Oprah: I’m not seeking job with Obama

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Although Oprah Winfrey worked hard on Barack Obama’s presidential election campaign, she never considered going to work for the president-elect’s administration, the talk show host said Friday.

“I have a few full-time jobs already and a few full-time commitments, you know — contractual commitments that say I have to be where I am,” Winfrey told AP Television. “So, it never ever occurred to me, not even occurred to me.”

Winfrey said she would stay put, even if the president-elect came calling.

“Even if I was offered, I still have contractual commitments and what could I do?” Winfrey said. “I do what I do best on TV every day.”

Earlier this week, Winfrey’s production company confirmed she would host her Chicago-based talk show to Washington for at least two episodes during inauguration week. She’ll have a live show from the Kennedy Center Opera House one day before the ceremony, and tape another one on Jan. 21.

One plan she hasn’t yet thought out was her dress for the inaugural ball, despite rumors to the contrary.

“I actually haven’t picked it,” Winfrey said. “I had a dress on the vision board, but I’m not sure that’s gonna fit, so I have to work on something else.”

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LOL! Oprah in the Obama administration!?

She can do more on his behalf by remaining on her show than anything she could ever do in Washington. I would expect that no matter what Obama does or does not do while President, Oprah will remain his top cheerleader. Even as he backs away from previous positions he campaigned on, fans like Oprah are likely to overlook that and just focus on the history of Obama instead of the reality of Obama. I hope for all our sakes, that Obama can deliver on his hope/change promise, but let’s not lose sight that he’s a mere human being capable of stumbles and missteps, not the messiah Oprah has ordained.

Kennedy Clan Urging Caroline To Seek Senate Seat

The 2012 Ticket?

Further confirmation of Caroline Kennedy’s intention to seek Hillary Clinton’s Senate seat has come from inside the Kennedy camp today. Her cousin, Robert Kennedy Jr., the lone Kennedy who chose to back Hillary instead of Obama during the dem primaries, has confirmed the Caroline Senate story.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he and the rest of the powerful Kennedy clan are urging Caroline to seek the New York governor’s appointment to the Senate seat now held by Hillary Rodham Clinton — and added she is ready and seriously considering it.

“I know she’s interested,” Robert Kennedy, who himself was prominently mentioned for the seat, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Friday. “She spent a lot of her life balancing public service with obligations to her family. Now her children are grown, and she is ready to move onto a bigger stage.”

Once Clinton, in line to become secretary of state, is confirmed to President-elect Barack Obama’s Cabinet, New York Gov. David Paterson will appoint someone to fill the seat for two years.

The Kennedy family’s connections and history cannot force Paterson to choose Caroline, but the family’s strong support could increase pressure on him to pick her over lesser-known contenders. For Caroline Kennedy, seeking the Senate seat would be a significant departure from the life she has lived until now, protecting her family’s privacy — and her own.

Robert Kennedy said his extended family would come out en masse for her if she does get the appointment and has to run for election in 2010.

“If she runs, you will see more Kennedys than you have ever seen in your life,” he said.

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There are many ways that Caroline could contribute to causes and advocate for issues as a private citizen. Political service is one way to make an impact in this world, but it is hardly the only way. With the Kennedy name behind her, Caroline could achieve much without having to pull the seat out from under other candidates who have more experience and wanted the Senate seat too. The name ‘Kennedy’ should not be a free pass to cut ahead in line of others who have worked for years to establish themselves through hard work and effort.

After everything that has happened with a relatively unknown Barrack Obama exploding onto the national stage and becoming President- elect within his first Senate term, I shouldn’t be surprised that Caroline Kennedy could walk into a Senate seat because she woke up one day and said she wanted it.

Welcome to the new democratic party brought to you by political thugs from Chicago and orchestrated by the democrats own Rovian team of Axelrod and Brazile. The new democrats include such illustrious members as: Obama, Al Franken, Chris Matthews (you know he’s eye a PA Senate race of his own), and now Caroline Kennedy. It’s all in the name and connections.

Richard Nixon always claimed that one day Caroline Kennedy would become the first female President. I thought about that today. I thought about how a path could emerge that would take Caroline from Senator to White House in 2016. It’s actually very easily mapped out if she becomes a Senator now, replaces Biden as VP in Obama’s second term, and runs for the president once Obama’s second term ends (if he were to win a second term of course).

