Subject: transition-related articles
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Date: Sat, 1 Nov 2008 13:32:32 -0500

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122550243866990097.html?mod=todays_us_pa
ge_one

WSJ: Obama Team Plans for Hiring Lobbyists 

By BRODY MULLINS, ELIZABETH WILLIAMSON and CHRISTOPHER COOPER

WASHINGTON -- Democratic Sen. Barack Obama has said lobbyists won't run
his White House. But senior campaign officials are crafting a policy
that would clear the way for lobbyists to nonetheless hold important
government roles.

People familiar with Sen. Obama's still-evolving hiring policy say
registered lobbyists would be banned from senior-level White House jobs.
But the policy would allow some lobbyists to take important jobs
elsewhere in the administration, should the Illinois senator win
election Tuesday.

"Our goal is to make sure that people don't leave an industry to come
into our administration and then work on issues related to their
industry and then go back to that industry. That revolving door has been
swinging for years in Washington," said David Axelrod, chief strategist
for Sen. Obama. "That's not to say that anyone who has lobbied in their
life will be excluded."

Mr. Axelrod would not confirm details of the campaign's internal
discussions.

The Obama campaign's effort reflects a challenge that would confront
either Sen. Obama or his Republican rival, Sen. John McCain: trying to
run an administration without Washington lobbyists, who serve an
integral role in advising on legislation and regulations, as well as
policy.

Capitol Hill and White House aides routinely serve stints at K Street
lobbying firms, where many experienced Democrats have been waiting out
the Bush years. "You can't staff the entire government without people
who are lobbyists, it's just not possible," said Steve Elmendorf, a
Democratic lobbyist.

Sen. McCain has decried the influence of special interests. But the
Arizona senator has not pledged to exclude lobbyists from his
administration. Instead, he would ban officials in his administration
from using the revolving door from government to private practice and
back. "If you work in John McCain's administration you would not lobby
John McCain's administration," said Brian Rogers, a campaign spokesman.

The McCain campaign required that lobbyists coordinating the campaign
cease their lobbying jobs.

On the campaign trail, Sen. Obama has outlined measures he would take to
limit lobbyists' influence on White House decision-making. He has plans,
for example, to publish details of meetings between lobbyists and
members of the executive branch.

Democratic lobbyists are wondering about their future in an Obama
administration. Although Sen. Obama has taken a tough line toward
registered lobbyists, he has allowed himself maneuvering room. Like Sen.
McCain, Sen. Obama has banned lobbyists from working on his campaign
until after they quit their lobbying jobs.

Sen. Obama refused donations from registered lobbyists, but former
lobbyists and the spouses of current lobbyists are permitted to
contribute.

Sen. McCain employs several former lobbyists at the top of his campaign,
and has accepted contributions from corporate and special-interest
political action committees, targets of criticism by Sen. Obama's
campaign.

In speeches, Sen. Obama has pledged that lobbyists will not hold sway if
he won.

"I don't take money from lobbyists. I don't take money from PACs. They
have not funded my campaign. They will not run my White House," he said
in a speech last month.

The proposals under discussion by the Obama campaign would ban lobbyists
for particular industries from serving in posts with an influence on
that sector. But a lobbyist for the transportation industry could take a
job in the Agriculture Department, for example.

Officials in the Bush administration are prohibited from lobbying their
former colleagues for 12 months. Sen. Obama would likely extend that to
three years, five years or for the duration of his administration,
people familiar with the discussions say.

Bans on lobbyist employment have proven difficult to enforce. One hour
after taking office, former President Bill Clinton instituted a
five-year ban on lobbying the executive branch for officials who left
his administration. The ban contributed to difficulties in filling some
positions, including in the Treasury and Commerce departments. President
Clinton revoked the ban at the end of his administration, in 2001.

 

http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE49U4VQ20081031?sp=tru
e

Reuters: New president-elect may move quickly to fill jobs

By Caren Bohan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two wars and a deepening financial crisis have
raised expectations that whoever wins the U.S. presidential election on
Tuesday will move quickly to announce picks for senior government jobs.

Democrat Barack Obama, who leads in the polls over Republican John
McCain, has been accused by his rival of being so confident of a victory
that he is already "measuring the drapes" in the Oval Office.

Republicans also are seizing on reports that Obama's transition team has
been working to enable him possibly to unveil key picks such as Treasury
secretary and secretary of State soon after the election if he wins.

But former government officials and public policy experts say early
preparations are essential given the challenges that the Iraq and
Afghanistan wars and economic turmoil will present to the new president
when he takes over in January.

"The need for a seamless transition is greater than it has been in our
adult political lifetime," said William Galston, a former domestic
policy adviser to President Bill Clinton and now a professor at the
University of Maryland.

"With two wars abroad and an international financial crisis going on,
there cannot be a period in which the new administration is just getting
up to speed," Galston said.

ALL EYES ON TREASURY

Some analysts believe certain jobs, such as Treasury secretary, could be
announced within days of the election and speculation is already rife
about several names.

The next Treasury secretary will inherit one of the hottest seats in
Washington, tasked both with guiding a $700 billion economic bailout
package and the regulatory reform needed to prevent a repeat of the
current crisis.

Should Obama win, the short list for Treasury would likely include
former Treasury secretary Larry Summers, former Federal Reserve Chairman
Paul Volcker and Timothy Geithner, president of the Federal Reserve Bank
of New York.

Both candidates have spoken favorably about investor Warren Buffett, an
Obama supporter.

McCain has also mentioned former eBay chief Meg Whitman and Cisco
Systems CEO John Chambers as possible Treasury picks. Also in the
running would be Sheila Bair, head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp
who has pushed a plan to modify home loans to prevent mortgage defaults.

For secretary of State, Massachusetts Democratic Sen. John Kerry; former
diplomat Richard Holbrooke, outgoing Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel and
former Georgia Democratic senator Sam Nunn are names circulating for
Obama. Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman, an Independent, and World Bank
President Robert Zoellick are two people McCain would consider.

Both Obama and McCain might consider keeping Robert Gates on as
secretary of Defense. Obama could also consider tapping former Navy
secretary Richard Danzig, a close adviser.

McCain has been willing to discuss a few names for jobs such as Treasury
secretary. Obama is not tipping his hand either on names on his short
lists or the timing of any picks.

TRANSITION PLANS

Obama's campaign is maintaining the utmost secrecy on planning for the
transition, which will occur in the 11 weeks between the November 4 vote
and January 20, when a successor to President George W. Bush is sworn
in.

Obama, a Democratic senator from Illinois, told ABC News he had "some
pretty good ideas" about people he might tap for senior jobs, although
he emphasized he is focused on the final days of the campaign and takes
nothing for granted.

He said he would "absolutely" include Republicans in his Cabinet but he
sidestepped a question about whether he would ask Gates to stay on at
Defense.

The Bush administration has emphasized its willingness to make resources
available to both candidates to enable them to vet candidates prior to
the election.

Stephen Wayne, professor of government at Georgetown University, said
that in addition to those major Cabinet posts, it would be important for
an incoming president to designate a chief of staff early.

Rep. Rahm Emanuel, who hails from Obama's home state of Illinois, would
be a potential chief of staff for the Democrat as would former Senate
Majority leader Tom Daschle. Former Navy Secretary John Lehman might
serve that role in a McCain administration.