Subject: RE: Who should these questions be directed to?
From: "Alyssa Mastromonaco" <[email-masked]>
To: "Chris Lu" <[email-masked]>, "Pete Rouse" <[email-masked]>, [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:02:59 -0500

I'll review this information and prepare a memo and a plan by Friday.
Thanks 

________________________________

From: Chris Lu 
Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 11:32 AM
To: Chris Lu; Pete Rouse; [email-masked]'
Cc: Alyssa Mastromonaco
Subject: RE: Who should these questions be directed to?

Forgot to attach this document of what previous transitions have done
during the first few weeks after election day.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Chris Lu

[email-masked]

(312) 505-4864 (cell)

 

From: Chris Lu 
Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 12:31 PM
To: Pete Rouse; [email-masked]'
Cc: Alyssa Mastromonaco
Subject: RE: Who should these questions be directed to?

Pete, John, Alyssa - My thoughts on the questions that Alyssa raised in
her memo.  Let me know if you have any thoughts/questions.

*           Is there a schedule/plan being prepared for November 5th (in
the event of a "win" scenario)?

*           If so, who is putting together the schedule for BO for
November 5th 

*           Beyond November 5th who is in charge of BO's schedule, is
there a plan/schedule being prepared? 

            On these first three questions, no decisions have been made
yet.  In terms of what we do on November 5 and the rest of that week,
this is something that the transition and campaign communications teams
are working on right now.  My guess is that the first few days will be
filled with a combination of: phone calls to foreign leaders and
congressional leaders; economic and national security briefings;
meetings with top advisers; interviews with prospective nominees; and of
course, some down time.  If history is a guide, George H.W. Bush and
Clinton both did press conferences the day after Election Day.  There
could also be announcements of nominations.  None of the last four
president-elects have returned to D.C. in the first week after Election
Day.  (I've attached some research on what previous transitions have
done immediately after Election Day.)

*           Are there provisions for some advance and scheduling staff
to be immediately switched to transition payroll? This provides that BO
will do a staff thank-you event, victory tour and/or first trip to
Washington DC.  Should I be preparing a plan of who would be
transitioned?

            I think you should prepare a staffing plan for the
scheduling team of the transition.  Our current draft budget assumes 10
people in scheduling and advance, but that was just a quick estimate.
I'd like to get your input on how many staff slots we need to set aside,
what functions they would perform, and whether they should be senior,
mid-level, or junior staff.  Then, I can run some numbers to fit them
into the budget.  Since the transition will be run out of D.C. and
Chicago, it would also be helpful to know how you would allocate the
staff between the two offices.

            My understanding is that the ultimate call of which staff
actually moves to the transition is up to Jim and Pete.

*           Is there an operation in place that switches over method of
payment for expenses for midnight on the 5th and beyond? A transition
credit card? Will we need to rely on wire transfers?

            The transition will be funded with both private funds and
government funds.  We're looking into getting credit cards so we can
start paying expenses quickly.  I doubt we'll have that in place
immediately on November 5, so I'll ask our lawyers to see whether we can
legally continue to pay expenses with campaign funds after November 4.

*           For any national advance staff traveling on the road, should
we ensure we purchase their tickets to their homes prior to Election
Day? Will there be any ability to use OFA funds past Election Day if we
in fact win. 

            Let me check with our lawyers on this.

*           We have a contract for our 757. Do I need to have a new
contract prepared and ready to go in the event we win and are a new
entity?

o          What aircraft does the president-elect travel on?

            Our research found that president-elects typically fly on
private charters.  They are legally permitted to fly on government
planes but the transition must reimburse the expenses to the federal
government.  I think we should investigate the possibility of leasing a
smaller charter plane for the 77-day transition.  (John/Pete - Based on
the costs of maintaining the 757 charter, Alyssa decided not to extend
the existing lease.)

*           Should the traveling staff have arrangements in place to
remain in Chicago? Should they be sent to Washington DC?

            My sense is that the traveling staff should stay in Chicago,
since that's where BO will spend most of the transition.  The question,
though, is how many people are on the traveling staff, what their
functions are, and how many of them we should keep on during the
transition.  That would be helpful to know for budgeting purposes.

 

From: Peter Rouse [mailto:[email-masked]] 
Sent: Monday, October 13, 2008 12:38 AM
To: Chris Lu; John Podesta
Cc: Alyssa Mastromonaco
Subject: Who should these questions be directed to?

To:       Transition Team

From:   Alyssa Mastromonaco, Director of Scheduling and Advance
Date:    October 9, 2008

Re:       Nov 5th and beyond 

Not knowing where the transition will be taking place and that the
Scheduling and Advance staff currently located in Chicago have leases
ending on or around Election Day, I wanted to submit a memo of questions
to get an understanding of what exactly this department should be
prepared for in the event Barack Obama is the president-elect on
Wednesday, November 5th. 

If there is a reference or document that exists online that can answer
any of these questions, please let me know. Thanks very much.

*	Is there a schedule/plan being prepared for November 5th (in the
event of a "win" scenario)?
*	If so, who is putting together the schedule for BO for November
5th 
*	Beyond November 5th who is in charge of BO's schedule, is there
a plan/schedule being prepared? 
*	Are there provisions for some advance and scheduling staff to be
immediately switched to transition payroll? This provides that BO will
do a staff thank-you event, victory tour and/or first trip to Washington
DC.  Should I be preparing a plan of who would be transitioned?
*	Is there an operation in place that switches over method of
payment for expenses for midnight on the 5th and beyond? A transition
credit card? Will we need to rely on wire transfers?
*	For any national advance staff traveling on the road, should we
ensure we purchase their tickets to their homes prior to Election Day?
Will there be any ability to use OFA funds past Election Day if we in
fact win. 
*	We have a contract for our 757. Do I need to have a new contract
prepared and ready to go in the event we win and are a new entity?

	*	What aircraft does the president-elect travel on?

*	Should the traveling staff have arrangements in place to remain
in Chicago? Should they be sent to Washington DC?