state. But Mr. Obama is said to admire her talents and experience, as do many other Democrats.
A senior adviser to Mr. Obama said the president-elect believes Clinton would bring instant stature and credibility to U.S. diplomatic relations and that the advantages to her serving far outweighed potential downsides.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised the apparent choice in an interview with CBS News, saying "Fabulous, she'd be absolutely great. She's so respected through our country and also throughout the world."
If nominated and confirmed by the Senate, Geithner, 47, would assume chief responsibility for tackling an economic slowdown and a credit crunch that threaten to create the deepest recession in more than a generation. The president of the New York Federal Reserve, he has played a key role in the government's response to the financial crisis and has worked closely with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.
He is also a veteran of the Treasury Department, having served in top posts under Presidents Clinton and George H.W. Bush.
In an interview with CBS News, Washington Post columnist Steve Pearlstein called Geithner a "great choice" who "knows exactly what's going on and going wrong"
Like Clinton, he was a rival of Mr. Obama's for the Democratic presidential nomination last winter. He dropped out after the early contests, though, and soon threw his support behind the eventual winner.
Holder was a top Justice Department aide in the Clinton administration, though most recently he has been in private practice.
While speculation has been rampant about numerous Cabinet-level appointments, there has been relatively little about Mr. Obama's choice as defense secretary. His aides encouraged speculation before the election that Robert Gates, who now holds the position, would remain in office for an interim period.
Other possible candidates include former Navy Secretary Richard Danzig, Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., a critic of the Iraq war who is retiring from Senate, and Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., a member of Senate Armed Services Committee and Obama friend.
The Arizona governor is Mr. Obama's top choice.
Brennan is a former director of the National Counterterrorism Center.
The former Senate Majority Leader from South Dakota and longtime Obama supporter has all-but-officially gotten the nod.
Orszag is the current director of the Congressional Budget Office.
©MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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See all 59 CommentsAt a time of national crisis it is good to know those who know what to do are in place.
America chose well!
Posted by MendotaCN
Neocons have a short memory too. Like when Reagan and Bush Sr ripped each other to shreds during the 1980 primaries, then Reagan picks Bush for VP.
Its politics, that''s all. Oh, but I forgot. If Obama does it, its bad, if anybody else does it, its OK.
Apparently, the Obama cult followers have too short memory and too little logic to face the real world."
Posted by MendotaCN at 09:50 PM : Nov 21, 2008
You''d rather have Rice, whose only credentials for the job seemed to be as a right-wing ideologue or the horribly miscast Colin Powell?!?
I think Mme Clinton has the right combination of diplomacy and no-nonsense bi&chiness to pull off the job. Anyway, it''s not a done deal so I wouldn''t get too twisted about it just yet.
Unlike you folks, Obama has the intelligence to pick the "best and the brightest" and he carefully hand picked the stars from that Administration.
I say "Bravo" to Obama have the intellect and deep understanding to get the country back on track.
To the Obama bashers: Move to Texas so you can live near your hero "Dubya"....you''ll have a job..he might need his feet rubbed...
Posted by CitizenUSA at 11:37 PM : Nov 21, 2008
So I take it no matter what Obama does you''ll love and kiss him! Turn a blind eye to failings, or lack of promises unfulfilled. He''s promised an awful lot.
ANY CHANGE from the GW/Cheney garbage heads, their looting cronies and their disastrous gang of economic RAPISTS is WORTH IT. Recycled or not.
The evidence: conclusions without all the facts; limited perspective (limited to what you already believe); name-calling; bullying tactics; and poor sportsmenship.
Hold your opinions until the evidence can support your statement, please.
A lawyer defends a client based on facts. A seventh-grader defends his/her position based on insecurity with (perhaps) being wrong and not getting his/her way.
Where is Sandy Burger going to fit into this administration? Director of National Archives?
Instead of a housing boom we can have a clean up boom.
Tax Chinese imports to fund it since they won''t compete fairly in this Free Trade world and correctly value their monetary system. Or the poisons they put in the food and materials they send here that get put into foods...or the dumping off those offroad tires..or those 60 million faulty tire valve stems on America''s cars now...
How about seizing some of the money we owe them..but use it to test every child in America for Kidney stones for the melamine in our food?
Charge them for hacking our computers and stealing our data?
We are at War with China and they are winning.
Where is Sandy Burger going to fit into this administration? Director of National Archives?
