Obama Names Valerie Jarrett Senior White House Advisor

President-elect Barack Obama has formally named his friend Valerie Jarrett to be a senior adviser in the White House. Her official title will be "senior advisor and assistant to the President for Inter-government relations and Public Liaison in the Obama White House," according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Lynn Sweet.

Jarrett is a co-chair of Obama's transition team and was a top advisor to him during the presidential campaign.

From Lynn Sweet's report:

Jarrett, 51, a Hyde Park resident, is a veteran of Chicago's City Hall who went on to become the CEO of The Habitat Company, a major Chicago real estate firm as well as serving on a variety of civic and corporate boards. [...] Joining the campaign while still juggling her Habitat duties, Jarrett functioned as a friend--dining with Obama and other pals before a debate--as a top surrogate for the fund-raising drive--and as an advisor, often with Obama on the campaign plane.

Jarrett's White House role may be similar to the one played by Karen Hughes in President Bush's first term, the Washington Post speculates, "providing political advice while keeping him grounded."

Comments

[love5pets]

I love this woman on whom I stumbled reading Vogue Magazine while having my roots touched up.

She is one educated, perceptive, street-smart cookie, and deeply loyal to the Obamas.

If necessary, she'll tell you to "perch & rotate", and you'll do it willingly without questions.

A pristine, yet powerful pick.

You done good, Barack!

[vasta]

I agree. I read the same article. I have been curious about her for months. What an absolutely brilliant women, as is the President-elect for selecting her for the position.

[TurboCity]

Valerie is a great choice. She has been very good in the interviews I have seen her in.

[XavierCugat]

Has anyone noticed that after Shrub was elected, he bugged off to Crawford to clear brush(how much could have possibly been on that ranch?) while The Big O when out to ONE dinner with his family and has been busting his ass and will hit the ground sprinting on Jan. 20th.
While Fredo W. waited for the Cheney Crime Family to tell him what to do, say,and sign, Obama's been making plans,attacking problems, and looking for solutions to the mess he's being left to clean up.
I finally have hope for this country. I haven't felt this way in a long.long time.

I think McCain took a long hard look at what would be ahead of him and decided to go in the tank for the election. It's the only thing that explains Palin.

[pinkypower]

I like here interventions so far on tv shows i.e Larry King.She is cool calm and composed and firm at the same time.

[rejuvenated]

You said what I wanted to say.

There is a gentleness about her and a toughness. Her commitment toward Obama appears to be steadfast.

[rubinoff]

What a classy Lady...she is intelligent, cool calm and collected.

[harriscrl3]

So far we have Gibbs, Axlerod, Jarrett. I'm assuming these are NonClintonites

Rahm Emannuel the one Clintonite

But of course Obama's administration is going to be overrun by Clinton folks

Carol

[typingisnotactivism]

because of course once anybody has had any experience of working with the Clintons they are forever tainted and can no longer offer any service to the public or the government other than pulling the entire system into some ill-defined but somehow sinister and charismatic vortex.
Can everybody with a supposedly progressive outlook who insists on trumpeting this line please start to qualify their assertions rather than just spraying them randomly? Please?

[vasta]

Good. Let them all come on in if they can help fix the mess this country is in. They did it once before so why not.

[speechteach]

I don't care who they worked for, as long as they are smart enough to clean up the mess they are inheriting. I trust Barack Obama's judgement, because he seems smart enough to know what he doesn't know, unlike the current administration. It seems like a great mix so far.

[nick53]

she seems cool:-) ain't nuttin like working with a trusty friend!

[Grace0727]

What about Axelrod? Could it be that he would be taking a huge pay cut? I read something about that on the Washington Post.

[Rendon76]

How could the Democrats do ANYTHING to accommodate Lieberman after all he's done against them in the last few years. How could there be any question that Lieberman is an enemy of the Democrats?

[buster85]

I say kick the republican bum out. This shouldn't be about getting even. It should be about loyality. Lieberman made a mistake in his judgement. He thought there was no way Obama would beat McCain. Lieberman was hoping for some appointment under McCain. Now that Obama is president, Obama should give Lieberman an appointment to help Joe the Plummer keep the toilets clean .

[BarackstarObama]

Axelrod and Jarrett so far... one more senior advisor? or more?

[NoMoreFreepers]

She's so cute and tiny - she reminds me of a G-rated Dr. Ruth (in a nice way I mean.)

Obama did good in choosing her. She's a dynamo!!

[Academic]

A truly excellent decision I say. Lets have more of the same. Not the rewarding of old hacks simply to prove a point - bipartisanship or false reconciliation. Change is what the voters overwhelmingly voted for and they're the most important constituency. And change is what they should get. Disappointing them will be a terrible and costly mistake. History is replete with new leaders who were elected by huge mandates and exceedingly good will but who then remarkably go on to mess things up by not being brave and bold in changing what has to be changed and doing what has to be done - not what's expedient. Barack should seize this opportunity given him to be both bold and not pander to the siren calls of traditional self-interested groups and institutions, especially those who've never had his interests or those of ordinary people at heart and probably never will.

Professor Dr. Stanley Collymore.

[WildRepublican]

Oh dear ... a huge mandate ... where have I heard this before?

[electroglodyte]

I dunno, where? Last president with a mandate was probably Reagan. Last president who CLAIMED to have one was the current president.

[dawp]

well considering the margins he won by, he has a better mandate than bush.

[Kate4Change]

Yay!!!! Valerie Jarrett is awesome! Excellent choice, Obama.

[YouDisgustMe]

yay for valerie!!

[fignozzle]

at his point, AT THIS MOMENT, i am totally comfortable at what is going on in the transition world.

[DrDemon]

Another clever decision!