Subject: revised briefing memo for Obama and Biden
From: "Chris Lu" <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Cc: [email-masked], "Juliana Gendelman" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 1 Nov 2008 17:20:51 -0500

Revised with Sara's suggestions based on today's call:

Weekly Transition Memo for Senators Obama and Biden

From:    Transition Advisory Board and Staff

Date:     November 1, 2008

The transition board, staff, and working group chairs had a two-hour
conference call this week to iron out final details before Election Day.

 

I.          White House Meeting

This week, John Podesta and Chris Lu met with Deputy Chief of Staff
Blake Gottesman to discuss a number of topics, including:  a memorandum
of understanding that will be signed by the White House and the
transition team to govern the exchange of information; a series of
classified briefings and continuity of government exercises scheduled
for the transition; the use of military aircraft by the President-Elect
and Vice President-Elect; and the protocol for transition team members
to gain access to federal departments and agencies after Election Day.  

As with our previous interactions with Bush Administration officials,
Gottesman was very helpful and expressed a willingness to work with us.
He also offered that, if we thought it would be helpful, the White House
would be willing to approach congressional leadership about the
importance of expediting the confirmation of key nominations.  Our
initial sense is that White House involvement in the confirmation
process would not be helpful.

II.          Code of Conduct

During our conference call, we discussed possible revisions to the code
of conduct for post-Election Day transition team members.  We are
preparing an options memo that will address several alternatives for
treating federal lobbyists who would like to help with transition
planning.

III.         Communications

Working in conjunction with Anita Dunn, Dan Pfeiffer, and Alyssa
Mastromonaco, we have laid out a proposed communications plan and
schedule for the first two weeks after Election Day.  The plan
contemplates a press release announcing the transition team on the 5th,
the announcement of the White House Chief of Staff on the 6th, and the
announcement of an economic advisory team on the 7th.

The plan also makes suggestions on other public/press events and
announcements, while blocking out time for economic and national
security meetings and briefings, meetings on potential appointments,
transition-related meetings, and time for private thinking and planning.
There are also placeholders for both Cabinet announcements and public
events, with the goal of making as many Cabinet announcements before
Thanksgiving as possible, while also allowing time for interaction with
"real people" and policy briefings and planning meetings.

IV.        Operations

After consulting with the transition department heads, we have settled
on a budget of 450 paid transition staffers (along with a large number
of unpaid, full-time volunteers).  The vast majority of the staffers
will be in D.C.  The cost of the transition, including salaries, rent,
and transportation, will be around $12 million, with $5.2 million of
that amount paid for by the federal government.  We have already slotted
in a large number of campaign staff for the transition and will continue
this process over the next few days.

We are on track to open the D.C. transition office at noon on November 5
and to open the Chicago transition office on November 10.  Prior to the
opening of the Chicago office, we will arrange for an alternative
location to conduct private meetings.

Our goal is to have a skeletal transition staff for the first week or
so, with the campaign staff gradually moving over to the transition
starting the week of November 10.  

There will also be a large inauguration effort also headquartered in
D.C.

 

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

Chris Lu

[email-masked]

(312) 505-4864 (cell)