Obama Hires Progressive Liaison For Transition Team

Veteran Democratic official Mike Lux has been tapped by Barack Obama to serve as an adviser and progressive liaison during the transition period, the Huffington Post has learned.

Lux, who worked on the Clinton administration transition efforts in 1992, confirmed the hiring but, citing a need for clearance, declined to offer further information.

The staffing move provides the Obama team with an important outlet to the progressive community -- a constituency from which the president-elect currently enjoys great support but one that has a wide range of priorities and will be holding Obama most firmly to his campaign promises once he takes office.

After working in the Clinton White House on issues ranging from health care and the budget to school lunch policy, he founded Progressive Strategies LLC and began writing for the site OpenLeft.com in July 2007. He also helped co-found a number of progressive institutions including: Americans United for Change, Center for Progressive Leadership, Grassroots Democrats, Progressive Majority, Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, and Women's Voices/Women Vote. He writes for the Huffington Post.

Related: Comprehensive coverage of Obama's transition

Comments

[canucklivinginUSA]

04:41 PM on 11/16/2008

I find it funny how Americans like to cling to ideologies. You guys like ridiculed the people on the right who cling to their ideologies, yet you do the same. In Canada(excluding Quebec and its secessionist movement), we do not cling to any ideologies. If I was still living there, I would not characterize myself as Liberal or Conservative or Green or New Democrat, but would characterize myself as Independent thinkers like all Canadians do. We vote for the party that fits our need not for the party that is most ideological. DEATH TO IDEOLOGY!!!

[canucklivinginUSA]

04:35 PM on 11/16/2008

OMG, the hippies are rampant on these f'ing blog!!! Naomi Klein can suck a big one, she is one of those conspiracy theorist that have watch Zeitgeist movie too many times! Yes, lets alienate the rest of America who view themselves as pragmatic and more centrist and lets see if Obama will get elected again in 2012!

[azbernie]

08:33 PM on 11/12/2008

LUX:
PLEASE DO NOT RECOMMEND NAPOLITANO, UNLESS YOU TALK WITH AZ LAW ENFORCEMENT AND I.C.E. . SHE DOES NOT CARE ABOUT ANYTHING BUT HER OWN ADVANCEMENT IN HER CARREER. IF YOU PICK HER IT SHOWS A VERY NEGLIGENT BACK GROUND INVESTIGATION AND THE OBAMA WILL PICK ANY LOSER TO FILL A HOLE. YOU CAN FILL A HOLE WITH A HOLE.
IT MAKES AZ PEOPLE CRINGE THAT SHE COULD BE AN ATTORNEY GENERAL. SHE CAN NOT EVEN TAKE OF OUT BORDERS AND IS A BLEEDING HEART FOR ILLEGALS AND CRIMINALS.

[canucklivinginUSA]

04:21 PM on 11/16/2008

keep your voice down stupid

[tyrdofwaitin]

08:24 AM on 11/11/2008

I've never heard of this guy, but maybe Obama knows something I don't. A PROGRESSIVE LIASON!
Have you ever heard anything like that before? Go Obama!

[nick53]

05:50 AM on 11/11/2008

I've never heard of these people :-(

[Indubio]

11:49 PM on 11/10/2008

For give me but who the f*** us Mike Lux? Ad I am sick to death of further talk that the Clinton's had or have anything whatsoever to do with progressive values. The closest any Clinton came to any progressive ideas was Hillary's 1992-94 efforts regards health care. Bill Clinton legitimized Reaganomics and did more than any individual to kill what remained of the left's New Deal coalition so kindly give me a break about the Clinton's and progressives. If Lux did anything it was to keep progressives in line while Clinton went about the business of the DLC. Screw Mike Lux.

[speckitis]

12:59 AM on 11/11/2008

Please clarify.... How did Bill Clinton legitimize trickle-down Reaganomics? Honest question....

