Much has been made of President Barack Obama’s assemblage of “a team of rivals†for his first-term cabinet. Political observers compare his choices of Joe Biden for vice president and Hillary Clinton for secretary of state–fierce competitors for the Democratic presidential nomination–as an indication of the same political genius President Abraham Lincoln demonstrated when he selected political opponents to serve in his administration 148 years ago.
Grappling with a nation divided by civil war and the issue of slavery, Lincoln wanted access to the country’s best minds to help him preserve the Union. He believed he would receive candid, straightforward advice from his critics. It is true that Obama has taken a page from his political hero’s book, but his cabinet and White House staff represent so much more.
Consider them the Obama Dream Team, a diverse cadre of accomplished, well-educated public servants–many of whom served in the Clinton administration–equipped to take on America’s unprecedented economic, national security, and environmental challenges. We offer this snapshot of Obama’s White House staff and cabinet-level choices, looking at them through the lens of his policy priorities. (As of press time, a commerce secretary had not yet been chosen.)
WHITE HOUSE
Name: Joseph Biden
Position: Vice President
Past Positions: Six-term U.S. senator from Delaware; Democratic presidential candidate
Value: One of the nation’s influential policy leaders dealing with foreign affairs, terrorism, drug policy, and crime; he will lead a new task force aimed at helping “working families.â€
Name: Rahm Emanuel
Position: Chief of Staff
Past Positions: Three-term U.S. Congressman representing Illinois’ 5th Congressional District; fourth highest-ranking Democrat in the House; Senior Adviser to President Clinton
Value: Nicknamed “Rahmbo†for his aggressive, in-your-face style, Emanuel’s ability to get things done and his insider’s knowledge of Congress is expected to be a huge asset–especially in getting Obama’s economic stimulus plan enacted.
Name: Valerie Jarrett
Position: Senior Adviser and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Relations and Public Liaison
Past Positions: CEO, The Habitat Co., a Chicago-based real estate development firm; Chairman, Chicago Stock Exchange; Chairman, Chicago Transit Authority
Value: A close friend, confidante, and mentor, Jarrett brings years of political skill and business acumen to a post in which she will work closely with state and local government officials.
Name: David Axelrod
Position: Senior Adviser
Past Position: Chief Strategist for Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign; Senior Partner, AKP&D Message and Media
Value: Considered a keen observer and political genius, this trusted adviser will fiercely protect Obama’s image, message, and the integrity of his proposals.
Name: Greg Craig
Position: White House Counsel
Past Position: Partner, Williams & Connolly law firm; Special White House Counsel for President Clinton
Value: The only attorney to represent a president (Clinton) as well as a would-be assassin of a president (John Hinkley, who shot Ronald Reagan), this ultimate Washington insider is a foreign policy maven who can nimbly maneuver through a maze of complex legal and political issues.
ECONOMIC RECOVERY TEAM
Name: Timothy Geithner
Position: Secretary of the Treasury
Past Positions: President & CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of New York; Undersecretary of the Treasury for International Affairs (Clinton administration)
Value: As New York Fed Chief, Geithner has participated in such industry-saving acts as the sale of Bear Stearns to JPMorgan Chase and the multibillion-dollar rescue of AIG. Also, he’s an experienced hand at Treasury, having worked for five secretaries.
Name: Lawrence H. Summers
Position: Director, National Economic Council
Past Positions: President, Harvard University; Treasury Secretary (Clinton administration)
Value: Known for his fierce intellect, Summers has been a staunch proponent of the use of government spending to jolt the economy and has been at the forefront of the development of Obama’s economic stimulus package.
Name: Peter R. Orszag
Position: White House Budget Director
Past Positions: Director of Congressional Budget Office; Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution
Value: Orszag has operated the nonpartisan CBO, the agency charged with providing objective analysis and data on economic trends and budgetary issues, and knows the federal budget cold. He comes to his new position with expertise in pensions, taxes, Social Security, homeland security, and health policy.
Name: Tom Daschle
Position: Secretary of Health & Human Services
Past Positions: U.S. Senate Majority Leader
Value: A 26-year congressional veteran, this South Dakota politician is expected to apply his passion for healthcare reform as well as his relationships and knowledge of the Senate to gain support for Obama’s ambitious programs.
Name: Shaun Donovan
Position: Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Past Positions: Commissioner, New York Department of Housing Preservation and Development
Value: With two decades of experience, Donovan has effectively managed a multibillion-dollar HUD subsidy program during his years with the Clinton administration as well as in New York City’s mammoth affordable housing program.
