Obama Names Washington Veterans as White House Staff (Update1)
By Jeff Bliss
Nov. 16 (Bloomberg) -- President-elect Barack Obama, who relinquishes his Senate seat today, announced that he will add three Washington veterans to his White House staff.
Pete Rouse, Obama's chief of staff in the Senate and former chief of staff to former Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle, will be a senior adviser, Obama said in a statement. Jim Messina and Mona Sutphen will both serve as deputy chief of staff. All are on Obama's transition team.
Messina, former chief of staff for Democratic senators Max Baucus of Montana, Byron Dorgan of North Dakota and Carolyn McCarthy of New York, is currently the transition team's personnel director. Sutphen, a former U.S. Foreign Service officer, has also been managing director of the international consulting firm Stonebridge International LLC.
Obama also released a message offering ``a very affectionate thanks'' to the people of Illinois he served as senator.
``I will never forget, and will forever be grateful, to the men and women of this great state who made my life in public service possible,'' Obama said in the message sent to Illinois newspapers, according to the Chicago Sun-Times Web site. He quoted Abraham Lincoln, who also went to the White House from Illinois, in asking people to ``confidently hope that all will yet be well.''
Yesterday, Obama said in a statement that transition team member Valerie Jarrett would serve as assistant to the president for intergovernmental relations and public liaison.
Phil Schiliro, a former chief of staff to Representative Henry Waxman, was named yesterday as assistant to the president for legislative affairs, the president's top lobbyist on Capitol Hill. Ron Klain, a former chief of staff for Vice President Al Gore, was named to the same post for Vice President-elect Joe Biden.
Greg Craig, a lawyer who represented former President Bill Clinton during his impeachment proceedings, has been chosen as Obama's White House counsel, Politico.com reported yesterday, citing Democratic officials.
To contact the reporter responsible for this story: Jeff Bliss in Washington jbliss@bloomberg.net.
Last Updated: November 16, 2008 12:08 EST |
