More news from the transition …
Senior Advisor to the President: David Axelrod. Que sorpresa!
White House Counsel: Gregory Craig. Discussed here.
Staff Secretary: Lisa Brown. A former counsel to the Vice President under Al Gore, Brown was most recently executive director of the American Constitution Society, essentially the liberal answer to the Federalist Society. The position of staff secretary involves managing the president’s paperwork and communication; it’s not a lightweight job and requires a light touch and the ability to manage competing agendas. One former White House staff secretary? Current transition head John Podesta held the job during Bill Clinton’s first term.
Cabinet Secretary: Chris Lu. Now the executive director of the transition, Lu was Obama’s legislative director in the Senate and had worked for Henry Waxman’s House Government Oversight committee. He is also, I believe, a former law school classmate of the president-elect. The cabinet secretary job is similar to the staff secretary but involves policy coordination between various executive agencies.
–Tim Fernholz
