Obama wants McDonough for Chief of Staff

[No Elephants]

Published: Jan. 16, 2013 at 7:54 PM

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama plans to name deputy national security adviser Denis McDonough as his next chief of staff, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

Obama is expected next week to announce McDonough, arguably his closest foreign policy aide, as his choice to succeed White House Chief of Staff Jacob Lew, his nominee for treasury secretary.

Former Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., told the Times McDonough will face "a new set of challenges."

"He has an extraordinarily close relationship with the president. What the president wants is a fairly tightly knit, cohesive team that he trusts, rather than to bring in people who would have to learn anew his style and positions," Daschle said.

McDonough, 43, worked for Daschle before joining Obama's team when he was a U.S. senator from Illinois.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2013/01/16/Obama-wants-McDonough-as-chief-of-staff/UPI-31951358384077/#ixzz2IDsJNgiQ


I won't say anything about diversity. I won't say anything about binders of women. I just won't. Don't ask me. Don't try to make me.

[Enthusiast]

1. An extraordinarily close relationship with the president?

Geesh. Well he's the guy, then.

[No Elephants]

2. Mixed feelings.

I believe the chief of staff should be someone whom the president trusts implicitly.

On the other hand, this was the president who made a show of carrying around Doris Kearns Goodwin's book about how Lincoln chose people for his cabinet who opposed Lincoln.

Then, there was Hillary, Secretary of State, arguably the most powerful in government after the POTUS. But Hillary is only one white woman and it was pretty obvious that they made a deal after the primaries in which State or V.P. was part of her deal. (Biden was offered his choice of both jobs, but his wife chose VP because of all the traveling State would have required of him. So, either Hillary indicated willingness to accept either positions, or first choice to Biden was part of the deal. After all, Biden was the only one of the three who, in 2008, had foreign policy cred.)

People also point to Valerie Jarrett, who is supposedly Obama's closest and most trusted advisor.

And to the fact that the people Obama nominated in 2008 were the most diverse group in history. (iThe same was true of George W. Bush eight years earlier, so Obama had only to go Bush one better-literally--in order to make the same claim.)

However, Hillary aside, the majority of the very positions in the Obama administration with the most power and the most prestige have gone to white males, and Republican or former Republican white males at that. This was pointed out to Cory Booker on one the this past weekend's talk shows. His response was to take objection to characterizing one postion as more important than another and Gregory did not have the presence of mind to follow up. The reality is that some are more equal than others. Besides, prestige is an issue, and, as to prestige, perception is almost 100% of the deal. So, Cory Booker was either naive or bsing.

Also, people point out that, in his first term, Obama at least gave lip service to surrounding himself with people who opposed him (not an easy thing for any President to do, no matter how hard he or she tries--I don't think it's our nature to bite the hand that feeds us and the office does engender awe. This time, though, he seems determined to surround himself with "yes" people and fans.

[No Elephants]

3. P.S. I just looked at McDonough's wiki. Most sparse wiki i've seen in a long time

for someone at that level.