While President-Elect Obama's cabinet is starting to take shape with several big names reportedly slotted for top jobs, Obama has also been filling out the list of people who will be on his White House staff. Here's a round-up:
Having named Timothy Geithner as his Treasury Secretary, The Wall Street Journal says that Lawrence Summers, who was Treasury Secretary towards the end of the Clinton administration, will be director of Obama's National Economic Council. Summers had been on the short list for Treasury Secretary and was a mentor of Geithner.
The Obama transition team announced:
Robert Gibbs will be the White House press secretary. Gibbs had been communications director for Obama's Senate race and held the same job in Obama's Senate office.
Ellen Moran will be Director of Communications. She comes from Emily's List where she oversaw the national staff and charts the overall strategic direction of the organization, which is dedicated to electing women to office.
Dan Pfeiffer will be Deputy Director of Communications. He began on Obama's presidential campaign in January 2007 as the traveling press secretary before returning to Chicago to manage the transition press operation as Communications Director.
David Axelrod, Obama's chief strategist during the campaign, will be Senior Advisor to the President. The New York Times described him this way: "Every politician has a guardian angel, and every presidential hopeful has a right-hand dispenser of wisdom. Yet in the trio of top strategists around Mr. Obama, including Robert Gibbs, a senior communications adviser, and David Plouffe, the campaign manager, it is Mr. Axelrod who has been at Mr. Obama's side the longest and has the most interwoven relationship with him."
Greg Craig will be White House Counsel. He's another import from the Clinton administration where he served as Assistant to the President and Special Counsel.
Christopher Lu will be Cabinet Secretary. He was Legislative Director and Acting Chief of Staff in Obama's Senate office, as well as a policy advisor during the presidential campaign.
Patrick Gaspard will be Director of the Office of Political Affairs. Previously, Gaspard served as the Executive Vice President of Politics and Legislation for Local 1199 SEIU, United Healthcare Workers East, the largest local union in America, where he helped coordinate political activity and government relations on behalf of 300,000 members.
Jackie Norris will be Chief of Staff to First Lady Michelle Obama. Norris joined Obama's presidential campaign in January 2007 and served as the Iowa Senior Advisor during the caucus campaign, later serving as the Iowa State Director for the successful 2008 general election campaign.
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