President-elect Obama is expected to move quickly to install key players in his new administration. Some of the names in circulation include:
» Rep. Rahm Emanuel: A former Bill Clinton adviser, Emanuel was elected to the House from Illinois in 2002. The combative Emanuel is the fourth-ranking Democrat but aspires to be speaker of the House. Obama has offered him the position of White House chief of staff.
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» Obama’s Treasury secretary, not always a glamour job in a new administration, will play a pivotal role with the economy tanking. Names in circulation include former Treasury Secretaries Lawrence Summers and Robert Rubin, two veterans of the Clinton administration, and former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker.
» Campaign strategist and confidant David Axelrod is considered the architect of Obama’s electoral success. Though Obama is expected to keep Axelrod close by, many Democrats have suggested that Obama won’t likely do as Bush did when he installed strategist Karl Rove at the White House.
» Susan Rice, Obama’s foreign policy guru, played a significant role in the campaign and is likely to land in a top spot at the White House such as national security adviser.
» Valerie Jarrett, an Illinois real estate executive who was an early booster of Obama, is expected to at least remain a key informal adviser and perhaps a member of his administration.
» Obama will likely come to rely on at least one of the Democratic governors who were early, strong supporters. Leading contenders are Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, Janet Napolitano of Arizona and Jennifer Granholm of Michigan.
» Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, a friend and mentor to Obama, has been mentioned as a contender for attorney general, along with Eric Holder, a former Clinton Justice Department officer who served as the campaign’s legal counsel.
» Obama’s secretary of state will be an instant key adviser, as the president-elect learns the foreign policy ropes. Prospects include Richard Holbrooke, a former ambassador to the United Nations, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts or former Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn.
» Vice President-elect Joe Biden is expected to claim a high profile in the new White House. A foreign policy expert, Biden has been critical of Vice President Dick Cheney’s secrecy and backstage power plays. A likely pursuit for Biden will be top liaison and arm-twister for Obama on Capitol Hill.
