Washington Insiders Filling Obama Administration
Barack Obama Promised Change But Recruits Team of Familiar Politicos
Nov 29, 2008
President-elect Barack Obama spent two years promising American voters that he would finally change the way things are done in Washington. Nearly two months out from his inauguration, however, Obama is building an administration heavily reliant on Washington insiders.
His campaign theme was "Change We Can Believe In," but Obama is going to keep Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, a Bush appointee, at the helm of the Pentagon; picked a former top aide to President Bill Clinton, RahmEmanuel, as his chief of staff; and put another Clinton insider, John Podesta, in charge of his transition team.
Obama Picks Familiar Faces
When Obama announced his economic team just before Thanksgiving, it was a group long on Washington experience but short on fresh faces, including former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, who first took office during the Carter administration 30 years ago.
Obama defended his choices in a Nov. 26, 2009, news conference, telling reporters in Chicago that his team of Washington veterans is intended to "combine experience with fresh thinking."
Obama Says Experience Key to Change
The fresh ideas, Obama said, would be his. The team's experience, he added, would make it easier to implement the changes he'll seek.
"Understand where the vision of change comes from first and foremost," Obama said. "It comes from me. That's my job, is to provide a vision in terms of where we are going and make sure that my team is implementing it."
The Obama Economic Team
The team that will advise Obama on possible solutions to the current economic crisis includes:
Treasury Secretary: Timothy F. Geithner
President of the New York Federal Reserve Bank, Geithner is already playing a central role in developing and managing the $700 billion bailout approved by Congress and signed by President Bush. Keeping him avoids the potential disruption of bringing a new management team up to speed.
National Economic Council Director: Lawrence H. Summers
Former Treasury secretary in the Clinton administration and once Geithner's boss, Summers will be brought inside the White House as a top economic adviser.
Economic Recovery Advisory Board Chairman: Paul A. Volcker
Federal Reserve Chairman under presidents Carter and Reagan, Volcker beat inflation in the 1970s and 1980s, but at the cost of plunging the nation into an economic recession that contributed to voter's rejection of Carter after one term. In his new role, Volcker will provide "candid and unsparing advice" on how to handle the current crisis.
Federal Reserve Chairman: Ben S. Bernanke
The man in charge of the nation's monetary policy is the only member of the new economic team who wasn't appointed by Obama. The Fed chairman's term ends in January 2010. Bernanke is already deeply involved in the planning of a federal bailout for financial institutions and working with Geithner.
Council of Economic Advisers Chairman: Christina D. Romer
Romer is not only a top tax-policy expert but a scholar specializing in the Great Depression, an indication of how severe the new administration views the current economic crisis. The council is an in-house think tank that works on broad economic issues for the president.
Hitting the Ground Running
Obama dismissed critics who questioned how effective officials with a vested interest in Washington's status quo could be in changing it. The team's experience, Obama said, is the key to getting anything done.
"The American people would be troubled if I selected (economic advisers) at one of the most critical economic times in our history who had no experience in government whatsoever," Obama said. "We need people who are going to hit the ground running."
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