Inspire Political Discourse

Trib Journalist Joins the Obama Administration

:: Another journalist joins the Obama team. Jill Zuckman was asked by Ray LaHood to take the position of assistant to the secretary and director of public affairs. From the Chicago Tribune:

Jill Zuckman, a Chicago Tribune Washington correspondent and frequent guest on political talk shows such as MSNBC's "Hardball" and Fox Broadcasting's "Fox News Sunday," is leaving to join President Barack Obama's administration in the Department of Transportation.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, a Peoria Republican and former seven-term member of the U.S. House, has picked Zuckman to serve as assistant to the secretary and director of public affairs.

Other journalists serving in the Obama administration are:

Zuckman becomes at least the fourth reporter to join the Obama administration. Others include former TIME Washington bureau chief Jay Carney who is now Vice President Biden's communications director, former Los Angeles Times reporter Peter Gosselin who is now a speechwriter for Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, and former Washington Post deputy editor Warren Bass who is an adviser to United Nations Ambassador Dr. Susan Rice.
Former ABC News congressional correspondent Linda Douglass became a senior strategist for the Obama campaign, while other campaign officials included former CNN producer Kate Albright-Hanna and former CNN correspondent Aneesh Raman.

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Oh oh...Samantha Power Takes on Job at the National Security Council

:: Samantha Power takes position as a senior foreign policy analyst for the National Security Council. Shades of "monsters", watch out for flying shoes.
You may recall Power from when she worked for the Obama campaign, and she called Hillary Clinton a "monster". The State Dept. may become very lively with this appointment.  From Newsday.com:

Samantha Power, who earned notoriety for calling Hillary Rodham Clinton a "monster" while working to elect Barack Obama president, will take a senior foreign policy job at the White House, The Associated Press has learned. Officials say Obama has tapped Power to be senior director for multilateral affairs at the National Security Council, a job that will require close contact and potential travel with Clinton, who is now secretary of state. White House officials wouldn't provide details of Power's new role. Power, a Harvard University professor and a Pulitzer Prize-winning author who has specialized in global humanitarian issues, made headlines last March when she told a Scottish newspaper that Clinton would stop at nothing to defeat Obama in the presidential primaries. "She is a monster, too," Power said. "She is stooping to anything."

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Political News Summary: Wednesday, January 21, 2009

:: Executive order would close down Guantanamo within one year. Trials were halted as of today.
The order was drafted today, is undated, and has yet to be signed. However, I would expect that it will be done as soon as possible. From HUFFPOST:

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration intends to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center within a year and halt military trials of terror suspects held there, according to a draft order obtained Wednesday.

The executive order was one of three expected imminently on how to interrogate and prosecute al-Qaida, Taliban or other foreign fighters believed to threaten the United States.

Image source: Wikimedia Commons
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Political News Summary, Tuesday, January 6, 2009

:: IPD Daily Political Cartoon FInd.

Cartoon by Bob Lang.
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:: CNN Chief Medical Correspondant, and neurosurgeon, Sanjay Gupta, is believed to be Obama's choice for Surgeon General.

PROFILES: Obama's No. 1 Science Guy, Dr. John Holdren

In his weekly radio address, Obama announced the four members of his science team. His choices indicated to the world that America is about to get serious re global warming, and that the Bush era of sneering at scientific fact, and substituting religious dogma for scientific fact, is finally over.

Dr. John Holdren will be Obama's no. 1 science adviser, and as the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, as well as a co-chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology aka PCAST, he will manage a group of approximately 40 doctorate-level experts who will assist Obama in shaping and communicating science and technology policy.

His work has focused on global environmental change, energy technologies and policies, nuclear proliferation, and science and technology policy. As one of the foremost experts on climate change  in the country, Holdren has been a strong advocate for forceful government action. In a speech at Harvard a year ago, Holdren said that “Global warming is a misnomer. It implies something gradual, something uniform, something quite possibly benign, and what we're experiencing is none of those.There is already widespread harm ... occurring from climate change. This is not just a problem for our children and our grandchildren.” 

EDUCATION:
» Bachelor's degree from MIT in 1965
» PhD from Stanford University in 1975

POSITIONS HELD
» President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
» Chairman of the board of directors of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
» Professor of Environmental Policy at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
» Director of the Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program at Harvard's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
» Professor at the University of California, Berkeley for 20+ years.
» Director of the Woods Hole Research Center.
» Chair of the Committee on International Security and Arms Control of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences
» Chair of the advisory board for Innovations: Technology | Governance | Globalization, a quarterly journal about entrepreneurial solutions to global challenges published by MIT Press.

