PRESUMABLY FRANK LANGELLA PLAYS HIM IN THE MOVIE?:

Experience Reigns, Not 'Change': Obama Draws Heavily on Clinton Era and Congress for Appointees; Daschle Gets HHS (LAURA MECKLER and JONATHAN WEISMAN, 11/20/08, Wall Street Journal)

President-elect Barack Obama campaigned on the slogan of "change." But his early appointees, including two top choices that emerged Wednesday, show that experience is one of his main criteria.

His choice for secretary of Health and Human Services, officials said, is former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, who has a long Washington résumé. Jacob Lew, one of President Bill Clinton's budget directors, is favored to direct the National Economic Council.

The latest transition news highlighted the three personnel pools supplying Mr. Obama with his picks. Most prominent are Clinton administration veterans -- including, possibly, former first lady Hillary Clinton for secretary of state. Some high-profile appointments are also long-serving members and staff from Capitol Hill. Then there are the influential Chicagoans -- a group that seems smaller than the hometown crowd that usually accompanies a new president to Washington.

Linking them all is Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, who has played prominent roles in each group.

If a chief of staff is never lacking in power potential, Mr. Emanuel's personal ambitions and lack of any debt or reason for loyalty to Mr. Obama could make him the most powerful chief ever. The developing notion that these people all owe their jobs to him and not the President will only enhance his status. It's easy to see the eventual dust-up between Mr. Obama and Mr. Emanuel coming.

Posted by Orrin Judd at November 19, 2008 10:24 PM