Posted by tcoleman12 at 08:00 AM : Nov 22, 2008
I certainly hope you don''t think Obama should be picking people like Gonzo for Justice? You see that''s why you losers fell for the Bush Line. We need a CHANGE in DIRECTION, that comes from the TOP. In order to make that CHANGE happen there MUST be people below that leader who know how things work and how to make those changes actually a reality. Despite the fact that Fascist would like us to forget it all, the Clinton Presidency WAS a success and we need to build ON success not on FAILURE!
Posted by libsRcrooks at 05:20 AM : Nov 22, 2008
Wow! Now here''s a LOSER who really really LOVE''s the "Party", doesn''t give a hoot about you, me or the nation unless WE to LOVE that "Party". LOL Doesn''t have much of an education either...
Posted by dkhorse1 at 04:30 AM : Nov 22, 2008
LOOK around you Sparky!! How does ANYONE screw THIS up any more than it already is?? ROFLMAO Obama is going to be fine.. just fine!
Posted by dkhorse1 at 04:30 AM : Nov 22, 2008"
What scares me is you''ve even admitted that Bush screwed things up so badly, but instead of your wrath being focused on Bush, you are fully focused on hating Obama.
That''s scary!
barry obama is the empty suit they wanted sitting in the oval office."
Posted by kevinkkloste at 08:27 AM : Nov 22, 2008
I''m picking on you, Kevin, because your''s is the most recent of the anti-ClintonObama posts.
1. What was it about the three trillion dollar surplus that Slick Willie left us at the end of his 8 years that is so much worse than the 9 (and counting) trillion dollar deficit that His Georgeness has left us at the end of his?
2. How can being respected abroad, if not actually viewed with affection, be so much worse than being villified by virtually every nation on earth? Good Lord, even the English can''t stand us.
3. No president since Johnson has done more to allieviate poverty and discrimination based of superficial characteristics than has Ol'' Bill. You actually want our nation to have one of the widest gulfs in resource accessibility between the wealthiest and poorest?
If Obama means a third term of Clinton, then I say Great!! For all of his personal moral failings and the fact he was the most conservative Democratic president we have had since Woodrow Wilson, Clintoon did a pretty good job. You don''t have to look any farther than to compare the America of 1999 or 2000 to the one we have today to see my point. Clinton was a better president that the man he unseated in 1992 and a FAR better one than the one who succeeded him.
The change the Big "O" has promised was not so much a change in personnel (although ANYTHING would be better than that lot of thieves, psychopaths, Christofacist drones and other assorted and incompetent odd ducks GWB wished off on us) but a change in policy and, most importantly, a change in ideology and values.
I think there may be some truth to the notion that an Obama administration would look similar to the Clinton one. That''s fine....We could do, and have recently done, far worse. But make no mistake, Obama is his own man and from what I know of him - outside of the campaign rhetoric and sound bites - those similarities won''t run very deep. What remains to be seen is whether those differences improve America or not. If BHO is true to his word and the opposition gives him and his program(s) a fair shake (yeah, right!) then I believe America will come out far better than I dared hope earlier this month.
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Posted by jizzumjim at 09:42 AM : Nov 22, 2008
It won''t be long before he''s running neck and neck with Carter for the worst ever.
He will just put into place a ton of social programs that will be impossible to remove once everyone gets on the government payroll.
Trillions more on the debt, trillions more in government programs that will be here forever. Great CHANGE!
Trillions more on the debt, trillions more in government programs that will be here forever. Great CHANGE!
Posted by stick1772 at 10:02 AM : Nov 22, 2008
You have no idea whatsoever what he''s going to do. My god, the man hasn''t even taken office yet!!!
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Posted by HAKORI at 10:34 AM : Nov 22, 2008
I heard that if you type in all caps it makes your idea right.
Posted by stick1772 at 11:15 AM : Nov 22, 2008
________________________
haha, good one.
And after all, the country suffered so greatly under the Clinton administration, jobs up, economy strong, balanced budget, etc.
Posted by jgg0002 at 12:35 PM : Nov 22, 2008
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I think you''re forgetting something. Al Quada is nothing if not extraordinarily patient and detailed in planning their attacks. While it''s true we haven''t been attacked again here since 9/11/01, it bears remembering that their first attempt on the WTC was 2/23/93, almost *9* years earlier. I''m not saying we''re not doing a better job with intelligence etc, but to assume we''re safer just because we haven''t been attacked in 8 yrs would be a foolish assumption. And an assumption, I suspect, that Al Quada is counting on us having....