It’s not that far fetched if you factor that Biden will not likely run for President himself in 2016 as he would be 75 years old at that time. Plus, Biden who has already had several aneurysms, could have further health issues over the next 8 years. Needing an heir apparent for the dem party after Obama’s reign is over, will make someone an insider favorite well before 2014 when the 2 year pre election campaign efforts begin.

As a VP, Caroline would have a tremendous platform to mount a campaign while also sidestepping the ‘experience’ question nicely. She has already demonstrated her ‘loyalty’ to Obama. They’ve worked together well when she helped on the VP selection committee.

As the first black president, he could make even more history by bringing along the first female VP to office and then helping her become the first President too.  He wouldn’t do it for Hillary, but Obama owes the Kennedy’s a lot, he finds Caroline likable enough, and it would buy one more historical footnote to the Obama legacy- why wouldn’t he do it?

As much as it breaks my heart to think it, if Caroline were to become a Senator, it’s likely she could be in a position to outmaneuver Hillary in a presidential bid in 2016. Heartbreaking isn’t it?

Maybe that was the Kennedy plan all along? Knock off Hillary to push forward one of their own. No one was in position to make it for this election, but the stage is set for a few years down the road. I predict we’ll see a Kennedy on a national ticket in 2012 and then again in 2016. Biden better gird his loins. There’s a Kennedy kick coming his way soon.

Fraud Alert: Obama Inauguration Tickets Offered Online

From CNN Internet Reporter Abbi Tatton

Tickets to Obama’s historic inauguration are free — even though they are already being offered online for thousands of dollars.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Organizers of the 56th Presidential Inauguration are warning consumers to be skeptical of tickets being offered for sale online to President-Elect Barack Obama’s swearing-in ceremony.

With 73 days to go, tickets are already appearing on the Internet with a hefty price tag. On eBay, 18 bidders have driven up one pair to more than $1,000. One Web site, Inauguraltickets.com, is inviting members of the public to place orders, warning “Our prices will reflect the difficulty in obtaining” tickets. Another site, Dreamtix, is offering a variety of seats ranging from $1,400 to $21,000 a pop.

Watch: Inaugural tickets already for sale on the Web

Carole Florman, Communications Director for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, says “anyone claiming to have tickets to sell right now, or saying that they will guarantee tickets, is not telling the truth.” Florman told CNN the 240,000 free tickets to the swearing-in ceremony are currently in a “secure location” and will not be handed out until a few days before. Tickets to the Inaugural Parade and official balls will be handled by a Presidential Inaugural Committee, which has yet to be formed.

The inaugural committee Web site advises members of the public wishing to attend to contact their members of Congress or U.S. Senator and ask to be put on the list for tickets.

An employee answering the phone at Dreamtix.com would give no comment to CNN about their tickets on offer. Karl Roes, the owner of Inauguraltickets.com, told CNN the site buys and sells tickets on the “secondary market” and, while they are taking orders, “we are not claiming we have tickets” at this time.

‘Office of President-Elect’ Is Just a Fancy Sign

President-elect Barack Obama is looking very presidential these days. When he makes an announcement, he is ringed by American flags and stands behind a lectern that has a very presidential-looking placard announcing “The Office of the President-Elect.” 

But the props are merely that. Under the Constitution, there is no such thing as the Office of the President-elect. Technically, Obama will not even become the president-elect until the Electoral College convenes after the second Wednesday in December and elects him based on the results of the Nov. 4 general election, as stated in the Constitution.

So what is Obama’s executive authority in the weeks leading to Jan. 20?

In the 11 weeks between Election Day and Inauguration Day, the next president must ensure a smooth transition by selecting political appointees to manage key agencies and offices within the Executive Branch, and by creating the policies that will define the new administration — all while respecting the authority held by the current president.

The Presidential Transition Act — created in 1963 and amended in 2000 — establishes formal provisions for the transition period by outlining training and other assistance that the president-elect and his team of advisers can receive as they prepare to assume office.

