The Obamasphere: Domestic Policy

by Editorial

melody-barnesMELODY BARNES
Barnes leaves the Center for American Progress to serve as Obama’s director of domestic policy. The smart and stylish lawyer was named one of Washingtonian’s “Ten Well-Dressed Women” in 2007, wherein she described her style as “understated but interesting.” Will the same hold true for her leadership qualities?


peter_orsazgPETER ORSZAG
Another Rubin protégé, Orszag has been tapped to be Obama’s  choice for the Cabinet-level post of director of the Office of Management and Budget. The experienced centrist has been particularly focused on health policy and will be involved in expanding health care coverage to more Americans.


heather-higginbottomHEATHER HIGGINBOTTOM
This former Kerry aide began her career in education policy, but has since broadened her expertise. Obama’s choice for deputy director of the Domestic Policy Council was most recently with the American Security Project, whose board includes her White House colleagues, Greg Craig and Susan Rice.


david-boniorDAVID BONIOR
Outspoken in his opposition of NAFTA, the former congressman and one-time Edwards campaign manager is a longtime labor union advocate. Bonior served as the House Democratic whip for 11 years, played football for the Hawkeyes, and filed more than 75 ethics charges against former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich while in office.


ron-kirkRON KIRK
This partner at Houston-based law firm Vinson & Elkins is Obama’s choice for U.S. trade representative.  Kirk served two terms as mayor of Dallas, endorsed Obama early, and is the only Southerner in the new Cabinet. A vocal proponent of free trade, Kirk has been involved in politics since he volunteered for George McGovern as a teenager.


cassandra-buttsCASSANDRA BUTTS
A member of the Obamas’ inner-circle, Butts will serve as deputy White House counsel. She previously formulated a universal health care plan for Dick Gephardt as his policy director in ’04. A classmate of Obama’s at Harvard Law, it was reported that they met in the financial aid office on the first day of class.


aldolfo-carrion-jrADOLFO CARRION JR.
Helping to garner Hispanic support for Obama, the new director of the White House Office of Urban Policy has over a decade of experience in policy while serving on the New York City Council and as Bronx borough president. This former associate pastor worked as a community organizer and a middle school teacher.


tammy-duckworthTAMMY DUCKWORTH
The disabled veteran, still a major in the Illinois National Guard, has 17 years of military experience and raised $70 million for new initiatives in two years as director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs. With two artificial legs, Duckworth, completed the Chicago marathon this fall on a hand-cranked bicycle in under two-and-a-half hours.


carol-brownerCAROL BROWNER
Known as a Gore protégé, Browner served as administrator of the EPA for the entirety of the Clinton presidency and joins Obama’s team as the nation’s climate czar in her recently created post. She helped found the Albright Group, and tied the knot with former Rep. Tom Downey in 2007.


nancy-sutleyNANCY SUTLEY
Obama’s pick to lead the White House Council on Environmental Quality served as special assistant to Carol Browner at the E.P.A., and served as deputy mayor for energy and environment in Los Angeles. Sutley was also a member of Hillary’s LGBT steering committee, and is one of a number of openly gay administration officials.


robert-f-kennedy-jrROBERT F. KENNEDY JR.
The Camelot clan’s green thumb is an ardent environmentalist and an attorney and chairman of the Waterkeeper Alliance. An informal  ecology advisor to the Obama team, this father of six is a licensed master falconer and former president of the New York State Falconer’s Association.


jane-lubchenkoJANE LUBCHENCO
Lubchenco will be the first woman to lead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The former Harvard professor, currently teaching at Oregon State, served as president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in the late ’90s.


dan-reicherDAN REICHER
The director of climate and energy initiatives for Google.org and a former assistant secretary of energy, Reicher has unique expertise in commercializing green technology and venture capital. He stated, “I think that people in this business should start with their own homes and learn about the technologies.” Reicher clearly walks the walk.


john-holdrenJOHN HOLDREN
A trained physicist best known for his work on energy and environmental policy, Holdren will serve as assistant to the president for science and technology. The former president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, he is an outspoken environmentalist and a proponent of science-based solutions to the climate crisis.


kathleenmcgintyKATHLEEN MCGINTY
McGinty is no stranger to environmental issues, having worked closely with Gore in the Clinton administration on the environment. She was the first woman to chair the White House Council on Environmental Quality and was founding director of the White House Office on Environmental Policy.


leshyJOHN LESHY
The longtime professor served as solicitor (general counsel) of the Dept. of Interior under Clinton, and is now vice-chair of the board of the Wyss Foundation, which supports land conservation activities in western states. He previously served as special counsel to the chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee.


