White House taps former Bill Clinton adviser - CAP founder John Podesta

The Hill ^ | December 9, 2013 | Justin Sink

[Cincinatus' Wife]

The return of Podesta is somewhat of a surprise after a Politico report last month that he and former Obama campaign manager Jim Messina were in serious discussions to reboot Priorities USA, the pro-Obama political action committee that aided the president’s reelection effort.

President Obama is bringing former Clinton chief of staff John Podesta back to the White House for a year-long stint as a top adviser, an administration official confirmed Monday.

Podesta, a longtime Democratic operative who led President Obama’s transition team, is returning to an embattled White House that has seen the president’s popularity hammered by the botched rollout of his signature health care law, an unpopular and abandoned push for military strikes against Syria, and continued controversy over revelations about the nation’s surveillance activities.

It’s the second major move for the White House in the past week, as chief of staff Denis McDonough looks to shake up a West Wing that has come under fire in recent weeks from friends and foes alike.

On Friday, White House officials said that Phil Schiliro, the former White House director of Legislative Affairs, will return for a “short-term appointment” to help coordinate between government agencies and members of Congress as the administration implements ObamaCare.

Podesta is also expected to advise McDonough on the health care law, according to the New York Times, which first reported his return. Additionally, Podesta will also counsel the White House on the president’s second-term climate change agenda.

It’s an issue Podesta has frequently discussed in his role as the founder of the Center for American Progress (CAP), a prominent liberal think tank in Washington. On Friday, Podesta tweeted a CAP report encouraging Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to establish goals reducing carbon emissions from public lands over time.

During a speech on the economy hosted by the group last week, Obama heralded the group as having “done incredible work to shape the debate over expanding opportunity for all Americans.”

“I could not be more grateful to CAP not only for giving me a lot of good policy ideas, but also giving me a lot of staff,” Obama continued, calling Podesta a “friend.”

“You guys are obviously doing a good job training folks,” he added.

The president hinted at a news conference last month that changes could be coming to his team.

"I think we have to ask ourselves some hard questions inside the White House as opposed to why we didn't see more of these problems coming earlier on," Obama said.

The return of Podesta is somewhat of a surprise after a Politico report last month that he and former Obama campaign manager Jim Messina were in serious discussions to reboot Priorities USA, the pro-Obama political action committee that aided the president’s reelection effort.

According to that report, the pair were set to relaunch the group in an effort to aid the potential candidacy of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in a bid for the White House.

Before joining the Clinton White House, Podesta was a longtime staffer on Capitol Hill. He served as a counselor to Democratic Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) and counsel to the majority staff of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He is also the co-founder of the Podesta Group, a multi-million dollar Washington lobbying firm.

[pepsionice]

Another Georgetown University guy.

Note, it’s hard to see how Valerie Jarrett came to agree on letting him in the inner circle, but we should note...it’s a one-year clean-up episode. He’s going to teach them how to effectively run the White House...which it took five years for the team to realize that they had no real experience in DC, the art of negotiation, or conducting executive management. The staff have been in campaign mode for the whole five years....so he’s transitioning them to what they were supposed to be doing.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

I bet the Democrats on the Hill shoe-horned him in. Podesta (among other things) was set to relaunch Priorities USA for Hillary’s run. The Dems want a seamless WH transition from Obama to Hillary.

[Cowboy Bob]

I think that this is a sign that the Democrats are in panic mode.

[Smokin' Joe]

He is also the co-founder of the Podesta Group, a multi-million dollar Washington lobbying firm.

Uh huh. The Sultan of Schmooze joins the Ministry of Propaganda to give 'em a few pointers...

If Obamacare was any good, it would sell itself. It isn't.

Note, too, they are setting up the side issues to pull the heat off the superfail of their rollout.

[Ann Archy]

The RAT returns to the Sinking Ship!!!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

They have political “time-bombs” planted all over the place - a massive “wack-a-mole” - network so destructive to the nation (and world) it is impossible to comprehend.

