Presidential transition of Barack Obama

President George W. Bush (left) and President-elect Barack Obama (right) meet in the Oval Office of the White House as part of the Presidential transition.

The presidential transition of Barack Obama began when he won the United States presidential election on November 4, 2008, and became the President-elect. He will be inaugurated on January 20, 2009, after being formally elected by the Electoral College on December 15, 2008, and having the results certified by a joint session of Congress on January 6, 2009.

Organization of the transition

The Obama transition organization is called the Obama-Biden Transition Project. It was convened during the height of the campaign, well before the outcome could be known, to begin making preparations for a potential administration. It is co-chaired by John Podesta, who was Bill Clinton's fourth and last White House Chief of Staff and the president/chief executive officer of the Center for American Progress, and Valerie Jarrett, who is one of Obama's longest-serving advisers.

Obama took possession of the specially prepared Presidential Transition Headquarters in Washington, D.C. on November 5, 2008. Podesta estimated that the transition would employ approximately 450 people and have a budget of about $12 million: $5.2 million would be paid by the federal government and the remaining $6.8 million would be funded by private sources, with contributions to be limited to $5,000. The transition project will not accept money from political action committees or federal lobbyists.

The transition team's official website is Change.gov, which includes a blog and jobs page. It also has a section that allows visitors to share stories or their visions for the country. Persons applying for work within the Obama administration via this site are required to go through intensive consumer and criminal background checks performed by the ChoicePoint Corporation.

Transition team

On November 5, Obama announced his complete transition team, which is organized as a nonprofit tax-exempt organization under U.S. federal tax code 501(c)(4). Podesta will be assisted by Jarrett and Pete Rouse to organize the effort. The advisory board consists of Carol Browner, William M. Daley, Christopher Edley, Michael Froman, Julius Genachowski, Donald Gips, Janet Napolitano, Federico Peña, Susan E. Rice, Sonal Shah, Mark Gitenstein and Ted Kaufman. Two journals reported on November 6 that Robert Gibbs might be selected as Obama's Press Secretary.

Members of the transition team's senior staff include:

• Chris Lu – Executive Director
• Dan Pfeiffer – Communications Director
• Stephanie Cutter – Chief Spokesperson
• Cassandra Butts – General Counsel
• Jim Messina – Personnel Director
• Patrick Gaspard – Associate Personnel Director
• Christine A. Varney - Personnel Counsel
• Melody Barnes – Co-Director of Agency Review
• Lisa Brown – Co-Director of Agency Review
• Phil Schiliro – Director of Congressional Relations
• Michael Strautmanis – Director of Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs
• Katy Kale – Co-Director of Operations
• Brad Kiley – Co-Director of Operations

Joshua Gotbaum and Michael J. Warren were hired to oversee the transition in the Department of the Treasury, Thomas E. Donilon and Wendy R. Sherman the Department of State, and John P. White and Michele A. Flournoy the Department of Defense.

Activities as the President-elect

Bush administration

Laura Bush meets with Michelle Obama

In mid-October, the George W. Bush administration convened a 14-member council to coordinate with and brief the winning campaign's transition team. The New York Times reported that White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten then planned to recruit his predecessor, Andrew Card, to oversee the activity. On November 6, Obama received his first classified intelligence briefing from Director of National Intelligence John Michael McConnell and Central Intelligence Agency Director Michael Hayden.

President George W. Bush has invited Obama to attend a world economic summit at the White House between November 15 and 20. He is expected to address a United Nations global warming summit in Poland in December or allow a representative such as Al Gore to present his policies.

On November 10, Obama traveled to the White House and met with President Bush to discuss transition issues while First Lady Laura Bush took his wife Michelle on a tour of the mansion. NBC News reports that Obama advanced his economic agenda with Bush, asking him to attempt to pass a stimulus package in a lame duck session of Congress before the inauguration. He also urged Bush to accelerate the disbursement of US$25billion in funds to bail out the automobile industry and expressed concern about additional Americans losing their homes as mortgage rates increase again.

The Bush administration has reportedly gone out of its way to make the transition as seamless as possible for the incoming administration, earning accolades from Obama staff members and outside experts alike. According to nearly all accounts, the Bush administration has streamlined the process for new officials to obtain security clearances and has planned training exercises for the incoming national security team, to insure that they will be ready to face a possible crisis on the first day in office. Part of this enhanced cooperation is required by laws passed at the behest of the 9/11 Commission, while part is attributed to the difficulty that the Bush administration had with its own transition, which lasted only five weeks and was felt to have had a deleterious effect on Bush's ability to govern. "I'm not sure I've ever seen an outgoing administration work as hard at saying the right thing," said Stephen Hess of the Brookings Institution. "This is really quite memorable."

