Thread: Obama's Cabinet

Obama's first pick is Rahm Emanuel for Chief of Staff. (He'll accept.)

This thread is about BO's cabinet picks, their background.

Obama picks Clinton alum Emanuel chief of WH staff
By DAVID ESPO and NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writers David Espo






AP – In this June 6, 2008,, file photo Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., left, talks with Democratic presidential …

WASHINGTON – President-elect Barack Obama pivoted quickly to begin filling out his new administration on Wednesday, selecting hard-charging Illinois Rep. Rahm Emanuel as White House chief of staff while aides stepped up the pace of transition work that had been cloaked in pre-election secrecy.

Several Democrats confirmed that Emanuel had been offered the job. While it was not clear he had accepted, a rejection would amount to an unlikely public snub of the new president-elect within hours of an electoral college landslide.
With hundreds of jobs to fill and only 10 weeks until Inauguration Day, Obama and his transition team confronted a formidable task complicated by his anti-lobbyist campaign rhetoric.

Link: go to yahoo . com - my ID is tied to this link b/c of email.

Dick Lugar (R) Senator from Indiana for Secretary of State a strong candidate IMO.

Al Sharpton Secretary of The Treasury

John Edwards special counsel on family and women issues

Sara Palin - wardrobe and moose dressing

Secretary of Education?

I think Jimmuh' would be a perfect match for Obama's cabinet.



Can they find him a position?

Originally Posted by Norton

Dick Lugar (R) Senator from Indiana for Secretary of State a strong candidate IMO.

would be a good choice, but i think john kerry is the more likely pick. as far as republicans in his cabinet, chuck hagel as sec. of defense is a strong possibility...especially if gates ready to step down.

Originally Posted by Boon Mee

Secretary of Education?

Nah. National Security Adviser. It takes one to know one.

Originally Posted by raycarey

but i think john kerry is the more likely pick.

Yep. He is being considered I'm sure. I think it is important the cabinet have some Republicans. Some damn good candidates there. Gates is a bright guy and believe there could be far worse picks for Defense.

it's a virtual certainty that there will be at least 1 republican in obama's cabinet. above all, gates is competent....which is exactly what was needed after the first 5 + years of 'rumsfeldian' fuck ups. however, i wouldn't be totally surprised if he didn't want to step down in january....my feeling at the time was that he took the job not because he wanted it, but rather felt duty bound to take it.

Originally Posted by raycarey

i wouldn't be totally surprised if he didn't want to step down in january....my feeling at the time was that he took the job not because he wanted it, but rather felt duty bound to take it.

Maybe he will again. The continuity he would provide in Iraq and Afghanistan would be invaluable.

Who's who on Obama's new team



Since winning the US presidential election, Barack Obama has wasted little time assembling a team to help him govern. The BBC News website has put together a guide to the new faces so far named in the administration.


CHIEF OF STAFF: RAHM EMANUEL

Rahm Emanuel is no stranger to the White House. He served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Bill Clinton and developed a reputation for forceful negotiation and unwavering loyalty.
In 2002, after leaving the White House, he was elected to the House of Representatives, representing Illinois's fifth congressional district. Four years later, he was picked to head the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, presiding over the party's dramatic congressional gains in that year's mid-term elections.

His district takes in President-elect Obama's home city of Chicago and the two men are close friends.
Mr Emanuel's ties both to Mr Obama and to the Clintons meant that he avoided endorsing either leading candidate in the Democratic primaries.
As Chief of Staff, Mr Emanuel will be in charge of delivering the president's policy platform.
By appointing an "enforcer" like Mr Emanuel to the post, observers say Mr Obama is signalling that he means business.
Some liberal Democrats fear that Mr Emanuel - a moderate - will drag Mr Obama to the political centre.
Republican opponents are complaining that Mr Emanuel's partisan style will jar with Mr Obama's campaign promises to change the tone in Washington.
Full profile: Rahm Emanuel


SENIOR ADVISER: DAVID AXELROD

As Mr Obama's Chief Strategist during his run for both the US Senate and the presidency, David Axelrod was always expected to follow the President-elect into the White House. Mr Axelrod will serve as Senior Adviser to the president, with the power to oversee all presidential decisions and to meet the president at any time.