[canucklivinginUSA]

04:23 PM on 11/16/2008

Tell me, what is so wrong with being a centrist? I do not understand the Clinton hate on this board, it is beyond me. 8 years of economic success and peace as opposed of 8 years of fear and condemnation, how is that bad?!!! No one on this fooking board as ever address this issue to me

[truelie]

11:41 PM on 11/10/2008

Barack will never forget us grassroots. We are his pals, as Sarkozy would put it.

[nazirmo]

10:51 PM on 11/10/2008

Go to this website
http://change.gov/

and write to Barack Obama to make Hillary Clinton the Secretary of State and Health.
She would do well in those positions. Health Insurance of everyone was dear to her and she has travelled the world and knows the leaders. On the website above you can write your comments to the
those in charge of transition.

[speckitis]

01:07 AM on 11/11/2008

Hillary would be an awesome Secretary of State. That's a no-brainer in my opinion. Her appointment to that position would further confirm to the world that we're serious about working with, as opposed to against/inspite of the rest of the world.

[Bettysdad]

01:38 AM on 11/11/2008

Why would you chose as Secretary of State a person whose career has been devoted primarily to domestic issues such as children, poverty, and health care?

Hillary herself would most likely say it's a dumb idea.

[ckfan]

06:03 AM on 11/11/2008

LET IT GO. Hillary has no interest in a post such as that. It makes no sense. You Hillary people should really get a grip. LET IT GO.

[corkonian]

08:48 AM on 11/11/2008

A bit risky - she might 'mispeak' and say she landed in London or Paris under sniper-fire (just kidding - all is forgiven - honest!)

[Querent]

06:37 PM on 11/10/2008

Congratulations, Mike Lux, a true progressive and a very smart man. This pick is very encouraging, and I wholeheartedly applaud it.

[Bitsko]

06:04 PM on 11/10/2008

Congratulations, Mr. Lux. Give 'em he ll.

[CindyinEncinitas]

05:36 PM on 11/10/2008

Stephen Colbert was absolutely right when he said that reality has a liberal bias. We do not have to be centrist, we have to bring things back to where they rightfully belong. I don't believe for a second that we even have an accurate sense of where the center is any more, after what we have been told for the last 8 years. Most of us who are to the left of the left are probably going to be pleasantly surprised when the rest of the country readily accepts the notion that the average American isn't a 30 year old woman who wears a size 2, has a happy husband and 2 kids who are doing well in school, watches American Idol, doesn't believe in evolution, doesn't drink, eats only whole grains, jogs, feeds her dog Purina One, and who worries mostly about keeping her looks as she ages. Most Americans are lifelong environmentalists who love other cultures and who believe that government should focus on protecting its citizens against rapacious corporations and help the less fortunate. If the new government just did that, we'd be back to what I call normal.

[Indubio]

12:02 AM on 11/11/2008

Colbert is repeating Mill's famous quote: "I never meant to say that Conservatives are generally stupid. I meant to say that stupid people are generally Conservative. I believe that is so obviously and universally admitted a principle that I hardly think any gentleman will deny it." The last 8yrs didn't move the center; that began in 1980 and it was a 28yr process with BClinton playing validator of the Washington Consensus. It amazes me that many people focus solely on Bush without understanding that Bush was the end product of 20 years of politics that continuously pushed the bar rightward. Don't take my word for it do the research. I've actively watched politics for 40 years and while I agree that not all lefties correspond with your description, I disagree that most Americans are environmentalists who love other cultures. We'll see how much Americans care about the environment when Obama attempts to establish sane energy policy and I doubt most Americans could find Afghanistan on a map. I'm not sure most Americans have decided what they want from their government. For 28yrs, we've been told that government is the problem and now the people who said this are relying on a government bailout. I expect most people are a confused about this issue.

[AbstractImp]

04:39 PM on 11/10/2008

I look of course for a time when one need not label oneself as a progressive, because the entire society has decided that progress is good, if only because it becomes necessary, just as sensible progress is the only wise and pragmatic agenda.

For the crown of creation to have only part of its society to stand up for progress, evolution, science, is to endanger its survival. One cannot base the structure nor practice of a nation upon the fantastic and apocalyptic expectations of religious leaders who reinterpret ancient wisdom literature.