manhead2MARK CHILDRESS
As chief of staff to HHS Secretary Tom Daschle, Childress will be responsible for shepherding Obama’s healthcare reform legislation through the bureaucratic channels, where the five years he spent on the Hill should come in handy. The former UNC Morehead scholar will also don the title of deputy director of the new Office of Health Reform.


jeanne-lambrewJEANNE LAMBREW
A career healthcare policy expert, Lambrew was at the helm of the healthcare desk at the Office of Management and Budget under Clinton. Now deputy director of the White House Office of Health Reform, Lambrew was previously with the Center for American Progress and has extensive experience with Medicaid and Medicare.


linda-douglassLINDA DOUGLASS
Douglass, a veteran journalist who has worked in television for more than three decades, joined the Obama campaign as a senior communications strategist in June, becoming one of the most experienced journalists ever to join a political campaign. Douglass described the transition from journalist to spokesman as similar to that of a movie critic asked to make a movie.


marybethmaxwellMARY BETH MAXWELL
The founding director of American Rights at Work, a pro-union group, Maxwell has a record as a vocal advocate for low-wage workers and unions. A former field director for Jobs With Justice, the United States Student Association and NARAL, she found her voice in social justice activism as an undergrad at Marquette University in Milwaukee.


john-kitzhaberJOHN KITZHABER
This physician and former Oregon governor serves as president of the Estes Park Institute, a Colorado-based education organization for community healthcare leaders. In 2006 Kitzhaber launched the Archimedes Movement, an organization seeking to maximize the health of the population.


don-beyerDON BEYER
The Italian-born former lieutenant governor of Virginia owns eight Volvo, Land Rover, Kia and Subaru car dealerships with his wife, Megan. On Obama’s commerce transition team, Beyer is putting money behind his allies and creating new ties. A future political run is not out of the question.


robertsussmanROBERT SUSSMAN
A former partner at Latham & Watkins, Sussman, who served as deputy administrator of the EPA under Clinton, is now a partner at the Center for American Progress.  Currently focusing on the future of coal and global warming, he concentrated on global warming and the environmental aspects of NAFTA at the EPA.


mozelle-thompsonMOZELLE THOMPSON
A former commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission, where he focused on international consumer protection, technological innovation, online privacy and intellectual property, Thompson is now CEO of a self-named consulting firm that works with Facebook, SeatSmart and others.


elena-kaganELENA KAGAN
The former law professor, Clinton associate White House Counsel, and first female dean of Harvard Law will take on the role as first female solicitor general with rumors swirling about a possible Supreme Court nomination down the road. Like Obama, Kagan served as editor of the Harvard ?Law Review.


manhead2DAVID OGDEN
Appointed deputy attorney general in the new administration, Ogden served on the justice department transition team. A Washington native, he served as a high-ranking official in both the justice and defense departments under Clinton. Like many other Obama staffers, he graduated from Harvard Law School.


tom-perezTOM PEREZ
Having spent most of his career in public service at Justice as a federal prosecutor for the civil rights division, Perez now serves as secretary for the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. The longtime UMD law professor and civil rights activist spent two years in the Clinton administration.


tom-sotoTHOMAS SOTO
Co-founder of Craton Equity Partners, a large “clean technology” investment fund headquartered in SoCal, Soto is part of a team reviewing the Executive Office of the President. The environmentalist played a large role in American Airlines’ conversion of their ground service equipment to electric power and helped amend the National Clean Air Act.


george-framptonGEORGE FRAMPTON
A partner in the New York office of Boies Schiller, Frampton served as chairman of the council on environmental quality during the Clinton administration and assistant secretary of the interior for fish, wildlife, and parks. A former lawyer for Gore, Frampton served as president of the non-profit Wilderness Society.


peter-glickPETER GLICK
This former CEO of Cohesive Technologies, now with Ampersand Ventures, is a recognized expert in the fields of water resource retention and global water supply. Glick is the former president of Primedica Corporation, a contract research organization that provides safety and efficacy testing for the pharmaceutical and biotech industries.


jason-grumetJASON GRUMET
The executive director of the National Commission on Energy Policy, Grumet served as Obama’s top adviser on energy and the environment during the campaign. Known for reaching across the aisle, he co-founded the Bipartisan Policy Center, which includes Bob Dole, Tom Daschle, and George Mitchell on its advisory board.


manhead2MORT DOWNEY
Deputy transportation secretary during both of Clinton’s terms, and assistant secretary of transportation under Jimmy Carter, Downey currently runs his own transportation consulting firm, Mort Downey Consulting, and worked on the Obama transition staff as a department of transportation review team lead.


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