The amended bill — co-sponsored by lawmakers including former Sen. Fred Thompson, Sen. Joe Lieberman, and Sen. Dick Durbin — calls for the “training and orientation of high-level presidential appointees,” among other things, as well as more efficient background checks to ensure individuals are properly vetted and confirmed for office.

“New administrations face a series of hurdles they must overcome to accomplish this essential task before they can begin to govern,” Lieberman told Congress in 1999 while arguing in favor of the amended legislation.

The original bill also allowed the president-elect and vice president-elect certain “services and facilities,” like suitable office space to conduct transition operations, public funds to pay their staff’s salaries and money to transport workers to and from Washington.

Obama has employed over 500 staffers to assist in his transition operations — working from a nondescript office building in downtown Washington and from locations in his hometown of Chicago.

His transition team has received a budget of $12 million — $5.2 million of which was allocated by Congress, and the rest from private donations of under $5,000.

As president-elect, Obama is also given the same highly classified intelligence briefings that President Bush receives on a daily basis. And Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden get full Secret Service protection, which Obama also received during the Democratic primaries and general election campaign.

But the “Office of the President-Elect,” while critical in building the future government, has no official power — which Obama himself acknowledged during his victory speech in Chicago on Election Night.

“It is an office — it’s just a quasi-government office for planning the takeover of the government,” said Stephen J. Wayne, a professor at Georgetown University’s department of government.

“Obama has no formal power as far as the existing government is concerned, but he has a lot of informal influence, which President Bush has encouraged,” he added.

Wayne compared the function of the “Office of the President-Elect” to spring training in baseball.
“It doesn’t count in the standings, but it does contribute to a team’s ability to do well from day one,” he said.

The extensive operations and considerable funding for Obama’s transition office are not unique. President Bush received $8.5 million to fund his transition team — a sum that was “unprecedented at the time,” according to Georgetown University government professor Chris Hull.

“The Bush administration built their transition team a month before the election was over to make sure it would be a fully-functioning office on November 5,” he said.

Despite its lack of formal power, some argue that the “Office of the President-Elect” must maintain an official and authoritative front — even if just for show. This transition comes at a particularly vulnerable time for the U.S. government in protecting against terrorism — as evidenced in 1993 when terrorists bombed the World Trade Center as former President Bill Clinton prepared to take office.

“President Bush and President-Elect Obama have stressed together that the times of transition are particularly perilous in terms of terrorist strikes,” said Hull. “The President-Elect and his team must appear to maintain confidence.”

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A Presidential Mattress

A New Jersey mattress maker that has crafted handmade beds for other presidents hopes to have the honor of making President-elect Obama’s bed.

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Judas Bill Richardson Commerce Secretary?

It isn’t quite 30 pieces of silver, but it does seem like judas Bill Richardson, who gleefully stabbed the Clintons in the back when he switched support from Hillary to Obama during the dem primaries, will indeed reap a reward for his ‘loyalty’ to Obama.

Associated Press – Officials say New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has emerged President-elect Barack Obama’s likely pick for Commerce Secretary.

We knew something was in the works when Richardson shaved off the beard.  Al Kamen over at the Washington Post wonders: If Clinton’s the Pick, Where Does That Leave Richardson.

Obama’s Clintonian Circle

The abundance of Clinton veterans recruited by Obama for his new administration may not be the change his voters had in mind.

From Yahoo:

If Hillary Clinton is offered the Cabinet post, she’ll be one of many reported Clinton administration retreads working in or with the Obama administration.  Eric Holder, a deputy at the Department of Justice during the Clinton administration, was reportedly offered the job of attorney general.  Before Rahm Emanuel was a congressman, he was a senior advisorin the Clinton White House. He’s now Obama’s chief of staff.  John Podesta, heading up the Obama transition, is Clinton’s former chief of staff.

Obama has said he may be looking to create a “team of rivals.”  But this stack-up of Clinton veterans in the Obama administration has already caused buzz that this may not be what some people were looking for when they voted for change. Buried in that Rasmussen poll was this nugget: “Despite the support for Clinton to be secretary of state, 70% of voters think Obama should reach out and appoint new people for his Cabinet rather than including more people who served in the Clinton administration.”