Resignation from Senate offices

Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden are U.S. Senators whose seats will be filled by appointees designated by the Governors of Illinois (Rod Blagojevich) and Delaware (Ruth Ann Minner) until special elections take place. Obama was elected in 2004, with his term expiring in 2010; Biden was reelected and simultaneously became Vice President. Obama announced he would stand down as senator on November 16, 2008.

Administration appointments

Representative Rahm Emanuel of Illinois will serve as White House Chief of Staff.

Thirty-one of Obama's appointments so far have come from the Clinton Administration. This includes Transition Chief John Podesta, Chief-of-Staff Rahm Emanuel, and Biden's Chief-of-Staff Ron Klain. Joshua Gotbaum and Michael Warren, will head the transition of the Treasury Department. In addition, Thomas Donilon and Wendy Sherman, will oversee the transition of the State Department. Finally, John P. White and Michèle Flournoy, will lead the transition of the Defense Department.

White House staff

President-elect Obama chose Representative Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, as his White House Chief of Staff. Emanuel spoke with Obama on November 6, two days after the election, and accepted the position. Pete Rouse, who has been serving as Obama's chief of staff on his Senate staff, has been named Deputy Chief of Staff. Former strategist David Axelrod accepted the position of Senior Advisor in the White House. Robert Gibbs is expected to be named Press Secretary.

Cabinet

Obama met with Senator Hillary Clinton on November 13, 2008 for a "serious discussion" to determine the level of Clinton's interest in the position of Secretary of State. Other candidates for Secretary of State include Senator John Kerry and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. Richardson is also viewed as a top candidate for Secretary of the Interior, a move encouraged by Hispanic groups.

There are a number of speculations about other cabinet positions. Some have suggested that Obama will ask Robert Gates to remain as Secretary of Defense, while Republican Senator Chuck Hagel and former Oklahoma Representative Dave McCurdy have also been mentioned as candidates for that position. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell has also been mentioned. Democrats also see former Deputy Defense Secretary John Hamre and former Navy Secretary Richard Danzig as two candidates for The Pentagon.

Lawrence Summers is on a short list for Treasury Secretary. He served the same role in the Clinton administration. Another candidate is Timothy F. Geithner, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Also considered are former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, and Sheila C. Bair.

Other speculations include New York City School Chancellor Joel Klein or Colin Powell as Secretary of Education, retired General James L. Jones for National Security Advisor, and Tennessee Representative Jim Cooper as Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Governors Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas and Jennifer Granholm of Michigan are expected to be approached for Cabinet positions. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is at the top of a short list for Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Former Iowa Representative Jim Leach is considered a possible candidate for Ambassador to the United Nations. Caroline Kennedy may also be considered for the post. Kennedy is also considered a leading candidate for the position of Ambassador to the United Kingdom, a position once held by her late grandfather Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr..

Emerging agenda

Obama's developing presidential agenda is divided between domestic and foreign policy issues. In most cases, this developing agenda involves addressing crises already underway. His principal strategic decision concerns how fast to move bills through congress. Some of his advisors suggest moving quickly, as Franklin D. Roosevelt did in 1933, under the concern that a more "moderate" approach would waste valuable time early in his presidency, when his political capital will be strongest. Others suggest moving more slowly, as Bill Clinton did before his attempt to enact a national healthcare program, under the concern that rapid change could quickly wear down any bipartisan consensus. He is likely, in any case, to issue a series of executive orders within days of his inauguration, including a reversal of Bush-era executive orders restricting funding to family planning (including abortion) services and stem-cell research.

According to Podesta, the transition team is conducting an exhaustive review of Bush's Executive Orders in an effort to find quick changes that can be implemented on the first day in office. Podesta also says that there is a great deal that can be accomplished without waiting for Congress to act and that Obama wants to move quickly to restore "a sense that the country is working on behalf of the common good."

Economic agenda

The economic agenda under development most specifically focuses on short-term measures intended to hold off widespread economic losses so that a longer-term economic agenda can then be formulated. Obama's most immediate concern is an economic stimulus package that Congressional Democrats have been advocating for. Unlike prior stimulus packages, which were supply-side in nature and were intended to increase the supply of money in the economy through tax rebates, the current package is demand-side (Keynesian) in nature. Thus, it is intended to increase potential demand through increased funding for unemployment benefits, the Food Stamp Program, and infrastructure projects. Additional funding for Medicaid is also being considered. A similar stimulus bill was passed by the House of Representatives on September 26, 2008, but never approved by the Senate. Obama has promised to pass a stimulus bill early in his presidency if one is not passed before his inauguration on January 20, 2009. In addition, Obama is considering the request of the U.S. automotive industry for a cash infusion of $50 billion in addition to the $25 billion that has already been approved. Obama is also expected to push for a program to spend $150 billion over 10 years to develop newer, renewable energy sources. This money would also be used to encourage energy conservation and to help the auto industry develop fuel-efficient vehicles.