AWARDS

» MacArthur Foundation Prize Fellowship, 1981
» Volvo Environment Prize of 1993 (with Paul Ehrlich)
» Kaul Foundation Award in Science and Environmental Policy, 1999
» Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, 2000
» 7th Heinz Award in Public Policy, 2001

Transcript: President-elect Obama Announces His Final Picks for His Cabinet

Labor, Transportation, USTR, SBA Announcements | Chicago, Illinois

Good afternoon. 

Before we begin, I’d like to say a few words about the necessary step taken today to help avoid a collapse in our auto industry that would have devastating consequences for our economy and our workers.  With the short-term assistance provided by this package, the auto companies must bring all their stakeholders together – including labor, dealers, creditors and suppliers – to make the hard choices necessary to achieve long-term viability.  The auto companies must not squander this chance to reform bad management practices and begin the long-term restructuring that is absolutely necessary to save this critical industry and the millions of American jobs that depend on it, while also creating the fuel-efficient cars of the future.

Whenever I have been asked how I measure the strength of the American economy, my answer is simple: jobs and wages. I know we will be headed in the right direction again when we are creating jobs, instead of losing them, and when Americans are gaining ground in terms of their incomes, instead of treading water or falling behind.  In recent weeks, I’ve announced members of my economic team who will help us make progress in these areas.

President-elect Obama Announces His Green Team

Stating that his goal is breaking US dependence on foreign oil , while also boosting economic growth, President-elect Obama announced the five-person team who will be responsible for achieving his energy goals. Video below.

The Energy Appointees:

Secretary of Energy: Steven Chu,the director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, and a Nobel prize winning physicist. Re Chu's appointment, Obama said, “His appointment should send a signal to all that this administration will value science. We will make decisions based on facts, and we understand that those facts demand bold action."

In other words, real science, not ideology, as we move in to the light and out of our caves regarding climate change and fossil fuels. ;)

EPA director: Lisa Jackson, the former commissioner of Environmental Protection for the state of New Jersey.

“Would bring to the job: Twenty years of experience as an environmental regulator and a reputation as a consensus builder. Ms. Jackson, who is a chemical engineer, brought a more policy-driven approach to New Jersey’s historically politicized Department of Environmental Protection as its commissioner. During her 33 months in that job, the state began conducting compliance sweeps to crack down on polluters in environmentally ravaged sections of Camden and Paterson, ended its controversial bear hunt and unveiled a plan to reduce carbon emissions 20 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050.” - NYT

Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change ( a new White House position): Carol Browner, the former head of the EPA during the eight years of the Clinton administration. She is known to be a strong advocate of legislation to slow climate change.

 

Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change: Heather Zichal, currently the co-chair of the energy policy team for Obama’s transition.

White House Council on Environmental Quality: Nancy Sutley, Los Angeles Deputy Mayor for Energy and Environment.

 

 

RELATED POSTS

>Ongoing List of President-Elect Obama's Cabinet Level Appointments
>President-Elect Obama Names Transition Team
>Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel?
>Obama Considering Cabinet Level Picks

Obama Press Conference December 11, 2008 - Transcript and Video

Watch the video of PEBO's remarks or read the transcript after the jump.

:: CHICAGO - Full Transcript of President-Elect Obama's Press Conference on Dec.11, 2008, including the press corps questions, and Obama's responses.

President-elect Obama Announces His Choice for Secretary of Veteran Affairs - Full Transcript

►Obama announces new Secretary of Veteran Affairs, retired General Eric K Shinseki, an early dissenter re the Iraq war. The full full text of President-elect Obama's announcement after the jump [thanks to the Huffington Post for the text/transcript].

“Good afternoon.

Earlier this week, I announced key members of my national security team. They have served in uniform and as diplomats; they have worked as legislators, law enforcement officials, and executives. They share my sense of purpose about American leadership in the world, my pragmatism about the use of power, and my vision for how we can protect our people, defeat our enemies, and meet the challenges of the 21st century.

US Automakers Return to Washington - Daily Political News Round-Up - Thursday, December 4, 2008

 

►Wingnut Alert: A number of lawsuits have been filed, challenging the citizenship of the president-elect. This is, of course, ridiculous, and has been proven to be untrue. Does anything stop the wingnuts? Tomorrow, one of these lawsuits will be discussed by the Supreme Court, who will turn it down.

