The Podesta Briefing: No Cabinet Appts Before Thanksgiving (?)

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11 Nov 2008 02:50 pm

Transition co-chair John Podesta held forth with reporters today on a variety of subjects. No huge news lede - although Podesta did say that President Bush, in his private meeting with President-elect Barack Obama yesterday, did not try to link passage of the Columbian free trade agreement to passage of a new economic recovery package. ("There is one president at a time," he said, at least twice.)

Podesta unveiled the transition entity's new ethics policy, which he called the most comprehensive and restrictive ever. Registered lobbyists can only serve if they deregister and can't serve on policy teams that relate to the subjects on which they lobbied. And transition staffers can't lobby for a year after they leave the transition service. Noting that some lobbyists have objected to this - a lot of expertise might be lost and a lot of good people might be bypassed, he said, simply, "So be it."

Podesta said that agency review teams would be in place by November 18, and he hinted not to expect major cabinet appointments before Thanksgiving. As for when Obama would be interviewing potential cabinet appointees, Podesta joked that reporters would just have to get out their binoculars and snoop around.

Obama Transition Announces Rules for Lobbyists in Transition

Washington, DC: During a briefing today at the Presidential Transition Team headquarters, Obama Transition Co-Chair John Podesta announced the strictest, and most far reaching ethics rules of any transition team in history. The rules are:

· Federal Lobbyists cannot contribute financially to the transition.

· Federal lobbyists are prohibited from any lobbying during their work with the transition.

· If someone has lobbied in the last 12 months, they are prohibited from working in the fields of policy on which they lobbied.

· If someone becomes a lobbyist after working on the Transition, they are prohibited from lobbying the Administration for 12 months on matters on which they worked.

· A gift ban that is aggressive in reducing the influence of special interests.

Statement of Thomas Mann

Brookings Institution

"The ethical guidelines released today for the Obama transition are tough and unequivocal. They will prevent some honorable people with rich experience from serving in the transition. That is a real cost but it is more than balanced by the strong signal sent by the President-elect. He aspires to attract to government able individuals whose highest priority is to serve the public interest. This is a very constructive step in that direction."

Statement of Norm Ornstein

American Enterprise Institute

"Restoring trust in government is a prerequisite to enacting good policy and the tough choices the country needs. This ethics policy for the transition is a far-reaching, bold and constructive step to do just that. The policy may exclude some good people with deep experience in their fields, but it will also exclude those who see government service as a springboard to financial success, or who are more intent on pleasing future potential employers or clients than making tough choices in the public interest. As much as anything, this ethics policy is a statement about the tone and tenor of the Obama administration. It is a good sign."

Statement of John Podesta

Co-Chair of President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Biden's Transition Team

"President-elect Barack Obama has pledged to change the way Washington works and curb the influence of lobbyists. During the campaign, federal lobbyists could not contribute to or raise money for the campaign. Today, the President-elect is taking those commitments even further by announcing the strictest, and most far reaching ethics rules of any transition team in history."

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/11/the_podesta_briefing_no_cabine.php

Edited November 11, 2008 by Mister Fancypants