by Kate Epstein
Opinion Editor
     At the close of this historic election, as the buzz dies down and people settle back into their regular routine, the question emerges: What will happen next? Barack Obama is the President-Elect with Joseph Biden as his vice-president.  Obama is surrounding himself with seasoned Washington D.C. insiders from both sides of the aisle as he selects his cabinet and key positions for his upcoming term. 

     The day after the election Obama was already announcing members of his team. He asked Democratic Congressman Rahm Emanuel to fill the pivotal role of chief of staff. Emanuel served in the Clinton White House and is the fourth highest-ranking member in the House of Representatives. The chief of staff, although not a cabinet member, is arguably the most important member of the White House Team, with many managerial and advisory responsibilities. 

    Obama’s most interesting and gossip-generating nominee so far however is Senator Hillary Clinton as secretary of state. His announcement of her selection followed weeks of negotiation, reportedly involving disclosure of former President Bill Clinton’s previously private donor list for the Clinton Foundation.

    Obama has gone on to select a culturally and politically diverse team. Reaching out to a Republican, Obama asked President George W. Bush's Pentagon chief, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, to stay on after he becomes president. Gates, previous to becoming the 22nd Secretary of Defense, spent 26 years in the CIA and served with the US Air Force. Another Democratic rival Governor Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico, has been nominated as Commerce Secretary.   He also announced Eric Holder, senior legal advisor to Obama, as attorney general.  He is a former Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and if confirmed will be the first African-American Attorney General of the United States. Other selections include Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano as secretary of Homeland Security and former Marine General James Jones as national security advisor. Some members of his slate—including Clinton, Gates and Jones—are considered much more hawkish than the President Elect.  Obama has also reportedly chosen former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle as health and human services secretary. 

    Obama said all of his appointees share a “core vision of what’s needed to keep the American people safe and to assure prosperity here at home and peace abroad.”

    On the economic front, Obama has chosen three protégés of his advisor, former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin. These include Timothy Geithner as Secretary of the Treasury, Lawrence Summers as director of the National Economics Council and Peter Orszag as director of the Office of Management and Budget. Rounding out his economic team will be Christina Romer as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. She is an economist at the University of California at Berkeley  Geithner is president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and a former Treasury official. Summers is a former Treasury Secretary. Orszag is currently serving as Congress’s budget director. With these appointments Obama hopes to diminish fears of continued economic hardship and stop the stock market’s volatile swings.

    With all these strong egos and diverse views on his team will Obama face a constant battle of wills and leaks in the White House? Not according to the President-Elect. "I assembled this team because I'm a strong believer in strong personalities and strong opinions," Obama said. "I think that's how the best decisions are made. One of the dangers in the White House, based on my reading of history, is that you get wrapped up in groupthink, and everyone agrees with everything, and there is no discussion, and there are no dissenting views. So, I am going to be welcoming a vigorous debate in the White House."

    “Even so,” he added, "understand that I will be setting policy in the White House."

    In a move that will elevate the importance of the U.N. ambassador, Obama is restoring the post to his cabinet. Clinton was the last president to include that post in his cabinet. Obama’s pick for U.N. ambassador is his campaign foreign policy adviser Susan Rice. She served as President Clinton’s top Africa aide. She is a strong defender of human rights and has called for action, including military force if necessary against mass killings.
"The global challenges we face demand global institutions that work," Obama said, calling the U.N. "an indispensable, if imperfect, forum."

    At press time Obama had picked half his cabinet. But the question remains whether Obama’s cabinet picks will be given a pass or face a fight in the Senate for confirmation. There is some buzz that Napolitano may face vigorous questioning over her actions on immigration as governor of Arizona.
The speed at which Obama will be up and running depends on the Senate since approximately 1,100 positions require Senate approval by a simple majority (51 Senators). All 15 Cabinet secretaries, as well as federal judges and ambassadors require Senate confirmation.

(Sources: Time, USA Today, San Jose Mercury News)