Most "in the know" people have said all along that we will remain a target and will inevitably get hit again. It''s the when/how that we don''t know. As much as we do and as hard as we try, there is no way to make us entirely terror-proof.
As for Bush not having anything to do with us not being attacked since 9/11, just who would you credit?? How about your politicans like pelosi and dodd and reid, them?? Seems that is Bush gets the blame for oh, say, global warming, tainted food, etc, he should get the credit.
BUT, not to worry, your chosen one will save all. Now, just what did the muslim facists call him "house n(*&ger". Yea, there''s the love.
Say, what with your mentality and outrage I think you would be great in his civilian militia. Bet you would look great in a brown shirt and jack boots.
I CHOOSE when, how much, and what entities or even IF public service is part of my life...this honking commie can shove it!
Posted by Rowdydfw
Once again, Rowdy is talking out of her a**. Public service is required if you get the aid for education. You take the governments''s money for school, you pay them back with service. Simple. Effective. You don''t have to do sevice if you don''t take the money.
Try reading his policies BEFORE you attempt to trash them.
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Posted by jgg0002 at 02:18 PM : Nov 22, 2008
to be quickly followed by re-education camps for all those who fail to follow the messiah.
Now ****!
Posted by Rowdydfw
Oh, you''re in high school or middle school? You won''t be required to do a thing, sweetheart, so you can ****. I don''t know about high schools and middle schools in Texass, but here, kids do community service all the time as part of their learning. Less than an hour a week isn''t real tough. And they''re setting that as a goal, not a requirement. Duh.
Wow - so you''re blind, too. Let''s see search for bin Laden, search for wmd''s, trashing of our civil liberties, torture, war in Iraq, war in Afghanistan, ''trickle down economics'', trashing of the separation of power.
Oh, yeah, and when you were supposedly a Hillary supporter, you couldn''t say enough great things about the Clinton years and their economic successes. Hypocrisy, thy name is Republican!
''Require 100 Hours of Service in College: Obama and Biden will establish a new American Opportunity Tax Credit that is worth $4,000 a year in exchange for 100 hours of public service a year.''
Again, read wiccan. I certainly don''t see anything wrong with requiring college students to pay back $4000 with some community service. We already do that, you know. I work at a medical college - students get full tuition, books paid for, and a living allowance, in exchange for 4 years service. It''s call the US military. Those *** communists.
Posted by Rowdydfw at 02:24 PM : Nov 22, 2008
O.K. here''s the deal.....
Public service as envisioned by "O" is not a draft. Whatever else "hakori" may be wrong about, (s)he''s got this one nailed. It is merely an expansion of the old G.I. bill of rights that allows ex-service men and women to continue their educations after doing military. This expansion includes many types of civilian service. This means, in order to take advantage of a subsidised college education, you have the option of performing other kinds of services than merely military ones.
Don''t get the idea any of this is required of the general population. BHO has said repeatedly this is not and will not be the case. Public service will be a requirement ONLY if you wish to attend college and ONLY if you do not wish to do so on your own dime.
"I''ve already READ THEM, have you? What do you NOT understand about REQUIRING high school kids to do a certain number of community service hours!" Posted by Rowdydfw at 02:30 PM : Nov 22, 2008
As have I. There is NO requirement for high school kids to do anything (and that''s unfortunate) UNLESS they wish to continue their educations and can not, or do not want to, pay for it themselves.
In spite of those picks which so far are mostly cabinet positions, his closest aides appointed for White House jobs are not Clinton people. They are the ones that usually have a presidents attention the most.
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Wonder if I''ll get any better of a chance to get ahead with the new regime. Hope they''ll be more willing to hire people like me than the last bunch.
Still see the same old "fear factor" crowd is hanging in there squeezing out sour grapes.
Is there a job out there for someone who''s been warning about this financial mess for a couple of years and wants to get things back on track now that the feces has been revealed?
seems like a good time to come out of retirement.
Posted by Rowdydfw
How can you tell a Texan is married?
There''s chewing tobacco down both sides of the pickup truck.
I do not care about stupid Morons like DJ_IL - put Your anger into Your pocket and start to work - we have plenty work to do in this country, and Anger is NOT helpful.
I do not care about stupid Morons like DJ_IL - put Your anger into Your pocket and start to work - we have plenty work to do in this country, and Anger is NOT helpful.
Posted by lordmi at 02:00 AM : Nov 23, 2008
Pssst. Take your own advice. Where do you see that DJ_IL has anger issues. Sounds to me like maybe you and wtlib have the pent up anger.
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