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.

[Jeff Head]

The absolute arrogance of this marxist dimwhit astounds me.

CHOOSING THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA - CHANGE YOU CAN COUNT ON, BUT DON'T WANT

THE AUDACITY OF TRUTH ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA

[mainepatsfan]

They’ll really go insane if we have a repeat of 2004 with lousy exit polls on election day.

[jmcenanly]

Sounds to me like they have already counted the votes.

They're probably being printed up right now.

[mainepatsfan]

The most bitter bunch will be the Dems who backed Hillary in the primaries.

[savedbygrace]

“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.”

So far, Obama is 0-fer when demanding timelines.

[caseinpoint]

Exactly. I am not knowledgeable about posting articles or setting up links. I’m glad to see the site get credit. I think it’s an apt description of his whole attitude.

[norraad]

Well, it could be the germain crowd specialists creating overwhelming furor.

[chickadee]

There’s no need for Obama to reinvent the wheel. Couldn’t he just use Al Gore’s transition plan . . . or John Kerry’s?

[sweetiepiezer]

“I’m still not convinced that he will get the nomination.
Hillary has been awfully quiet lately. “

My thoughts also.

The Clintoons are not dead yet.

[Huck]

Uses, “glorious leader” style Agitprop posters common in totalitarian nations

He sure does. That's one of the creepiest things about the left nowadays. They are really showing their true(red) colors.

[twigs]

Correct. I read a DUer saying after the 2004 election that he just knew that the US was made up of more Dems than Republicans and that any Republican victory was therefore, by definition, stolen. Not only lazy and dishonest, but dangerous thinking.

[kittymyrib]

I guess they’ve already programmed the voting machines in FL and OH. We know Barry will get 105% of the votes in PA.

This high-handed attitude makes Bill and Hill look like George and Martha Washington in comparison. I suppose being the product of affirmative action makes one believe such entitlement extends to the presidency.

[SueRae]

The audactiy of audacity. And who are these shadowy organizations? Third way starring John Podesta?

Thee people must be stopped, they are beyond delusional.

[TexasGunLover]

Not too presumptuous, is he?

Why shouldn't he be? He has no opponent, or at least not one that anyone will vote for. No conservative with a lick of sense would vote for McStupid...

People need a kick to the head, and Hussein is just that kick. Somehow, people who think they're "conservative" think McCain is an acceptable alternative. 4 years of Hussein will remind them of why we have to have true conservatives.

[sarasota]

The dream machine marches on....

[sarasota]

I’m looking forward to it.

[Vision]

Here’s the problem I see. There is such an expectation of winning among the Dems (check out DU if you doubt that), if he loses there will be crying and “gnashing of teeth.” They will be convinced that the election was “stolen” once again, and these fans are so rabid there’s no telling what will go down.

You say that like it's a bad thing.

[edzo4]

putting the cart before the donkey...

[moose2004]

Wouldn’t that be fun to watch, all those idiots at DU, moveon, the Obama campaign and the dnc losing their sh*t yet again.

[ncalburt]

Its all part of the Psycho-logic mind games played by the Obama media and the Left. Its the “ Don’ fight it / Air of Inevitability “ mind game strategy learned from the Nazi propaganda experts. That is why the Obama media cooks up phony polls week after week for Obama and runs Obama press releases disguised as news like this one. Its meant to cause disillusionment to the Repub and other anti- OBama voters to not bother fighting it and just don;t bother to organize and fight the Marxist.