Name: Hilda Solis
Position: Secretary of Labor
Past Positions: Four-term Democratic Representative of California; California State Senator
Value: A favorite with organized labor, she has served as a strong advocate for low-wage workers and supported legislation making it easier to unionize workers. A huge plus for the Obama camp is her close relationship with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Name: Ray LaHood
Position: Secretary of Transportation
Past Positions: Seven-term Republican Congressman from Illinois
Value: A centrist Republican, LaHood has spent his career in government dealing with transportation issues, including his participation on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He shares Obama’s philosophy that government spending jump-starts economic growth.
Name: Ron Kirk
Position: U.S. Trade Representative
Past Positions: Mayor of Dallas
Value: A free-trade advocate, Kirk fully understands the impact of global partnerships on economic development and job creation. He helped produce 45,000 additional jobs through his involvement in developing the North American Free Trade Agreement.
NATIONAL SECURITY TEAM
Name: Hillary Rodham Clinton
Position: Secretary of State
Past Positions: Junior U.S. senator from New York; First Lady of the United States
Value: Obama’s most tenacious rival for the Democratic nomination, Clinton gained foreign policy bona fides through her involvement on the Senate Armed Services Committee. She reportedly plans to expand the State Department’s portfolio of diplomatic activities to include a special focus on economic matters.
Name: Robert M. Gates
Position: Secretary of Defense
Past Positions:
Value: The first Pentagon Chief to serve two consecutive administrations, Gates has his hand on the pulse of Obama’s major national security challenges. In addition to managing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Gates will contend with conflicts with Iran and Russia.
Name: Susan Rice
Position: U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
Past Positions: Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution; Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (Clinton administration)
Value: One of Obama’s leading foreign policy advisers during the campaign, Rice offers breadth of experience in foreign policy and the global economy. Hers will be a powerful voice against acts of genocide such as those in the Darfur region of Sudan, among other issues.
Name: Janet Napolitano
Position: Secretary of Homeland Security
Past Positions: Two-term Governor of the state of Arizona; Attorney General of Arizona
Value: Lauded as one of the nation’s best governors, Napolitano has been a leading advocate for federal protection of the nation’s borders. In her new role, she will utilize her leadership skills to overhaul a sprawling agency charged with securing institutions against terrorism and responding to natural and manmade disasters.
Name: Eric K. Shinseki
Position: Secretary of Veteran Affairs
Past Positions: Chief of Staff of the Army
Value: In his previous post, this Vietnam War veteran developed revolutionary programs to modernize the Army as well as make soldiers more effective in urban terrain. He presciently advocated an increased deployment of troops in Iraq–a position that led to his public clash with then Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.
Name: James L. Jones
Position: National Security Adviser
Past Positions: Supreme Allied Commander, Europe
Value: Jones possesses a diplomatic management style and a knack for coalition building that served him well as commander of all NATO military forces. During the campaign, it was Jones, a four-star general, who briefed Obama on the status of American and allied involvement in Afghanistan.
LAW & EDUCATION
Name: Eric Holder
Position: Attorney General
Past Positions: Partner, Covington & Burling L.L.P.; Deputy Attorney General (Clinton administration)
Value:
Name: Arne Duncan
Position: Secretary of Education
Past Positions: Chief Executive Officer, Chicago Public Schools; Director, Ariel Education Initiative
Value: Since 2001, he’s overseen the nation’s third-largest school system that services more than 400,000 students. Through his consensus-building management style, he’s increased state test scores, boosted graduation rates, opened new schools, and built strong relationships with teachers’ unions.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Name: Steven Chu
Position: Secretary of Energy
Past Positions: Lab Director, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Value: Chu, who won the Nobel Prize in physics in 1997, built a solid reputation for the management of research teams on climate change, advanced biofuels, solar power, and energy efficiency. To develop and fund such projects, he created successful public-private partnerships.
Name: Ken Salazar
Position: Secretary of the Interior
Past Positions: Democratic senator from Colorado; Colorado Attorney General
Value: Cited for his political pragmatism, Salazar will seek to strike a balance between focusing on the preservation of public land and endangered species and the creation of new energy sources and climate change.
Name: Tom Vilsack
Position: Secretary of Agriculture
Past Positions: Two-term Governor of Iowa
Value: Another candidate for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, Vilsack is an expert in agriculture policy. He believes rural America can undergo an industrial and economic transformation through the discovery of renewable energy sources, and he will use his political capital to make it happen.
Name: Lisa P. Jackson
Position: Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
Past Positions: Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Value: In her previous role, the former chemical engineer was an activist regulator that developed a program to reduce carbon emissions as well as ordered compliance investigations to stop polluters from ravaging urban hubs.