transition team news stories on Newser

Google to Help Congress Become More Efficient?

Matt Cantor — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 09:59:55 CST

Google’s CEO made a stop at the House Republican transition office days after the election—but not to talk politics. In a discussion centered around upping Congressional efficiency, Eric Schmidt spoke with GOP transition head Greg Walden, explaining how Google could help Congress by making it possible to edit bills...

Obama Transition Not So Flawless After All

Nick McMaster — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:52:01 CST

News coverage has so far given the impression that Barack Obama’s transition is one of the smoothest, best-executed in history. But with a number of recent blunders grabbing headlines, the administration’s image is coming back down to earth, writes Ed Morrissey for Hot Air. “Most transitions feel embarrassed by one...

Google Will Have the President's Ear

Rob Quinn — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 05:30:00 CST

Google may be the company that needs to do the least searching for influence with the new president, reports the Los Angeles Times . The company was one of the biggest contributors to Barack Obama's candidacy, and four Google execs were on the transition team. The search giant's agenda—widening high-speed...

Bill, Gore, Rubin Guide Obama in Spirit

Matt Cantor — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 09:30:36 CST

Three of Barack Obama’s most important advisers will accompany him to the Oval Office only in spirit, Gerald Seib writes in the Wall Street Journal : Bill Clinton, Al Gore, and Robert Rubin. In leaving behind a healthy record as Democratic building blocks, the Clinton years left Obama “what we didn’t...

Obama Staffers Stocking Up on Midnight Oil

Sarah Quinn — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 11:11:01 CST

The early-bird White House of the Bush administration is almost history, Politico reports. Unlike President Bush, who was usually out the door by 6pm, President-elect Obama’s staffers are expecting long, late hours to match their heavy workload. The Obama team is already working on ways to keep workers in touch...

Holder Pushed Clemency for Puerto Rican Militants

Matt Cantor — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 12:36:38 CST

Barack Obama’s attorney-general nominee fought for clemency for 16 militant Puerto Rican nationalists during his time in the Clinton administration, the Los Angeles Times reports. Eric Holder pushed Justice Department subordinates to pave the way to Clinton’s clemency grant, documents show, sparking fury from law-enforcement officials who’d tackled a US...

Richardson Camp Mum to Vetters on Pay-to-Play

Kevin Spak — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:42:00 CST

Bill Richardson’s sudden exit from the prospective Obama Cabinet is causing some Democrats to question the transition team’s vetting process. Sources tell Politico that Richardson evaded the team’s questions about the “pay-to-play” investigation he cited as his reason for backing out. The investigation has been public since August. “Those guys...

More Deja Vu: Betty Currie on Obama Team

Nick McMaster — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 11:24:51 CST

Yet another link with the Clinton White House: Betty Currie, the secretary to Bill Clinton who became embroiled in the Monica Lewinsky scandal, has rolled up her sleeves and is now manning the phones for John Podesta, the co-chairman of Obama’s transition team and former Clinton chief of staff, the...

White House Preps Crisis Scenarios for Obama Team

Rob Quinn — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 06:15:00 CST

The White House has drawn up more than a dozen contingency plans to help Barack Obama if a crisis erupts early in his presidency, the New York Times reports. The briefings go way beyond what other administrations have prepared and deal with potential threats ranging from a North Korean nuclear...