The Regulator Shuffle

Speaking From Experience

Residents of a Los Angeles mobile home park viewed wildfire damage yesterday. Barack Obama's Web sites are giving prominent play to aid efforts. (By Reed Saxon -- Associated Press)

Speaking of Osama bin Laden, remember senator Max Cleland? In 2002, the Georgia Democrat was infamously linked to bin Laden and Saddam Hussein in a campaign ad by Republican opponent Saxby Chambliss, who questioned Cleland's patriotism because of his votes against some of President Bush's homeland security measures.

The ad cost Cleland his seat, and now the veteran who lost three limbs in the Vietnam War is seeking revenge.

"Sadly, the power of well-funded lies can be hard to overcome with the under-funded truth," Cleland wrote yesterday in an e-mail plea to Democrats.

Cleland -- a former secretary of veterans affairs who is said to be a top contender for the post under Obama -- asked supporters to contribute to the campaign of Democrat Jim Martin, who will take on Chambliss in a runoff election Dec. 2.

"I know first hand that the runoff campaign in Georgia will get nasty," Cleland wrote.

Whatever Branch That Is

Also on the meeting front, the visit of the Bidens and the Cheneys at the vice presidential mansion was reported as civil and friendly, despite some decidedly unfriendly things that Vice President-elect Joe Biden said about his predecessor during the campaign.

But no follow-up meeting is scheduled, a transition source said yesterday. Too bad. Cheney might have explained his creative use of detailees from the Pentagon, the military and the State Department and those academic fellows to pad his staff and enhance his reach. Some may quibble about legal time limitations for vice presidential use of such shadow staff, but Biden must understand that those laws don't apply to the vice president's office.

Then there's the nifty move to just bump up the staff in rank and have them go to higher-level meetings, gather info and report back. Dubbed the "Watchers," they would sit there quietly, not say a word -- and really freak everyone else out -- as recounted in our colleague Bart Gellman's book, "Angler."

With Philip Rucker

Barack Obama yesterday displayed once again the power of the vast online network he built during the presidential race, giving prominent display on his campaign and transition Web sites to efforts to help the victims of wildfires burning across Southern California.

"Throughout the campaign, we saw time and again that when ordinary people act together, they can make a huge difference," said a notice on http://www.barackobama.com that urged supporters to go to http://www.californiavolunteers.org to read about ways to help.

Obama's plea contributed to a surge in visitors to the site, a branch of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office that helps coordinate disaster relief efforts. The number of daily hits on the site increased from 15,000 Monday to 179,000 Tuesday, said Karen Baker, Schwarzenegger's secretary of service and volunteering.

"Our governor and President-elect Obama know how to leverage technology," Baker said. "They understand that if you want to reach everyday Californians and everyday Americans, you have to leverage technology."

On Sunday, Obama called Schwarzenegger (R) and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa (D) to express his concern about the wildfires and receive an update on the situation. It's unclear who suggested mobilizing Obama's online network on behalf of fire victims. Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear demurred, saying his boss would not disclose the details of the private conversation.

"The governor has said he wants to partner with President-elect Obama because the more successful he is, the more successful all of us will be," McLear said. "Partnering President-elect Obama's vast volunteer network with our nation-leading volunteer agency to help with this tragedy is a great example of that partnership."