Posted on 11/15/2008 7:12:58 PM PST by JACKRUSSELL
Gregory B. Craig, a well-known Washington lawyer who quarterbacked President Bill Clintons impeachment defense, has been chosen White House counsel by President-elect Barack Obama, according to Democratic officials.
Craig is intimately familiar with the president-elects record because he played the role of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in debate preparations.
The officials said Obama has settled on Craig but were not sure when the appointment would be announced.
The choice gives the president-elect both experience and loyalty. During the primaries, Craig was an early Clinton alumni defector to Obama. Columnist Robert D. Novak reported back in the winter of 2007 that Craig had told him he was impressed with Obama when he first met him at the home of investment banker Vernon Jordan, an intimate friend and supporter of the Clintons.
Craig was an Obama foreign policy adviser during the campaign. At the start of the Clinton administration, he had been the State Departments Director of Policy Planning, the head of States in-house think tank. He also was senior adviser on defense, foreign policy and national security to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.).
The White House counsel, among the most powerful members of the West Wing inner circle, serves as the presidents lawyer, giving him legal advice and handling pardons and conflict-of-interest issues.
Craig, 63, is a partner at Williams & Connolly and a protégé of the late Edward Bennett Williams, the legendary Washington power lawyer. His selection adds to the surprisingly large number of Clinton White House veterans who are at the top of the Obama roster.
Craig, who had been friends with Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham at Yale Law School, was recruited for the impeachment job by John Podesta, then deputy White House chief of staff and now a leader of Obamas transition.
A Washington Post profile in 1998 by Lloyd Grove and John F. Harris reported: Craig brought along his best bedside manner when Clinton summoned him to the White House residence on the night of Sept. 10 the day after independent counsel Kenneth Starr's lurid report to Congress was published on the World Wide Web. On a balcony overlooking the South Lawn, Clinton and Craig sat talking for two hours.
Among Craigs other high-profile cases: successfully representing Elian Gonzalez' father, a Cuban, in his efforts to regain custody of his son; and representing U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan in connection during the Volcker Commission's investigation of the Oil-for-Food Program at the United Nations.
From Craigs official biography: In September 1998, President Clinton appointed Mr. Craig to be Assistant to the President and Special Counsel in the White House where Mr. Craig served as quarterback of the President's team that was assembled to defend against impeachment. Mr. Craig was also a member of the President's trial team in the United States Senate and presented the President's defense with respect to Count One during that trial.
In 1997, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright appointed Mr. Craig to be one of her senior advisors, and he served the Secretary as her Director of Policy Planning during the years 1997 to 1998.
For five years (1984-1988), he served as Senator Edward Kennedy's Senior Advisor on Defense, Foreign Policy and National Security issues.
Mr. Craig also has taught trial practice at both Yale Law School (1975-1976) and Harvard Law School (1981-1984).
Gregory B. Craig, a well-known Washington lawyer who quarterbacked President Bill Clintons impeachment defense, has been chosen White House counsel by President-elect Barack Obama, according to Democratic officials. ...Among Craigs other high-profile cases: ... representing U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan in connection during the Volcker Commission's investigation of the Oil-for-Food Program at the United Nations.
CHANGE!
More “change”...
Hey, don’t complain.
We get to keep the old score cards, just change the positions
Who's next? Ramsey Clark, America-loathing, International A.N.S.W.E.R. founder, anti-Israel/pro-Palestinian, Free Mumia proponent and all-around America hater? Fits the pattern, yes?
I wonder if the Obama Youth staffers will be running around the White House and Capitol building donning their orange ski caps and Che Guevara t-shirts.
This A-hole defended John Hinckley- successfully.
I wish the worst for this prick.
Or am I totally offbase here?
THAT is the guy Barack Obama picked. Which makes sense-- since Barack Obama hates America too.
.
Loyalty is fleeting towards the Clintoons
[Loyalty is fleeting towards the Clintoons]
Well, you study politics more than I. They seem to have a strong hold on people. FBI files and threats can do that.
I’m somewhat surprised that Obama would want to use so many of the ex Clinton crowd.
.
Many Clintonistas joined team creepy during the campaign
*snort* So much for the vaunted “Change” Obama claimed he was going to bring to DC. There are going to be x42 retreads everywhere! But seriously, just who does Barack Obama actually KNOW? Who are his friends? No one in the MSM seemed to be curious enough to ask, or try to find out, during the campaign.
So Gregory Craig is barely one degree separated from Saudi terrorists and Marxist leaders and trail of the money that supports them. That’s consistent with the rest of Obama’s network of anti-American friends.
Just in case anyone has forgotten:
Click this picture:
Old National Review article (Feb. 25, 2008)
Say a Prayer for Hillary
http://nrd.nationalreview.com/article/?q=ZDFiOGIwNGVkNWY4ZWE2NmM3M2MyYWZlZTdmOTRjZjk=
Craig comment about Hillary (Excerpt)
Our friend Tracy Mehan asks, Do the Clintons hunt in pairs like those velociraptors in Jurassic Park? And plenty of people will be asking the same question as Greg Craig, the attorney who represented Bill Clinton during impeachment. Suffering an apparent case of lawyers remorse, he said, Recent events raise the question: If Hillarys campaign cant control Bill, whether Hillarys White House could.
Can someone summarize a list of all the Clintonistas involved in forming the Obama administration so far? It’s starting to look like the Clinton’s 3rd term.
So far:
Joh Podesta, transition team
Rahm “F-— the Republicans!” Emanuel, Chief of Staff
Jamie Gorelick, transition team
Greg Craig, White House Counsel (I guess BO anticipates he might be impeached? :0)
Hillary Clinton, possible Secretary of State
Billy Jeff Clinton, in charge of intern program LMAO
I knew nobama was stupid, but to bring in Clinton loyalists is suicidal.
I give him two years at best before nobama is out of office, one way or another.
Very true, but most were minor players compared to some of the names bandied about lately.
There was the “hope” as well. He’s delivered on that as in “Hope this gets overwith pretty doggone soon”.
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