[nathanbedford]

From Discover the Networks:

The Clintons recognized Podesta's talent for scandal-suppression early. While still a mere staff secretary at the White House in 1993, Podesta found himself swamped with so many scandal clean-up assignments that he nicknamed himself, "Secretary of [Expletive]." "He's good at it," James Carville remarked to the Washington Post.

Podesta's most lasting contribution to the leftist cause came through his promotion of a strategy that White House aides dubbed "Project Podesta." This was a system that enabled the Clintons to push through unpopular policies that neither Congress nor the American people wanted. Its implementation marked a dramatic tilt in the balance of power, giving the executive branch an unprecedented ability to force its will on the legislative branch.

Project Podesta enabled the President to bypass Congress through the use of executive orders, presidential decision directives, White-House-sponsored lawsuits, vacancy appointments to high federal office, selective regulatory actions against targeted corporations, and a host of other extra-constitutional tactics.

In short, Podesta showed the Clintons that they could gain by force what they might fail to achieve through legislation. "Stroke of the pen. Law of the land. Kind of cool," quipped White House aide Paul Begala to The New York Times on July 5, 1998, in response to questions about the Clintons' growing disdain for the will of Congress.

Podesta also has served as an Independent Advisory Council member of the notoriously corrupt community organization ACORN

http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=1626

[PghBaldy]

Yes.

[blueunicorn6]

Ohhhhhhhh.....when the lying isn’t working, bring in a bigger liar.

[mojito]

Note, it’s hard to see how Valerie Jarrett came to agree on letting him in the inner circle

Podesta will be frozen out like all the rest: Rahm, Daley, Lew. Remember when Daley was appointed Chief of Staff? How he was going to show Barry & Co. how a grownup should govern? How did that work out? Same thing here.

[pepsionice]

At some point, there will be a knock-down drag-out fight with Jarrett....with someone using bullet-format to ring out a dozen of her shortcomings. Almost every single screw-up of the past five years....comes back to rest on her decision ability (not the President’s ability because he has none).

She was needed for some function in the White House...but she has virtually no experience at dealing with Senators, Representatives, or the general method of accomplishment in DC. They needed a guy who’d done work and knew how to work deals with a few Republicans down the line. She was the absolute wrong choice for chief of staff, and she’s probably come to realize that in the last year or two. The bin Laden episode....only occurred because they kept her out of the loop on the newly planned mission.

[mojito]

On Friday, Podesta tweeted a CAP report encouraging Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to establish goals reducing carbon emissions from public lands over time.

You can certainly see where this is headed.

[mojito]

Val lives in the WH with Barry & Mo. She has breakfast with him every morning and dinner every night. She's the only staff person with access to Barry's man-cave, where he spends most his time with his “boys.” She knows what Barry knows before he knows it. And she knows every skeleton in Barry's closet. She isn't going anywhere.

[what's up]

It will be interesting to see how Podesta and Jarrett function together.

Daley was brought in a couple of years ago but didn't last long because of friction between he and Jarrett.

[RoosterRedux]

Bringing in Podesta is a major slap in the face of ValJar (makes me wonder who is behind it).

There will be a collision of epic proportions from Day 1. As Uncle Joe Bidet says...this is a BIG effing deal.

[RoosterRedux]

It will be interesting to see how Podesta and Jarrett function together.

They won't.

My guess is that Podesta was brought in to replace Jarrett. And some think that Jarrett is more powerful than Barry...so one has to wonder who is behind this move?

[SunkenCiv]

> former Clinton chief of staff John Podesta... is returning to an embattled White House that has seen the president’s popularity hammered by the botched rollout of his signature health care law, an unpopular and abandoned push for military strikes against Syria, and continued controversy over revelations about the nation’s surveillance activities.

Thanks Cincinatus’ Wife.