He has spent most of his career in Chicago politics, first as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, then as a consultant.
He acted as an adviser to Harold Washington - Chicago's first African-American mayor - and came to know fellow Chicagoan Barack Obama as the then-state senator rose through the ranks of the Illinois political scene.
Mr Obama chose him to run his successful 2004 campaign for one of Illinois's US Senate seats, and again when he decided to run for president in 2006.
Full profile: David Axelrod


TRANSITION CO-CHAIR: VALERIE JARRETT
Like David Axelrod and Rahm Emanuel, Valerie Jarrett is a close friend of Mr Obama and a member of Chicago's political elite.

She worked for Chicago Mayor Harold Washington in the 1980s and for his successor Richard Daley, during which time she hired Mr Obama's then-fiancee Michelle Robinson to work for her.
She was the chair of Chicago's Transit Board from 1995 to 2005 before joining the Obama campaign as a senior adviser.
As co-chair (with John Podesta) of Mr Obama's transition team, Ms Jarrett will be instrumental in moulding the future shape of the Obama administration, and is likely to be given a high-profile job once the president-elect takes up his post.

TRANSITION CO-CHAIR: JOHN PODESTA

As a former Chief of Staff to Bill Clinton, John Podesta has plenty of White House experience to offer Mr Obama, as he helps lead the president-elect's transition team. Since leaving Pennsylvania Avenue, Mr Podesta has been busy running the Centre for American Progress (CAP), the centre-left think tank he founded in 2003.

Mr Podesta, who remained close to the Clintons during the Bush years, backed Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries.
Earlier this year he wrote a book - The Power of Progress - in which he outlined the key priorities he felt a new Democratic president should pursue.
In the light of his appointment as co-chair of the transition team, some observers have been studying his book for any clues about the direction of Mr Obama's administration.
He has declared his intention to remain at CAP once the transition is complete and will not join the administration.

TRANSITION CO-CHAIR: PETE ROUSE

The third leader of Mr Obama's transition team is Pete Rouse, 61, who served in Mr Obama's Senate office as Chief of Staff.
He had previously worked for Sen Tom Daschle, when Mr Daschle was the Democratic Senator Majority Leader, during which time he was known to many as "the 101st Senator".
His experience working under Mr Daschle gave him plenty of experience on Capitol Hill, and - as Deputy Chief of Staff in the Obama White House - he will be instrumental in the new president's attempts to push his policy platform through Congress.

PRESS SECRETARY: ROBERT GIBBS
Robert Gibbs, as Communications Director for the Obama campaign, has long been the president-elect's public face.

If, as US media outlets suggest, he is to take up a new post as White House Press Secretary, he will be the public face of the entire administration.
A southerner, Mr Gibbs worked for Mr Obama in his Senate office and served as a press secretary in John Kerry's 2004 presidential bid. He made frequent appearances on television during the 2008 campaign, and was popular with members of the press.

BBC NEWS | Americas | US Elections 2008 | Who's who on Obama's new team

I don't really have much to add to the BBC's article- I know very little about these peope. Emmanuel seems a sound, no nonsense pick as chief of staff. Axelrod was a formidable campaign manager- he certainly deserves a role in the White House. Chicago folk are well represented so far- no surprises there I guess.

The main, high profile appointments are yet to come.

Originally Posted by sabang

Emmanuel seems a sound, no nonsense pick as chief of staff.

I posted this on the other thread, but to me Emmanual is anything but a sound pick:

Well I don’t think the guy stacks up very well on his past as it relates to being a Zionist that actually joined a foreign military. Not much of a selection that highlights any kind of real change, but the COS spot is one of the spots I am willing to cut Obama some slack on the change issue, cause he really does need someone in that post that knows how things run inside the beltway. All that being said this dude was also on the board at Freddie Mac – looks like he did a good job over there so why not give him the keys to the White House?

Kind of funny how Obama is talking about the dire economic situation, and then he appoints someone that was at the hart of it all as his COS?

A guy that once served in the armed forces of another country, and that was on the board of scandle plagued (to say nothing about thier economic soundness) Freddie Mac is hardly a sound choice IMHO. This does not even take into account his Chicago political ties which are sketchy at best.

Actually I wish Obama would work a bit harder at distancing himself from what I consider a less than trustworthy Chicago political machine.

I'll say one thing to his (Emmanuel) credit, I would prefer to have him as the speaker of the House (another role I heard he was seaking) over the current bird.

Originally Posted by Bugs

A guy that once served in the armed forces of another country...

I don't get it, what's wrong with that?

