Retired Army Gen. Eric Shinseki will head the Veterans Affairs
department in the Obama administration. Shinseki served 38 years in the
Army, and was chief of staff from 1999 until his retirement in 2003.
“Throughout his nearly four
decades in the U.S. Army, he won the respect and admiration of our men
and women in uniform because they have always been his highest
priority,” President-elect Obama said. “He has always stood
on principle – because he has always stood with our troops. And he will
bring that same sense of duty and commitment to ensuring that we treat
our veterans with the care and dignity they deserve.”
Posted by Michael Hardy on Dec 10, 2008 at 12:12 PM0 comments
Change.gov has a very helpful list
of the Obama-Biden transition team leaders, broken down by topic area.
The main page lists them all; clicking a particular category, such as
"Government Operations Team Leads," brings up detailed biographies of
the individuals on the team.
So far, Obama's doing a superior job of keeping his promises of
transparency. The page isn't new, but it's updated and current and
provides a valuable resource to anyone interested in keeping tabs on
who's running the show.
Posted by Michael Hardy on Dec 08, 2008 at 12:12 PM0 comments
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson will head the Commerce Department in the Barack Obama administration, Reuters reports.
Richardson is a former United Nations ambassador and energy secretary, and threw his support behind Obama after ending his own White House bid earlier this year.
Reuters, citing a "senior Democratic source," reported that Obama will officially announce the appointment at a Wednesday press conference.
Posted by Michael Hardy on Dec 02, 2008 at 12:12 PM0 comments
Although President-elect Barack Obama has asked Defense Secretary Robert Gates to stay at his post in the Obama administration, the Washington Post reports that Gates' top deputies probably won't be similarly holding fast.
In particular, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England is expected to leave, the Post reports, citing unnamed sources. The DOD's four undersecretaries are also likely to be gone after Jan. 20, 2009, according to the article.
Some of the leaders of military branches, notably Air Force Secretary Michael Donley, may stay on, however. Meanwhile, the paper reports that the Obama transition team will announce new DOD appointments to replace the departing officials. The announcement is expected before Christmas.
Updated 4:37 p.m.
England has confirmed his plans to step down after Obama takes office. In a statement released today, England said:
"I congratulate President-Elect Obama for retaining Bob Gates as secretary, and I salute Bob Gates for his continued commitment. However, it's time for me to leave. When I came into government in early 2001, I anticipated serving for two to four years. After almost eight years, it's now time for me to turn over the reins to a successor. Also, it's most appropriate for the new administration to name its own deputy."
England said he would stay in office beyond Inauguration Day if requested, in order to ensure a smooth transition.
Posted by Michael Hardy on Dec 02, 2008 at 12:12 PM0 comments