One big-name non-Clinton now associated with the Obama administration surfaced in news reports today.  Tom Daschle, the former Senate Majority Leader, has accepted a cabinet post at Health and Human Services.

During the primary campaign, Hillary had this response to the grumbling about another possible Clintonian Era: “Well, you know, sometimes during this campaign, I hear people criticize the 1990’s and that’s fair, you know, it’s a campaign and people can criticize each other, but I’m always wondering when I hear that criticism, well, what part of the 1990’s didn’t they like? The peace or the prosperity? Because I thought we were on the right track.”

Obama must think so too since his super-team is comprised primarily of former Clinton people.

Obama might want to rethink the ‘Team of Rivals’ idea after he reads this article in the NY Times about how it worked out for Lincoln:

The rest of the “team of rivals” spent the war years scheming and squabbling among themselves. The cabinet never really functioned as a cohesive group.

[–]

There is little doubt that Abraham Lincoln was a great president. But not much of what made him great can be discerned in his appointment of a contentious, envious and often dysfunctional collection of prima donnas to his cabinet.

The Obama Administration Job Application

If presidential candidates (like Obama) were required to fill out a questionnaire as detailed as the one the Obama administration has introduced to potential job hires, then perhaps Charlie Rose and Tom Brokaw would not have discussed the many things they still do not know about Obama’s views a mere week before the election. 

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Tom Brokaw on Charlie Rose Oct. 2008

For the full hour discussion with Tom Brokaw, click here to the Charlie Rose website.

Presidential Pooch Watch

Ever since president-elect Obama mentioned that his kids are getting a puppy, dog lovers around the world have been panting with anticipation to learn what kind of dog will become first pup.

Obama, who described the decision as a “major issue,” is on the hunt for an allergy-free dog, since daughter Malia is allergic. Seeing that Obama is the first “global president,” it’s not surprising that the Fido frenzy has gone international.

Peru has suggested its native Peruvian hairless dog, a bald, toothless breed, which actually looks cuter than it sounds. (You can get better acquainted with the breed here.) The country even has a specific dog in mind. Nicknamed “Ears,” the four-month-old has been offered formally to the future first family in a letter sent to the U.S. Embassy. If the Obama girls reject the Peruvian pup, we hope it won’t create an international incident.

But if the Obamas want to go American, there are plenty of allergy-free dogs to choose from. In fact, Yahoo! searches on “list of hypoallergenic dogs” surged over 3,000% as the curious researched on their own. Lookups on “goldendoodle,” another low-allergy breed, increased 200%, as well as searches on “obama goldendoodle” and “goldendoodle rescue.” As Obama mentioned himself, the family’s preference is to adopt a dog from a shelter. A shelter dog would likely be, as he joked, “a mutt, like me.”

It may be the first difficult choice of his presidency. But at least this decision will come with unconditional love.

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Media Fawning Leads to Easy Q&As for Obama

What role will the Obama worshipping media play over the next four years? We can hope the media will wake from their infatuation with all things pro-Obama and get back to their ‘real’ jobs as impartial, factual, reporters willing to dig, research, and present the unbiased truth with integrity. In other words, the opposite of the example we have here of NBC reporter Lee Cowan, so infatuated with Obama that he is more groupie than reporter. Let’s hope this is not a sign of how the rest of the media will act in the future.

Via NewsBusters:

NBC reporter Lee Cowan was quite infatuated with Democrat Barack Obama on the campaign trail.

Cowan went so far as to confess on camera with NBC anchor Brian Williams that “it’s almost hard to remain objective” because Obama is so “infectious.” Weeks later in an NBC print promotional, Cowan acknowledged that “my knees quaked a bit” when he learned that he was being tasked with covering Obama.

It should come as no surprise, then, that Cowan earned a front-row seat in the president-elect’s first press conference on Friday — and that he floated a softball when Obama called Cowan’s name from a pre-selected list of questioners. It was the second question of the day.

The question: Will you be able to get an economic stimulus package through Congress before you take office? Obama’s answer: “I want to see a stimulus package sooner rather than later. If it does not get done in the lame-duck session, it will be the first thing I get done as president of the United States.”

It took Obama all of 11 seconds to blurt out that meaty response. Don’t you feel so much more informed now.

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