Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Greg Craig

Position: White House counsel

Credentials: Long experience as a lawyer and in political circles. As White House special counsel, he led the defense of President Bill Clinton against impeachment charges. As a longtime partner at the firm Williams and Connolly, he represented a string of high-profile clients. He previously worked as a foreign policy adviser to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) and as director of policy planning under Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright.

What he offers: Craig, a top-drawer litigator, is credited with having keen political instincts, strong foreign policy credentials and a conciliatory manner. A classmate of Bill and Hillary Clinton at Yale Law School, the Norfolk, Va., native became a close campaign adviser to Barack Obama, and he served as the stand-in for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) during debate preparations.

Vetting: His long list of legal clients include John W. Hinckley Jr., who attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan; Kennedy nephew William Kennedy Smith, who was accused of rape, and Juan Miguel González, who had son Elián González returned to him in Cuba after the boy's mother drowned while fleeing to Florida.

Quote: "It is shocking, and it's terribly wrong, what he did," Craig said in 1998 of Clinton's extramarital affair with White House intern Monica S. Lewinsky. ". . . The real question is whether the conduct, however blameworthy it might be, rises to the level of an impeachable offense."

Position: Senior White House adviser

Credentials: More than three decades in top jobs on Capitol Hill. Most of that time, it was as chief of staff to Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.), a former Senate majority leader. When Daschle lost his seat in 2004, Rouse agreed to serve in the same role for Obama, then helped with his presidential campaign.

What he offers: His substantial influence on the Hill is legendary -- Rouse, 62, was sometimes called the 101st senator because of his influence. His reputation as a publicity-averse workaholic fits in well with the team Obama is creating.

Vetting: Such a Washington insider at the center of the West Wing may not jibe with Obama's vow to shake up the ways of the capital.

Position: Deputy chief of staff

Credentials: She is managing director of Stonebridge International, an international consulting firm led by former Clinton national security adviser Samuel R. "Sandy" Berger. She was a special assistant to Berger at the White House and adviser to then-U.N. Ambassador Bill Richardson. She is a former Foreign Service officer and has served in Asia and Europe. She graduated from Mount Holyoke College and the London School of Economics and Political Science.

What she offers: A member of the Obama transition team staff, Sutphen, 41, seems to reflect Obama's international worldview. She is co-author of "The Next American Century: How the U.S. Can Thrive as Other Powers Rise," which argues that the rise of global powers to rival the United States is an opportunity: None is a direct adversary, and each shares with the United States an interest in quelling common threats.

Vetting: Sutphen was one of the Richardson aides who interviewed Lewinsky for a job. The session, arranged through Richardson, had been initiated by the White House.

Quote: "The United States should pursue a more robust agenda for U.S. competitiveness and innovation focused on a lower-carbon economy, including investments in education, basic research and development, infrastructure, retraining, retirement security, and universal health care. Those steps will ensure new and decent jobs at home and position Americans to continue to excel in the global economy."

Position: Deputy chief of staff

Credentials: He has long experience on Capitol Hill, where he has worked as chief of staff for Sens. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Byron L. Dorgan (D-N.D.), and Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.). He also has frequently switched over from staff work to work on political campaigns. He is a graduate of the University of Montana.

What he offers: Messina, 39, brings a realpolitik view, developed working in the hurly-burly of Congress and as a political consultant on campaigns from Alaska to New York. He is director of personnel for the Obama transition team and served as chief of staff for Obama's presidential campaign.

Vetting: Messina has been accused of intense partisanship and using harshly negative ads in his political consulting work.

Quote: "I believe that politics is truly a merit-based world. If you work hard and you're honest -- and you keep winning -- you'll get to rise. [In my early political jobs] I was the kid who was the first in the office and the last to leave. And it's still kind of true."