Originally Posted by AntRobertson

Originally Posted by Bugs

A guy that once served in the armed forces of another country...

I don't get it, what's wrong with that?

I want people in my government to have their primary allegiance to my country, if they have served in a foreign military there is a fair chance this may not be the case.

This bloke could have easily signed up to serve in the US military, but he did not. He chose instead to place his allegiance with Israel and serve for them not us. Ally or not, this to me says he places Israel before the US, and I don’t want anyone who places another country before the US to be part of the government of the US.

This is especially true for someone that might have significant influence on situations that unfold in the Middle East, and those that involve Israel. IMHO he is apt to make decission based more on what is best for Israel rather than what is best for the US - and no those are not the same thing.

Originally Posted by Norton

Originally Posted by Boon Mee

Secretary of Education?

Nah. National Security Adviser. It takes one to know one.

We can't have the bombers blowing up their own buildings!

Originally Posted by Bugs

I want people in my government to have their primary allegiance to my country, i

How about people not serving or hiding or in other ways declining to serve their country

Originally Posted by Bugs

he is apt to make decission based more on what is best for Israel rather than what is best for the US

Well, looking at history they are on eand the same

Originally Posted by Bugs

and no those are not the same thing.

Yes, they are


I would rather have the person best suited to the job

Agree with Bugs, 100%.

It's an inappropriate selection for that reason alone. A conflict of interest is but weeks away.

Hope & Change! Jamie Gorelick being considered for Attorney General.

Heh... she'd be a great choice. I mean, any friend of Angelo's is a friend of ours! And, really, what could go wrong?

Originally Posted by Milkman

Obama's first pick is Rahm Emanuel for Chief of Staff. (He'll accept.)

chief of staff is not a cabinet level position....and btw, the only people that know who is on the short list for obama's cabinet are obama and the people listed in sabang's post....and they're not talking.....so anything you read or hear about 'front runners' is idle speculation.

Originally Posted by Bugs

I want people in my government to have their primary allegiance to my country, if they have served in a foreign military there is a fair chance this may not be the case. This bloke could have easily signed up to serve in the US military, but he did not. He chose instead to place his allegiance with Israel and serve for them not us. Ally or not, this to me says he places Israel before the US, and I don’t want anyone who places another country before the US to be part of the government of the US. This is especially true for someone that might have significant influence on situations that unfold in the Middle East, and those that involve Israel. IMHO he is apt to make decission based more on what is best for Israel rather than what is best for the US - and no those are not the same thing.

Good points, and I wonder how he would deal with a situation like this if something similar occurred again.

USS Liberty Memorial Main Page

Several of you seem to have this problem with Emanuel being a dual national of Israel and the USA. He is not a right winger- he is a so called progressive, ie he supports the establishment of a Palestinian state, in line with the official US policy.

I never heard one of you raise this issue about the Bush administration, which had several right wing, Zionist jews in it's senior ranks. Examples being Scooter Libby, Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz- who was actually investigated for giving State secrets to Israel.

Unless you are anti-semitic, there is no issue with Emanuel being Jewish. From reading about the guy since his nomination, he seems a very fine pick as COS. Furthermore, Obama is handling the transition phase exceedingly well so far, which even Clinton failed to do. The signs are good for Obamas tenure, and I think that irks those of you who passionately opposed his election

Originally Posted by sabang

Several of you seem to have this problem with Emanuel being a dual national of Israel and the USA. He is not a right winger- he is a so called progressive, ie he supports the establishment of a Palestinian state, in line with the official US policy.

I never heard one of you raise this issue about the Bush administration, which had several right wing, Zionist jews in it's senior ranks. Examples being Scooter Libby, Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz- who was actually investigated for giving State secrets to Israel.

Unless you are anti-semitic, there is no issue with Emanuel being Jewish.

Overall, I like Rahm Emanuel. I despise the Neo-Cons mentioned above. Hopefully Wolfowitz won't stay on at State, correct?

Obama is handling the transition phase exceedingly well so far, which even Clinton failed to do. The signs are good for Obamas tenure, and I think that irks those of you who passionately opposed his election

Yes, I remember Clinton's first few. Zoe Baird, and a couple of others that have faded from memory.

So far, good signs for BO's tenure.

Also Ray, thanks for the correction on COS not being in the cabinet.

Originally Posted by Texpat

Agree with Bugs, 100%.

It's an inappropriate selection for that reason alone. A conflict of interest is but weeks away.

So do I.