Obama Puts Clinton Vets on Team, Overlooks Hillary

As he prepares for his move to the White House, President-elect Barack Obama has already named two vigorous Democrat partisans to his team — Rep. Rahm Emanuel as chief of staff and John Podesta to lead the transition. However, insiders say he has not even vetted the most aggressively-partisan Democrat for a post for which she is “eminently qualified” — Hillary Clinton for First Lady.
“He’s overlooking her again,” said one admittedly-embittered Clinton associate. “She’s the only Democrat with actual experience as First Lady. It’s a no-brainer, and he just ignores her.”
The source said that when it comes to the First Lady post, “He’s digging in his heels. All he talks about is Michelle, Michelle, Michelle. But she’s an absolute rookie — untested, nothing on the resume. She’s just not ready.”
Rep. Emanuel served as chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2005, and as senior advisor to President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1998, while Mr. Podesta was President Clinton’s chief of staff from 1998 to 2001. They’ll lead Mr. Obama’s NPTF (New Politics Task Force), fulfilling his promise to assemble a bipartisan administration that rises above old-fashioned politics-as-usual.