Obama's White House is Taking Shape

[babylonsister]

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/107305/obama%27s_white_house_is_taking_shape/#more

Obama's White House is Taking Shape

Posted by Steve Benen, Washington Monthly at 10:22 AM on November 16, 2008.

"Change" will come in the form of policy, and Obama is in the process of assembling a team that will help him deliver on a "change" agenda.


We may not learn about Obama's cabinet choices until after Thanksgiving, but in the interim, the White House staff is clearly taking shape.

Up until a few days ago, the list was fairly brief: Rahm Emanuel will be chief of staff, Robert Gibbs will be press secretary, and David Axelrod will be a senior advisor to the president. Yesterday, the Obama/Biden team formally added two more members: Ron Klain will become Vice President Joe Biden's chief of staff, while Valerie Jarrett will serve as Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Relations and Public Liaison. (As Karen Tumulty noted, Jarrett's title suggests a "very broad troubleshooting portfolio.")

We've since learned of a few other officials in key White House posts. Phil Schiliro, a long-time aide to Henry Waxman and Tom Daschle, will be Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs. Peter Rouse, a long-time aide to Daschle and Dick Durbin, will be a senior advisor to the President. Mona Sutphen, a U.S. foreign service officer and member of Bill Clinton's National Security Council, will be a deputy chief of staff. And Jim Messina, a former aide to Sens. Max Baucus and Byron Dorgan, will also be a deputy chief of staff.

Ezra made an important point about what most of these people have in common:

One of the themes I've been trying to push lately is that the success of Obama's presidency is dependent on his ability to navigate an increasingly dysfunctional Congress, and that the ability to pass bills through the institution requires pretty fair knowledge of how it works and pretty good relationships with the key players. Clinton didn't have that. He entered office and showed very little respect for congressional expertise, surrounding himself with trusted associates from Arkansas and young hotshots from his campaign.

Obama is not making the same mistake. He's surrounded himself with Gephardt and Daschle advisers, elevated Rahm Emanuel to chief of staff, and just named Phil Schiliro to be the administration's point person on legislative affairs. Schirilo was previously Henry Waxman's chief of staff, and as Marc Ambinder says, was "known as one of the savviest, smartest chiefs of staffs in DC." He also served as policy director to Tom Daschle, which only furthers the odd rebirth of the Daschle team within the Obama administration.

And Schirilo's Hill expertise is rivaled by that of Rouse, Messina, and, of course, that Emanuel guy.

I don't doubt that there will be some who argue that this team does not reflect enough "change." They're a group of highly-competent professionals who bring extensive experience in policy making and the political process, but they're "insiders" who've worked for powerhouse Democrats like Clinton, Daschle, and Gephardt.

I'm afraid I'm unsympathetic to these concerns. "Change" will come in the form of policy, and Obama is in the process of assembling a team that will help him deliver on a "change" agenda. As far I can tell, that's a good thing.

[tekisui]

1. KNR!

One of the things that bugs the hell out of me is everyone running around in a pissy fit over the appointment of effective, highly qualified people. These people will be working for Obama and his policies.

They must have forgotten how Carter stock his Administration with "his" people and was very limited in his ability to work with Congress to get things done.

Or chimpy and his cronies.

Obama is doing it right. He wants to succeed more than anyone here wants him to succeed.

[Puzzler]

12. I agree...

... it looks like Obama wants to hit the ground running. Carter and Bill Clinton were not good role models in this respect (much as I like them).

[jwirr]

2. Totally agree - I watched both Clinton and Carter wade through unfamiliar

waters and this is the way to go. Obama will be the change - his staff will facilitate that change.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. "Obama will be the change - his staff will facilitate that change."

Great way to put it and I agree! :thumbsup:

[Lumpsum]

3. I love Valerie Jarrett.

I knew she'd get a spot in the administration but I'm very happy to see it confirmed.

[Tatiana]

4. K&R! Thanks for this article. I'm amazed that more here haven't put it together.

Obama is building a team that will help him put together the legislation we need and he's assembling the people in his administration who can GET IT DONE. He's not making the same mistake that Clinton did.

The choice of Schirilo is BRILLIANT. He is very knowledgeable.

The personal viewpoints of these people are secondary - they are being selected for their ability to get the President-Elect's agenda accomplished.

[FrenchieCat]

6. I get a big kick out of those who want "Change" to mean

Changing every single thing there is to change, including bringing in new people never heard of before in every facet of his new administration. Those folks rationalize that saying Change = everything has to be totally different without exception. of course, this is ridiculous and is only really used to justify being disappointed when not everything is totally different.

Change in the way that Obama meant it means simply doing things differently and affecting policy changes. What it doesn't mean is bringing in Newbies in all arenas of his administration. That's not change, that's Newness; not the same thing.

[Kdillard]

7. Obama intends to get things done that has been clear from the very beginning.

Competence back in the white house is a change I can live with anytime.

[Cha]

8. Yeah, Obama Biden

have this. It's fascinating and I'm sure scaring the shit outta the pukeheads who want to bring America down further than they already have.

[Swamp Rat]

9. kick

[cooolandrew]

10. It was always inevitable some of the former Democratic administration would be utilized for me >

the change was always Obama himself who has innovated the process of elections widened the scope of governments thinking even before entering office. Change is coming everything else is minor details.

[qwlauren35]

11. OK Babylonsister...

I hear your "unsympathy", and will try to respect it. But it's hard. I am not alone in having a distrust of insiders. I think many voters have worked pretty hard to get them out of office.

However, an insider who is a staffer isn't the same as an elected insider. So, if he picks the aids and staffers with strong reputations for getting things done, and fundamental alignment with his vision, I can go along with that.

I think it's when actual politicians are being considered that I'm uncomfortable.

Then again, pulling senior politicians out of the Senate opens up seats to new blood.

Perhaps there is method to his madness.