“The justices of the U.S. Supreme Court will tomorrow discuss whether or not it should take up the case of Leo C. Donofrio, Applicant, v. Nina Mitchell Wells, New Jersey Secretary of State, a case that challenges the citizenship of President-elect Obama.
After the Justices meet -- and assuredly decline to hear the matter -- the anti-Obama activists supporting the case will hold a vigil near the steps of the highest Court in the land.”  Jake Tapper - ABC News

................................................................................................................

►Doom and gloom economic predictions from Krugman and O'Neill. Former Treasury secretary, Paul O'Neill, on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Daily Political News Round-Up - Monday, December 1, 2008

►►Read about President-elect Obama's press conference this morning, and view the video or read the transcripts, here. 

................................................................................................................

►Bobby Jindal the GOP's next great hope? Ugh. Gag a maggot. Really. From the Washington Post:

“No less an aspiring kingmaker than Steve Schmidt, the chief strategist of McCain's failed presidential bid, sees Jindal as the Republican Party's destiny. "The question is not whether he'll be president, but when he'll be president, because he will be elected someday." The anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist believes, too, that Jindal is a certainty to occupy the White House, and conservative talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh has described him as "the next Ronald Reagan.".”

“The record is still evolving, like the rest of him. But social conservatives like what they have heard about the public and private Jindal: his steadfast opposition to abortion without exceptions; his disapproval of embryonic stem cell research; his and his wife Supriya's decision in 1997 to enter into a Louisiana covenant marriage that prohibits no-fault divorce in the state; and his decision in June to sign into law the Louisiana Science Education Act, a bill heartily supported by creationists that permits public school teachers to educate students about both the theory of "scientific design" and criticisms of Darwinian evolutionary concepts.”

President-elect Obama Announces His National Security Team [of rivals] - Video and Complete Transcript

President-elect Obama announces his "team of rivals" as with a statement deriding "group think", he turns a page in history. You may now (well almost - she still has to undergo confirmation hearings) call Hillary Clinton "Madame Secretary". As I type, President-elect Obama is formally announcing his national security team, which will include Hillary Clinton as the secretary of state, Susan Rice as the US ambassador to the UN, General James L. Jones as national security advisor, Eric Holder as the attorney general, Janet Napolitano as the secretary of homeland security, and Robert Gates as the secretary of defense. Video and transcript after the jump.

Obama Press Conference Nov 25, 2008 - Video and Transcript

Complete Transcript of Press Conference, November 25, 2008

PRES.-ELECT OBAMA: Please be seated. Good morning, everybody.

Yesterday, we talked about the need to jumpstart our economy. I speak to you today mindful that we meet at a moment of great challenge for America, as our credit markets are stressed and our families are struggling.

But as difficult as these times are, I'm confident that we're going to rise to meet this challenge, if we're willing to band together and recognize that Wall Street cannot thrive so long as Main Street is struggling, if we're willing to summon a new spirit of ingenuity and determination and if Americans of great intellect, broad experience and good character are willing to serve in our government at its hour of need.

George Brennen Takes His Name Out of the Running for an Intelligence Position in the Obama Administration

George Brennan, Obama's top advisor on intelligence, today took his name out of the running for an intelligence position in the Obama administration. Brennan blames it on liberal blogs, who have been very vocal about not wanting Brennan to be a part of the Obama administration.

An example of the media criticism --- from Glenn Greenwald at Salon.com:

“To appoint someone as CIA Director or Director of National Intelligence who was one of George Tenet's closest aides when The Dark Side of the last eight years was conceived and implemented, and who, to this day, continues to defend and support policies such as "enhanced interrogation techniques" and rendition (to say nothing of telecom immunity and warrantless eavesdropping), is to cross multiple lines that no Obama supporter should sanction.  Truly turning a page on the grotesque abuses of the last eight years requires both symbolism (closing Guantanamo) and substantive policy changes (compelling adherence to the Army Field Manual, ensuring due process rights for all detainees, ending rendition, restoring safeguards on surveillance powers).  Appointing John Brennan to a position of high authority would be to affirm and embrace, not repudiate, the darkest aspects of the last eight years.”

And from the Huffington Post:

“Brennan has privately told colleagues that he opposed waterboarding and questioned other interrogation methods that many in the CIA feared could be later deemed illegal.