According to the transition's website, Obama also hopes to rekindle volunteerism by expanding AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps and also creating a new Classroom Corps. Other volunteer efforts reportedly include a Health Corps, Clean Energy Corps, and Veterans Corps. Middle and high school students will be asked to do 50 hours of community service work a year. College students will be eligible for $4,000 in tuition tax credits in exchange for community service work. Improved volunteerism programs aimed at individuals over age 55 are projected, as well as augmented Youth Build and Head Start programs.

Foreign policy agenda

One of the principal foreign policy issues that Obama ran on during the presidential campaign concerned his promise to withdraw most American troops from Iraq within sixteen months of his inauguration. This is one area of concentration. Another area concerns the three areas of foreign policy that President Bush has been focusing on during the final months of his term: Iran's nuclear development, North Korea's nuclear arsenal, and the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. In all three cases, a diplomatic structure has already been established, although some of the current goals might be different from those Obama will take as president.

The Annapolis Conference gathers in November 2007.

In the Middle East, Bush began a new approach to the peace process, the so-called "Annapolis process," which attempts to encourage Israeli and Palestinian leaders to agree on the outlines of a peace accord. Although both sides cite some success in these discussions, critics believe the talks have unduly ignored Hamas, which has been labeled as a terrorist organization, despite the fact that it holds an enormous amount of political power. Obama has not specified what his approach will be, although it is considered likely that he will appoint a high-level Middle East envoy, in part to free his Secretary of State so that other matters can also be addressed. Hamas has expressed a willingness to talk to Obama, who has said that he will reciprocate only if it renounces terrorism, recognizes Israel's right to exist, and agrees to abide by past agreements. The Hamas leader in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, has said the Hamas government would accept a Palestinian state that followed the 1967 borders and would offer Israel a long-term truce, if Israel recognises the Palestinians' national rights.

During his second term, Bush pursued an agreement with North Korea to end its nuclear weapons programs. To prevent a collapse in the process, Bush agreed to remove North Korea from the State Department's list of state sponsors of terrorism. Obama supported the decision. Obama has criticized Bush for taking so long to engage with the North and has indicated that he would be eager to engage in a more proactive diplomatic effort, in order to reach an agreement. A senior North Korean official recently told reporters that "we are ready to deal" with the incoming Obama administration.

Obama has also been formulating a policy to deal with Iran. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has assembled a coalition of six states -- the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, China and the United States -- to confront Iran. While the group has won approval from the U.N., Iran has largely ignored its demands. While Obama has previously advocated carefully-planned direct talks with Iran, he is seen as being likely to build on the current coalition in order to broker an agreement with Iran.

In addition, Obama is formulating a policy to deal with the U.S. missile defense shield that is under construction in Poland. He discussed the matter with both Polish President Lech Kaczyński and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. While his advisors are working on a missile shield policy, his current position is simply that one might be deployed if and when it has been "proved to be workable".

Obama is also planning on revoking a series of executive orders enacted by Bush, which would have the effect of overturning a practice that many critics have labeled as torture against "detainees". This would include requiring the CIA to abide by the Army Field Manual when interrogating prisoners. It may encounter resistance, however, from some in the Intelligence Community, regarding the practicality of a complete revocation of these orders. He is also hoping to close the detention camp at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba, although issues may arise in such a plan because many of detainees have been held without evidence or because of coerced confessions, which would not be admissible in a federal court.

Secret Service

On November 13, 2008, the Secret Service announced that Obama's code name will be "Renegade" ("Renaissance" for his wife and "Rosebud" and "Radiance" for his daughters).

See also

• Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008
• Barack Obama presidential acceptance speech, 2008

Additional reading

• "Transcript: President-Elect Obama's First News Confrerence". New York Times. 2008-11-07. Retrieved 2008-11-07. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

• Sweet, Lynn (2008-11-05). "Jarrett, Podesta, Rouse to lead Obama transition; Bill Daley co-chair". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2008-11-05. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

• Baker, Peter (2008-11-05). "For Obama, No Day to Bask as He Starts to Build His Team for Transition". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-11-05. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

• Baker, Peter (2008-11-04). "No Time for Laurels; Now the Hard Part". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-11-05. (Initial likely appointments to the transition team.)

• "Possible Presidential Appointments". New York Times. 2008-10-25. Retrieved 2008-11-05. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

• Espo, David (2008-10-17). "Obama's transition team meets, candidate pushes on". Associated Press. Retrieved 2008-11-05. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) (Pre-election meeting of the Obama transition team.)

External links

• Presidential Transition Project Change.gov The Obama-Biden presidential transition administration.
• 2008-2009 Presidential Transition Resources from the General Services Administration
• Lost in Transition from the National Journal
• The Presidential Transition The IBM Center for the Business of Government
• Obama's Presidency from BBC News
• The New Team The New York Times. (A listing of transition team members, advisers and nominees to office)
• BBC, In pictures: Obama meets Bush
• Profiles of transition team members in the Harvard Law Record