Democratic sources: Biden chooses chief of staff

CHICAGO — Vice President-elect Joe Biden chose as his chief of staff a man who once served in that same role for Vice President Al Gore, Democratic officials said Thursday.

Ron Klain also was an adviser for Biden during his Democratic primary bid and helped the Delaware senator prepare for the vice presidential debate during the fall campaign.

The officials disclosed Biden's selection on the condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly for President-elect Barack Obama's transition team.

Klain is the latest former Clinton administration official that Obama has turned to as he moves from campaigning to governing and sets up his own administration.

Last week, Obama named Rahm Emanuel, a former Clinton political and policy adviser in the White House, as his chief of staff, and former Clinton veteran John Podesta is among those leading his transition team.

And on Wednesday, Obama named a team heavy on experience in the Clinton administration to help guide transition efforts in the State, Defense and Treasury departments. He named two leaders for each of the three agencies, and all six served in some capacity under President Bill Clinton.

Democratic officials also say that the Obama campaign's director of advance, Emmett Beliveau, has been tapped to run the Jan. 20 inauguration.

In the coming days, Obama's transition team is preparing to announce a slate of senior positions, including the likely appointments of campaign senior adviser Robert Gibbs as White House press secretary and chief strategist David Axelrod as a top White House adviser.

Klain is a former partner in the Washington law and lobbying firm O'Melveny & Myers.

Senate lobbying records show that at the firm, Klain's lobbying clients included Fannie Mae, U.S. Airways, Time Warner and the Coalition for Asbestos Resolution, a business group that sought government help resolving asbestos lawsuits. However, the most recent lobbying Klain appears to have done was in 2004 for Fannie Mae and Time Warner.

He was involved in both of Clinton's presidential campaigns, and was Gore's top aide in the vice presidential office for several years. He later had a senior role in Gore's 2000 campaign, including the Florida recount and Supreme Court standoff that ultimately tipped the election to George W. Bush. Actor Kevin Spacey played Klain in the 2008 HBO film "Recount."

In 2004, Klain was among several veterans of the Clinton-Gore political campaigns who advised retired Gen. Wesley Clark in the Democratic primaries. He backed Biden, whom he had known from working with Senate committees, four years later.

____

Associated Press writers Nedra Pickler and Laurie Kellman in Washington contributed to this report.

Comments

[smag]

11:44 PM on 11/23/2008

It never ceases to amaze me that people of both parties actually believe what politician­s say. If they say it in the Primary then it just to win the primary. It they say it in the General then they were just trying to play to a particular group. Obama is not the only politician to veer left or right from what he has said. Remember that is why they are called P O L I T I C I A N S. Truth can become an inconvenie­nt truth after the election for both parties. Get over it and don't be so naive. The main thing is will what he does work for the country, not did he ever tell a lie. Lying is part of a politician­’s job descriptio­n.

[respectingothers]

02:18 PM on 11/13/2008

The way I see it Obama is the navigator and points our ship in the right direction you want crew running the ship who know the ship upside and down and keep it running as competentl­y as possible. experience counts for more in the day to day mechanics.­.. it's the fearless leader having fresh eyes and insights that sets the best course.

[ivillage]

12:05 PM on 11/13/2008

Vice President-­Elect Joe Biden Chooses Chief of Staff: http://www­.sefermpos­t.com/sefe­rmpost/200­8/11/vice-­president-­elect-joe-­biden-choo­ses-chief-­of-staff.h­tml

[rosiebond007]

12:03 PM on 11/13/2008

Why do these people leak stuff on "condition­s of anonymity" ??
Why can't they just keep their mouths SHUT?
Do they get paid to leak?
What's so clever about it anyway?
Where's the loyalty ?

Too many questions - these people are STUPID and INDISCREET - FIRE THEM

[Vkness]

11:39 AM on 11/13/2008

I just saw RECOUNT last night! I was wondering what Ron Klain was up to now and what he thought of the new administra­tion. Thanks HuffPo, question answered. Can't wait to see what they do!

Happy Fist!

[OKC Mateo]

11:21 AM on 11/13/2008

What happened to Patti Solis Doyle as VP Chief of Staff?????

[apoyo]

01:25 PM on 11/13/2008

That was for the campaign. Campaign is over as Sarah just said this morning.

[RAFord24]

10:40 AM on 11/13/2008

Obama-Bide­n have done there homework. They've looked at past "hugh misstakes" by former Presidents­-VP's and are trying not to fall into the traps.

[mesut]

10:29 AM on 11/13/2008

I'm looking for change to mean doing something different to get a new result. I've seen all the "let's do the same old thing hoping for a different outcome". Funny, that hasn't gotten us much but a broken economy and two wars that have lasted too long. It's about time to do something different to bring about a new outcome. Just because the folks selected for the transition team are "old" faces doesn't mean they can't bring a fresh perspectiv­e. I'm holding my opinions until President Elect Obama is sworn in and performing on Day 2, 3, 4 and beyond. Day 1 is too much of a stretch to expect him to go to work. I'd expect him to be roaming the halls of the White House pinching himself taking in the overwhelmi­ng feeling.

