WASHINGTON (AP) - President-elect Barack Obama promised the voters change but has started his Cabinet selection process by naming several Washington insiders to top posts.


Obama is enlisting former Senate leader Tom Daschle as his health secretary. Hillary Rodham Clinton, a well-known Washington personality, seemed more likely than ever to be his secretary of state. Clinton is deciding whether to take that post as America's top diplomat, her associates said Wednesday

Obama is ready to announce that his attorney general will be Eric Holder, the Justice Department's No. 2 when Clinton's husband was president. Rahm Emanuel, Obama's chief of staff, is another veteran of the Clinton White House.

Daschle's selection to head the Health and Human Services Department—confirmed Wednesday but not yet announced—isn't at the same level of Cabinet prestige as the top spots at the State and Justice departments. But the health post could be more important in an Obama administration than in some others, making Daschle a key player in helping steer the president-elect's promised health care reforms.

Daschle could push Obama for quick action on health care reform next year, if he follows his own advice.

Daschle said efforts during the Clinton administration, led by Hillary Clinton, took too long and went into too much detail, giving every interest group an opportunity to find something they didn't like about the plan.

"The next president should act immediately to capitalize on the goodwill that greets any incoming administration. If that means attaching a health-care plan to the federal budget, so be it," Daschle wrote in a book he released this year, "Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis." "This issue is too important to be stalled by Senate protocol."

The former South Dakota senator's return to the government will be a vindication of sorts. He was the Senate Democratic leader when he was defeated in 2004 by Republican John Thune, who convinced voters back home that Daschle was more concerned with Washington than with them.

In fact, Daschle stayed in the capital city after his defeat, becoming a public policy adviser and member of the legislative and public policy group at the law and lobbying firm Alston & Bird. Daschle isn't registered as a lobbyist. He advises clients on issues including health care, financial services, taxes and trade, according to the firm's Web site.

Health care interests, including CVS Caremark, the National Association for Home Care and Hospice, Abbott Laboratories and HealthSouth, are among the firm's lobbying clients.

Daschle's appointment was not formally announced, but Democratic officials said the job was his barring an unforeseen problem as Obama's team reviews his background. One area of review will include the lobbying connections of his wife, Linda Hall Daschle, who has worked mostly on behalf of airline-related companies over the years. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
Republicans sniped at what they saw as an unwelcome trend. Alex Conant, spokesman for the Republican National Committee, said, "Barack Obama is filling his administration with longtime Washington insiders."

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Liberals are people that will believe anything twice.

makes no difference whether its a espanic or afro carribean or a puerto rican president. theres still gonna be unemployment homelessness and credit crunches. and all the other sh#t where in now. as they say "same sh#t just another day."

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"5TON3D AGA1N"
peace

Vi, start looking at the big picture. He is bringing the division in the government a little closer, something we should be doing on this site.

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Life is good, the water is sweet. The ground keeps moving beneath my feet.

Yes, he IS bringing the "division in the government" a little closer and that's the problem.

What I, and other conservatives want is for a president not to bring government divisions closer, but to spread them apart as far as possible. You know, like in separation of powers ... the Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch and the Judicial Branch.

Somehow, I don't think that's what you meant though.

Vi

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Liberals are people that will believe anything twice.

Hey, I think he'll even do that. I'm pretty sure he'll rescind much of the Bush Power thingys, and expect some cooperation on getting his agendas passed. The best thing about an Obama presidency is he has a chance to replace three supreme court judges, and I believe he'll try and pick moderates that could go either way on decisions, unlike McCain that would have filled the positions with right wing zealots.

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Life is good, the water is sweet. The ground keeps moving beneath my feet.

The problem with this, Med ... is that you would consider Earl Warren and Ruth Bader Ginsberg to be moderates.

Vi

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Liberals are people that will believe anything twice.

Not exactly but you must admit, they have been the major opposition to a full on Nazi court. Thank God McCain didn't get to elect 3 more right wing wonks. Maybe we can restore some of our rights lost under the Nazi court of Bush appointees. Ya, don't ask, you know.

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Life is good, the water is sweet. The ground keeps moving beneath my feet.

Have any credible evidence that he intends on doing so, or is this just a "hunch" Med?

No he doesn't. nor does Vi.... You'll have to wait until he is actually in office.

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The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it. United State Constitution, Art. I Sec. 9 Par. 2

"Dissent is the Highest form of Patriotism" -- Howard Zinn

Agreed, but one can't deny that his administration is beginning to look an awful lot like...

"Clinton Administration:The Sequel"...yes?

Starting to look like a rerun to me.