OBAMA TEAM BEGINS WORK ON PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION

The Atlantic ^ | Thursday, July 24, 2008 | Marc Ambinder

[kristinn]

With less than six months to go before he would be sworn in as the nation’s 44th president, Sen. Barack Obama has directed his aides to begin planning for the transition.

"Barack is well aware of the complexity and the organizational challenge involved in the transition process and he has tasked s small group to begin thinking through the process,” a senior campaign adviser said. “Barack has made his expectations clear about what he wants from such a process, how he wants it to move forward, and the establishment and execution of his timeline is proceeding apace.”

Last month, the Post’s Chris Cillizza reported that campaign advisers were sounding out John Podesta, a former White House chief of staff to President Bill Clinton and currently the president of the Center for American Progress, for his advice.

An aide confirms that Podesta will probably be asked to head the transition team, which would take over from the campaign if Obama wins in November, and would be tasked with ensuring a smooth handover of power.

Podesta’s Center for American Progress is working with the Third Way think tank on a Homeland Security Presidential Transition Initiative; its director is Michael Signer, a former senior policy aide to Ex-Sen. John Edwards.

Cassandra Butts, a longtime Obama friend who is a CAP executive vice president, is working closely with Podesta.

Butts, via e-mail, would not confirm her participation in the project.

Podesta remains a close friend of both Clintons and his participation will help assuage the concerns of Clinton-era Democratic policy and political appointees who might have felt abandoned in an Obama administration.

[Jacquerie]

Good grief. You are sure we will have a conservative re-awakening after four years of Obama? Your reasoning depends on America being greatly damaged. What kind of mindset welcomes real damage to our republic in exchange for possibly, maybe gaining political advantage after the damage is done?

[hinckley buzzard]

Big deal, this is probably standard preperation(sic) for any candidate for president.

I think they usually at least wait until they're nominated. Talk about counting your chickens...and this with the wily Hillary laying in the weeds...

[hinckley buzzard]

You are right. Clinton refused to release designated funds and resources to the Bush transition team, thus retarding the implementation of the new administration by maybe six weeks, in defiance of federal law. Who knows how history may have been different in 2001 if Clinton had not deliberatey sabotaged the nation's goverment.

[hinckley buzzard]

No conservative with a lick of sense would vote for McStupid...

Millions of patriotic Americans will though. Sorry about you and your cancerous view of conservatism.

[MinuteGal]

Obamabumpa #94 for the evening crowd.

Leni

[Reverend Wright]

frankiep wrote: “I know many people here wouldn’t want to see it, but Rudy perfectly fits that description.”

I’ve been thinking this too.

There are many scandals there... but Rudy makes the most sense if McCain wants to double down on national security, experience and leadership (as well as being able to deal with urban disorder)

[ncalburt]

The Nazi avoided many battles with there propaganda .They convinced countries to surrender and give up. That is the point of these non stop phony Obama polls and phony Obama press releases dressed up to look like News . Its works on some, read some of these posts with the defeatist attitudes. They have already surrendered to a radical left .

[NOBAMA in 08]

Surely You are kidding! If You are not, then I fear your judgment is sorely lacking!

[Pinkbell]

A liberal once told me that the elections were stolen in 2000, 2002, 2004, and were almost stolen in 2006. In other words, in his mind, every time the Republicans won, the elections were stolen.

[unkus]

Now I will vote McCain without holding my nose.

[jwalsh07]

Any conservative not voting for McCain and allowing this pos to ascend to power needs his head examined.

His apology today to a group of Eurotrash marxists for America's failings while not taking the time to visit our wounded makes a vote for anybody but McCain ridiculous.

[unkus]

God bless our troops. And Obama, you can go to hell.

[Texas Eagle]

With less than six months to go before he would be sworn in as the nation’s 44th president, Sen. Barack Obama has directed his aides to begin planning for the transition.

Will that include re-positioning The White House so it faces Mecca?

[TexasGunLover]

What kind of mindset welcomes real damage to our republic in exchange for possibly, maybe gaining political advantage after the damage is done?

It's called thinking strategically. You would have thought that we would have had a mandate to rid the world of Islam after 9/11, but obviously that is not true. The middle of America thinks everything is always "hunky dory". It takes extreme discomfort for them to make the right decisions.

It's not what I would like, but unfortunately what is necessary to motivate the masses.

Look, 48% of Americans think that the current congress is under GOP control... regardless if you like it or not, there are a whole lot more dumb people in this country than smart... one other reason why only landowners should be able to vote. The bottom 50% of earners in this nation pay less than 3% of the tax revenue and the top 1% pays about 39%. I'm sick of the scum repeating the benefits of those who are working hard.

[TexasGunLover]

Millions of patriotic Americans will though.

That is just a matter of opinion... another opinion would be that they are cowards and unwilling to see past the end of their nose. Also, you can find them here on free republic as Labor Union defenders, gas price/"big oil"/"speculator" whiners.

Sorry about you and your cancerous view of conservatism.

Don't be... if you too will embrace it, you can actually be considered conservative.

[tina07]

My husband and I only became ‘landowners’ December 1, 2007, first time homeowners late in life. I know of a few long time landowners who are extremely stupid and uninformed.

We also paid our fair share (if not more, we lived in NJ all of our lives until Dec. 2007!) of taxes while we rented, property and all other taxes.

sorry, I don’t get your analogy about landowners only being allowed to vote.

[cruise_missile]

[Diggity]

They are trying to intimidate McCain by acting like they have won. Subtle ploy, plus, it makes obama look like a great planner, organizer etc.

John

[Gilbo_3]

these busy little socialists...

Well, they do have all day Sunday to plot & plan...

By Nov, people are either gonna be so numb from nearly 2 YEARS of this political masturbation that theyll pull the lever just to make him go away, or to just get it over with...

this kinda propaganda is like a dripping faucet at 3 am...

either way, Truth will overcome the poliwhores in the end...

LFOD...

[Pinkbell]

He is a pompous, arrogant jerk who must be stopped. He has made comments such as “when I’m POTUS” and “leaders who I WILL be working with for the next 8 to 10 years”. Now is working on a transition team. He is taking a whirlwhind tour of the Middle East and Europe and is acting as though he is already POTUS. Worse yet, he is acting like he’s the savior of the world. He doesn’t even give our troops the credit they deserve for their work in Iraq. He has the audacity to flaunt his label over our flag, act as though he is above our flag and putting his hand over his heart during our anthem, and change our Presidential seal. Don’t forget the string of Anti-American cronies in his past.

I’m no longer holding my nose to vote for John McCain. In fact, I think I’m going to work for him like I worked for Bush.