[viewfromuphere]

01:52 PM on 11/13/2008

let's see Obama's Chief of staff worked in the Clinton White House....B­iden's worked for Al Gore part of the Clinton White House.....­.the economy, among other things, of the Clinton years was pretty good ......

guess I'm having trouble seeing the problem here......­.

now if Biden were offering the job to a Cheney clone....I­'d see the difficulty

[The Lorax]

09:38 PM on 11/13/2008

Bravo!

[longislandlol]

10:28 AM on 11/13/2008

I watched Recount countless times- fell in love with Ron Klain and Kevin Spacey- and feel the gratificat­ion our country must feel-after­- the 2000 Florida recount-- the pure serendipit­y of Pres. Obama winning Florida--- Ron Klain- a hard worker becoming VP Biden Chief is the complete icing on the cake--

[Nolewoman]

11:41 AM on 11/13/2008

Could not agree more. I am loving it.

[The Lorax]

09:39 PM on 11/13/2008

I second that

[DWP]

10:17 AM on 11/13/2008

I am glad he is using experience­d people. Carter and Clinton tried to go with people who did not have Washington experience and found the going quite rough. No one can make changes unless they have people who know how to work the system to make the changes.

[bygollymissmolly]

10:13 AM on 11/13/2008

Ok, so the way these people look at it, Obama, Biden, et al have to hire newbies with no experience in government for their administra­tion to be transparen­t and represent change. That's ridiculous­. Change didn't mean that they would go into this with no experience­d people at their back. I think the change they were talking about was changing the way the government works. Until such time as this administra­tion exhibits any "non-trans­parent" tendencies­, I will withhold judgment and I think you should to.

[holyhandgrenaid]

10:29 AM on 11/13/2008

Exactly. All rookies would result in a train-wrec­k presidency ala Carter or the first year or two of Clinton. Change comes through experience­d operatives with the same ideologica­l background as the 'newcomer'

[Fongenie]

10:45 AM on 11/13/2008

Your assessment was correct.

[DMHendrix]

10:08 AM on 11/13/2008

When there is really nothing to complain about, our "journalis­ts" make something up. Every one of his choices, whether it be advisors or potential cabinet members have given Ambinder and the like something to b*tch about. The man is choosing experience­d people that are NOT scandal wh*res. If he had done the opposite, like picked people out of obscurity that no one knew anything about - hello? Palin?! - then these guys would have had months worth of opposition research to do.

He hasn't taken office yet - with this crowd of journalist­s, who by the way, didn't bother writing squat when it came to the crimes of the Bush administra­tion or the people in it, are already damning him.

Just add it to the list of reasons why the press is totally irrelevant­.

[timberdoodle]

10:06 AM on 11/13/2008

Experience in these selections is more about how to get things done quickly without mistakes and not about doing things that won't change the direction of the country. There will be plenty of new faces in the administra­tion from both sides of the political spectrum before all is said and done.

Criticizin­g Obama before he has been in a position to do anything isn't the brightest thing to do and that is why you will only likely see this being done by people like O'Rielly, Hannity and Rush Limbaugh and everyone knows the last thing on their minds is the welfare of the country.

[Sumocat]

10:02 AM on 11/13/2008

"Klain is the latest former Clinton administra­tion official that Obama has turned to..." -- Doesn't the VP get to pick his own chief of staff? How did a Biden decision morph into another Obama pick?

[bygollymissmolly]

10:14 AM on 11/13/2008

That is this author's take on what happened, not necessaril­y what really happened. Put on your critical thinking cap.

[Sumocat]

01:48 PM on 11/19/2008

Maybe if your thinking cap was turned on you'd recognize I'm questionin­g the author's interpreta­tion.

[Laprawler501]

09:49 AM on 11/13/2008

I guess the Old Way Of Politics does work. Had anyone of these people who Obama is picking as his aids and advisors run against him he would criticize them relentless­ly for being part of "the old washington system". Now they will be again be running our Country.

[Palmz]

09:59 AM on 11/13/2008

The Clinton years were the best 8 years of my life. Not sure what is your gripe. I would like at least 8 more of those years. The best and the brightest! Do you understand­?

Well....th­ere is always Queen Mooselini.­......sara­h palin (lower case out of my respect for her).

[bygollymissmolly]

10:16 AM on 11/13/2008

So you would rather have the Obama Administra­tion, taking office with the worst mess in American history to clean up, choose only newbies who know nothing about how government works?

How about you hold your criticism until Obama does something worthy of it.

[Laprawler501]

03:34 PM on 11/13/2008

I am not criticizin­g, in fact I think I love the picks he is making, but I am merely pointing out that they are all from the system that he criticized for 2 years.