Obama wants young and diverse administration

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From Fazle Rashid
NEW YORK, Nov 6: US President-Elect Barack Obama remained out of public sight yesterday after making history the day before but worked hard behind the scene to build a strong team that would carry forward his ideas of a "New America".
His transition team comprises John D. Podesta, former White House chief of staff during Clinton administration, Ms. Valerie Jarret, a long time friend and advisor and Pete Rouse, his senate chief of staff.
President Bush vowed to work closely with his successor Obama to ensure a smooth transition. President-elect Obama will be inaugurated on January 20. President Bush told reporters, "I know millions of people will be overcome with pride at this inspiring moment that so many have awaited so long."
Obama has offered the post of the White House Chief of Staff to Rahm Emanuel, fourth ranking House Democrat. Emanuel is aspiring to be the next speaker of the House of Representative. He wields enormous influence on the Capitol Hill and is reported to be in two minds about the offer.
Obama will have two Republicans in his cabinet. One of them will be Defence Secretary Robert Gates.
The most crucial position in Obama cabinet will be the Treasury Secretary. The job could go to Lawrence Summers who held the same office under Bill Clinton or Timothy Geithner, chairman of the New York Fed. Obama wants an administration that is young and diverse. It will be a mingling of youth with experience.
President-elect was showered with effusive laudatory calls from the heads of the government from across the world. The world leaders rejoiced his victory. Nicolas Sarkozy, president of France said, 'with world in turmoil and doubt, the American people have expressed with force their faith in progress and the future. Russia's president Dmitry Medvedev, struck a discordant note warning the US president-elect that Moscow would put a missile station at a site bordering Poland where US has its missile site.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made a surprise appearance at state department's daily briefing to congratulate Barack Obama. She, like all African-Americans, have been overwhelmed by Obama's stunning runaway victory. She said: 'As an African-American, I am specially proud because this is a country that has been through a long journey in terms of overcoming the wounds and making race not the factor in our lives". She went on to add: "That work is not done but yesterday (Nov 4) was obviously an extraordinary step forward".
With election now behind them Bush and Obama teams began the delicate 76-day transition till inauguration. The General Service turned over 120,000 square feet office space to Obama transition team.
President-elect Obama and Vice-President elect Joseph Biden will receive an intelligence briefing from Mike McConnell, director of the national intelligence and thereafter each morning by a pair of CIA officials.
Senator John Kerry, Democratic Party presidential candidate in 2004 is being tipped for the all important post of the secretary of state. Although Vice-President is the number two man in the US administration the most important post is that of the secretary of state who always remains in focus. Kerry gave Obama the platform at the Democratic Party national convention in 2004 where Obama electrified America with his eloquence that vaulted him to fame.
James Steinberg, a former deputy national security advisor and Gregory Craig, a former state department official are being tipped for the position of the national security advisor. Ms Susan Rice is being tipped to be US ambassador to the UN.
President Bush has invited his successor Barack Hossain Obama to visit him at the White House. Obama aides said the president-elect has no immediate plans to travel to Washington and work on his cabinet from Chicago
But bad news for the G20 leaders is that the president-elect does not intend to attend the coming summit billed for Nov 14-15. This is an indication that he may not own the decision arrived at the summit. Obama, however, is likely to meet some visiting leaders over a dinner or at a reception.
Euphoria surrounding Obama's victory failed to boost the markets as increasing gloom over the outlook for the global economy saw a broad retreat. Down Jones lost 5.27 points and FTSE closed down 2.3 per cent.
Reuters adds: President-elect Barack Obama, who will inherit the worst financial crisis in decades when he takes office, is expected to announce his pick for some key economic jobs soon and may reveal his Treasury Secretary selection as early as Thursday.

Timothy Geithner, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers and former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker are among those being considered for the Treasury post.
After an election victory on Tuesday that will make him the first black U.S. president, Obama also appeared to be getting close to announcing his chief of staff.
Amid the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, Obama wants to move quickly to be prepared to handle a probable recession and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Obama's office is maintaining secrecy on the transition, which is occurring in the 11 weeks before January 20, when he will be sworn in as successor to President George W. Bush.
Whoever gets the Treasury job will be faced with guiding the $700 billion economic bailout package and the regulatory reform needed to prevent a repeat of the current crisis.
In addition to Geithner, Summers and Volcker, the short list for Treasury includes former Clinton administration adviser Laura Tyson.
Obama could soon announce other economic posts as well. Likely to end up in top advisory roles are University of Chicago economist Austan Goolsbee and Jason Furman, a former economic adviser to President Clinton.
Barack Obama will bring a careful, deliberative style to the White House that differs from President George W. Bush's tendency to rely more heavily on his gut instincts.
Critics of the 47-year-old Illinois senator credit him with having run a highly effective campaign that was marked by discipline and organization and honed by his long battle against Hillary Clinton to win the Democratic nomination.