Subject: Jason Grumet -- Important
From: <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Cc: [email-masked], [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:18:12 -0400

Don: 

I have been reaching out to all of the folks who have been approved
for my agency teams. 

In connection with that exercise, I spoke today with Jason Grumet.  As
you know, I had not put Jason on my agency lists, on the assumption
that he would be part of a central policy effort.  I received word
back, however, that we should ask him to co-chair the DOE team.  I
called Jason to ask him if he would be able to take this on, and to
review the makeup of the team that we have assembled for DOE, as well
as the other teams in the energy and natural resources cluster, since
he has worked with many of these folks over the past 18 months.    

We had a good conversation (Jason is a friend), but Jason made it
clear that he is not happy with the proposed assignment.  He asked
about whether there would be some sort of central policy team in the
post-election transition, and when I answered in the affirmative, he
questioned why he wouldn't be on that, since he's been working across
this broad issue area throughout the campaign.  He was very pleasant
about it, but he expressed surprise and some irritation that he would
be asked to oversee a single agency -- DOE.    

I assured Jason that there certainly was no slight intended, that the
work of the agency teams is crucial, etc., etc.  I gave him some
background about the quality and depth of the work that the agency
teams already have been doing.

But Jason wasn't buying what I was selling.  He was focused on the
fact that there is and will continue to be a central policy apparatus,
and he didn't understand why that isn't where he should be slotting
in.

So we have an issue to deal with.  That's why I am copying Carol and
John with this email.  

I personally think that we should go back to my original suggestion
and put Jason on the central policy team.  It is a bit odd to have
Jason, who has been Barack's primary energy and environmental advisor
and the lead for all of the policy groups in the energy and
environmental space, to be heading up the agency team for a single
agency.  I had received word back from Lisa that Heather Zichal --
whom I also had recommended for some overarching role -- is destined
for the central policy group.  That's the right thing for her, too.  

Thanks.  

-- David 

P.S.  I think that it's important that we close on this issue ASAP.
It is not good to have Jason brooding about this.  

       

David J. Hayes 

LATHAM & WATKINS LLP 
555 Eleventh Street, NW 
Suite 1000 
Washington, DC 20004-1304 
Direct Dial: +1.202.637.2204 
Fax: +1.202.637.2201 
Email: [email-masked] 
http://www.lw.com <http://www.lw.com>  

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