Subject: transition-related articles
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Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:20:45 -0500

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/31/obamas-top-priorities-fo
r-09/

CNN Political Ticker - Obama's top priorities for '09

Posted: 03:40 PM ET

From CNN Political Producer Ed Hornick

(CNN) - Sen. Barack Obama told CNN Friday that turning around the
economy and energy independence are his top priorities for 2009 if
elected president.

In an interview with Wolf Blitzer in Des Moines, Iowa, Obama was asked
to name his top priority from a list of issues, including taxes, health
care, education, energy policy and immigration.

"[The] top priority may not be any of those five. It may be continuing
to stabilize the financial system. We don't know yet what's gonna happen
in January," he said. "None of this can be accomplished if we continue
to see a potential meltdown in the banking system and financial system.
So that's priority number one - making sure the plumbing works."

Obama said priority number 2 is energy independence:

"We have to seize this moment because it's not just an energy
independence issue, it's also a national security issue and it's a jobs
issue. We can create five million new green energy jobs ..."

Priority number 3: Healthcare reform.

Priority number 4: "Making sure we have tax cuts for the middle class as
part of a broader tax reform effort."

You can watch the full interview on 'The Situation Room' at 6 p.m. ET.

Obama later expanded his discussion on how tax cuts relate to a bigger
economic plan.

"The tax cut that I talked about may be part of my priority number one
because I think that's going to be part of stabilizing the economy as a
whole," he said.

"I think we're going to need a second stimulus. Part of my commitment is
to make sure that the stimulus includes a tax cut for 95 percent of
working Americans. It may be the first bill I introduce."

Priority number 5: Reforming the education system.

 

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/10/_show_details_1037_
am.php

Ambinder - The Back End Of The Obama Transition In Six Bullet Points

The usual caveats apply... there might never be such a thing as the
Obama presidential transition. On the other hand...

1. Anyone who wants to work on Barack Obama's transition team has to
sign a  non-disclosure agreement as well as affix their signature to an
ethical code of conduct.  Not clear yet is whether they'll have to fill
out personal financial disclosure forms.

2. The transition team will emphasis its transparency; although required
to report to the FEC after the inauguration, Obama's committee will
likely issue monthly reports. Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times
reports that an inaugural committee is open and will accept $5000
donations.

3. Still unclear -- at least to those on the outside -- is whether
registered lobbyists have to de-register and abandon their clients if
they want to participate. Lobbyists could bring an enormous wealth of
institutional knowledge to the process, but Obama's political objection
to their influence is well known.  It's almost certainly true that
lobbyists will be able to give advice in some advisory capacity.

4.  There are more than 50 people working on the pre-transition right
now, and they're tasks are fairly specified. Teams have been appointed
to review major agencies in the executive branch. It's not clear whether
professional staff personnels, as well as agency activities, are being
reviewed. Other teams are looking at every executive order President
Bush signed and are preparing recommendations.

5. John Podesta, the pre-transition team's chief, has been meeting
informally with allies and friends to give them a broad sense of the
process. He's not talking names or appointments, and he's not, as of
this point, soliciting their advice about names or personnel. Podesta is
known as a political liberal, and his role in running the transition --
or the pre-transition -- has been cause for concern among more centrist
Democrats. These concerns have been conveyed to Obama, and lines of
communication have been established between more centrist entities and
the transition team.

6. Although it's been widely reported that a president Obama would
announce his top picks for Treasury, Defense and chief of staff within
the first seven days, Obama might want to take a bit more time, and he
might not feel the pressure that some believe he will feel to make rapid
decisions on these key posts.