Pragmatists and Progressives are the new alliance. The old party lines are now destroyed.

Mr. Bush is concerned with his legacy. I hand him this.

George Bush is the last president of the old world.

[canucklivinginUSA]

04:29 PM on 11/16/2008

I am not so sure that old party lines are destroyed judging from the responses on this board. To many radical lefties are still in the Dem party and trying to hippified America when most of us are quite aware that the world doesn't think that way. Do I believe in being hawkish for the sake of war, no, but I do think we need to be prudent when we face danger from countries such as China, Russia and the Middle East.

[Demoid]

04:16 PM on 11/10/2008

Great, another Clinton alum. What's going to be Obama's first priority? V chips?

[SurrealPumpkin]

08:30 PM on 11/10/2008

Obama's dealing with a handicap. If he wants experienced, politically savvy people he has to reach out to the Clinton staff. It's that or Republicans. It's been 30 years since Jimmy Carter was President.

Note: these are all staff positions that are being announced. I suspect we'll see lots of balance and change when Obama starts appointing Secretaries, Undersecretaries and Agency heads.

[SOLERSO68]

04:03 PM on 11/10/2008

To everyone (whos not a rush limbaugh troll) whos carping and whining about President Obama not being "progressive" enough, You either arent paying attention or your expectations arent very realistic. But this is all good, it all serves to move the center to the left and isolate the republinutzos over in the right field bunker. think of it like outfield practice they arent going to get many balls hit to them while Barrak is batting, but we need to keep on being a part of the converation.

[Demoid]

04:19 PM on 11/10/2008

Always great to read how all the pragmatists who support Hillary are lining up to tell Obama what to do. If it wasn't for the left Obama would still be in the state Senate in Springfield. This isn't 1992. Obama can govern from the left...if he has the guts to (which it increasingly looks like he doesn't).

[ohmercy]

05:20 PM on 11/10/2008

the pragmatists who support Hillary?
Apparently you aren't paying attention- Most of the Hillary supporters have lined up firmly behind Obama, recognizing in him a complete pragmatist...
Pragmatism seems to be a dirty word for the ideologues who prefer rigidity in governance (much the same as the far right wingnut crew) instead of pragmatic/practical approaches and a willingness to be the President of ALL the people.

Personally he is not left enough to suit me but having been around since the '60's I also am pragmatic enough to understand you can't ram change down peoples throats- something this campaign should illustrate to ideologues.

I find it amusing that people are still trying to diss HRC supporters and HRC herself- now saying that those complaining that O isn't far left/progressive enough are HRC supportersw when during the campaign they were saying she was a rightwing neocon and her supporters were racists.
Make up your mind.

[Indubio]

12:10 AM on 11/11/2008

I agree with you completely. I don't think Obama should move hard left but he can certainly govern from left of center. It remains to be seen whether he'll do that. My sense all along has been that he won't because while Obama my personally be a progressive and liberal he senses the country is more centrist. Obama has great political instincts (certainly better than mine) and he probably knows what he's doing. Anyone expecting a liberal Obama was paying too much attention to the right and their nonsensical thinking about Obama's socialism and not enough attention to Obama's actual statements: The man said he was going to govern from the center and from what I've seen that's precisely what he intends to do.

[AbstractImp]

04:01 PM on 11/10/2008

Progressives!

Sold out, or sold in - that is ever the big question.

Whether it were to be true to the progressive cause,
and so to stay loyal to all those roots,
as though one's very blood were green as they,
and the sunrise meant something to the soul,
just as the cry of the destitute did disturb it.

Or to buy in, as they will sell it you,
to that great larceny, power,
which takes all our dreams away,
stuffing it like money in a sack,
and sneaking out the back door,
while the nation watches at the well-lighted front,
eyes all glued to some lying spokesperson,
telling pretty tales, while the convicts escape.

Ah, what a piece of work is man,
that any god might be mindful of him.
Let him look around now and see,
it is after all . . . up to you and me.