The holiday season is upon us and while most people are focused on Christmas shopping and financial worries, Team Obama is coming together.  Determined to not hit the ground running on Inauguration Day, President-elect Obama plans to be well into the first lap by his first day on the job.  Wasting little time, Obama named former President Clinton advisor and Congressman Rahm Emmanuel as White House chief-of-staff.  Emmanuel is known around Capitol Hill as a competent person who can get things done which is a large part of why he got the job.

Another former Clintonite and former deputy attorney general Eric Holder received the nod to become the Obama attorney general.  It is worth noting that Holder will become the first African-American attorney general.  Holder is somewhat controversial as he was acting attorney general during the twilight of President Clinton’s term where many pardons were issued including the pardon of Marc Rich who fled prosecution for tax evasion and illegal oil deals.

Named as Condoleezza Rice’s successor in the State Department is former presidential candidate and tough Democratic primary opponent Senator Hillary Clinton.  Many questioned this pick as Obama and Clinton’s foreign policy viewpoints are dissimilar especially with regards to Iraq.  During the campaign, Obama proudly stated on many occasions that while an Illinois state senator he opposed the run up to the Iraq War in late 2002 and early 2003.  Senator Clinton, however, voted for military action in Iraq.  This does not surprise me as Obama has named Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals” as a favorite book many times.  The book takes a look at President Lincoln’s cabinet where he appointed political opponents to key posts.  Having advisors who are not complete “yes men”  and have a different view can be useful.  During the Cuban missile crisis, Kennedy listened to multiple viewpoints in how to confront Cuba and the Soviet Union and avoided a nuclear war.

The remaining members of the Obama National Security team include returning Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano as Secretary of Homeland Security, General Jim Jones as National Security Advisor, and foreign policy advisor Susan Rice as Ambassador to the U.N.  The Gates pick is expected as President-elect Obama inherits the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and needs someone who has been in the mix to help his new administration.  Unlike his predecessor Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary Gates is less of an ideologue and therefore more open to working with a Democratic administration who will see the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq by the end of 2011 as per the US-Iraq Status of Forces Agreement.  Earlier this month, Gates made clear of his willingness to pursue the Obama goals of bringing the war to a quicker end and closing down the Guantanamo Bay detention center.

Governor of a border state, Janet Napolitano is a logical choice to head the Department of Homeland Security as the important issue of illegal immigration, among other things, is on the docket for that department.  Retired Marine Corps General Jim Jones, a former NATO Supreme Commander and Marine commandant, will bring extensive military and security experience to the Obama White House.  Bringing further experience to the Obama cabinet is Susan Rice, former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs under Clinton, as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.  She will also be the first African-American woman to serve the position.

One of the most important cabinet posts will go to president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York Timothy Geithner as the Secretary of Treasury.  Geithner has also been working closely with current Treasury Secretary Paulson on market problems and both believe the department needs more power to use experimental strategies to fix the economic problem.

While the president-elect campaigned under the banner of “change,” Obama still needs some experienced Washington insiders to pump up his administration.  The addition of governors, generals, and Republicans  has helped diversify his cabinet and bring differing points of view to the table.  How much “change” will America see?  Theres still plenty of time before January 20th.

Sources:

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/30/clinton-flying-to-chicago-to-join-obama/?hp

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/articles/2008/12/03/gates_military_looking_at_quicker_iraq_withdrawal/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/21/AR2008112102811.html?hpid=topnews