"It has been immaterial to the critics that I have been a strong opponent of many of the policies of the Bush administration such as the pre-emptive war in Iraq and coercive interrogation tactics, to include waterboarding.

"The fact that I was not involved in the decisionmaking process for any of these controversial policies and actions has been ignored," he wrote, in a letter obtained by The Associated Press. "Indeed, my criticism of these policies within government circles was the reason why I was twice considered for more senior-level positions in the current administration only to be rebuffed by the White House."”

So which is it? I believe that Greenwald is correct, but I expect that we'll learn more in the next few days.

President-elect Obama Formally Announces Economic Team - Video and Transcript

TRANSCRIPT OF OBAMA REMARKS

“Good morning.

The news this past week, including this morning’s news about Citigroup, has made it even more clear that we are facing an economic crisis of historic proportions. Our financial markets are under stress. New home purchases in October were the lowest in half a century. Recently, more than half a million jobless claims were filed, the highest in eighteen years – and if we do not act swiftly and boldly, most experts now believe that we could lose millions of jobs next year.

Daily Political News Round-Up - Friday, November 21, 2008

►According to the NYT, Hillary Clinton has made a decision to accept the position of secretary of state.

“Hillary Rodham Clinton has decided to give up her Senate seat and accept the position of secretary of state, making her the public face around the world for the administration of the man who beat her for the Democratic presidential nomination, two confidants said Friday.”Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton campaigning in Florida in October (Photo: Damon Winter/The New
York Times)

►Expected to be nominated for commerce secretary on Monday, is former U.N. Ambassador and Energy Secretary in the Clinton administration, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson.

“New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has emerged as a "serious contender" to head the Commerce Department under President-elect Barack Obama, according to a Democratic official close to the proceedings.
Richardson, who was elected governor of the Land of Enchantment in 2002 and reelected with 69 percent of the vote in 2006, has made no secret of his interest in returning to Washington to take a place in the Obama Administration.” The Washington Post

WATCH: Obama Roasts His New Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel

Hilarious, from 2005.

MORE RECENT POSTS

>Bush 43 Hard at Work on Last Minute Decimation of the Environment

>It's okay for urbanites to make fun of the sticks again

>More on the Sarah Palin Wardrobe Flap

>op-ed: Robert Gates should not be retained as the Secretary of Defense

>Ongoing List of President-Elect Obama's Cabinet Level Appointments
>Rahm Emanuel is Obama Chief of Staff*
>Obama Meets With Economic Advisors Tomorrow
>Obama With 364 Electoral Votes, Picks Up North Carolina and Indiana

>A Picture of the Real Sarah Palin Emerges and Yes, She is As Bad As We Thought She Was*
>Newsweek Outs Sarah Palin Regarding Her Shopping Spree*
>Senator Palin???*

Ongoing List of President-Elect Obama's Cabinet Level Appointments

This list concerns cabinet level appointments. As soon as President-elect Obama begins making cabinet appointments, I'll make a list available, and will link to it here.

I will be updating this list as needed. If you notice any errors, please let me know in a comment! Last update on November 6, 2008

CABINET LEVEL STAFF

| Chief of Staff - Rahm Emanuel - 11.06.08 - source
| Press Secretary - Robert Gibbs* - 11.06.08 - source
| Senior Advisor to the White House - David Axelrod - 11.06.08 - source

| Senior Advisor to the White House - Valerie Jarrett - 11.14.08 - source

* not yet confirmed, but highly likely.

RELATED POSTS

>President-Elect Obama Names Transition Team
>Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel?
>Obama Considering Cabinet Level Picks

Rahm Emanuel is Obama Chief of Staff

.
Rahm Emanuel and Barack Obama in June 2008, in Chicago.
Image courtesy of the Huffington Post.

 
Emanuel has accepted the position as Obama's chief of staff.

 

RELATED POSTS 

>Senator Palin???
>President-Elect Obama Names Transition Team
>Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel?

Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel?

ABC News reports that President-Elect Obama has asked Rahm Emanuel to take the position of the White House Chief of Staff.

Emanuel, a knowledgeable source tells ABC News, has not yet given his answer. The sharp-tongued, sharp-elbowed, keenly intelligent veteran of the Clinton White House is said to have ambitions to some day be Speaker of the House. But he also has a keen sense of "duty."

Today on "Good Morning America" ABC's George Stephanopoulos reported Obama likes the fact that Emanuel "knows policy, knows politics, knows Capitol Hill" and has told associates that Emanuel would "have his back."