BARACK OBAMA, who campaigned for the presidency on a promise to bring change to Washington, is turning almost exclusively to veterans of President Bill Clinton's administration for help as he prepares to take office next January.
The president-elect has appointed six officials to review federal agencies, focusing on the departments of state, defence and treasury. All six are experienced Washington insiders with close ties to the Clinton administration.
Last week Mr Obama chose as his chief of staff Illinois congressman Rahm Emanuel, who worked in Mr Clinton's White House, and vice-president-elect Joe Biden is expected to announce that his chief of staff will be Ronald Klain, who served in the same post for Al Gore.
Mr Biden was due to receive a tour of the Naval Observatory, the vice-president's official residence, from Dick Cheney yesterday evening.
Heading Mr Obama's team at the state department are two veterans of the Democratic foreign policy establishment, Thomas Donilon and Wendy Sherman, who held senior positions in the department under Mr Clinton. Ms Sherman is a business partner of Mr Clinton's secretary of state, Madeleine Albright.
Michele Flournoy and John White, who are leading the transition at the Pentagon, both worked at the department of defence under Mr Clinton. Josh Gotbaum and Michael Warren, who will head Mr Obama's team at the treasury, are also veterans of the last Democratic administration.
Among the names most frequently mentioned as the next treasury secretary is Larry Summers, who held the same position under Mr Clinton. New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, who has been touted as a possible secretary of state, held a number of posts in the Clinton administration.
One veteran of the Clinton era who will not be joining the new administration is former Democratic national committee chairman Terry McAuliffe, who chaired Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign this year. Mr McAuliffe has set up an exploratory committee to run for governor of Virginia next year in his first bid for elected office.
Mr McAuliffe (51) plans to announce his final decision in early January but will start raising money and hiring staff this week. A native of upstate New York, Mr McAuliffe has lived in McLean, a Virginia suburb of Washington DC for more than 20 years. Announcing the formation of his exploratory committee, Mr McAuliffe said he wanted to bring big changes to the state capital in Richmond.
"I don't think Richmond is working for people anymore," he said. "I think sometimes Richmond, especially the House of Delegates, thinks too small . . . Richmond is not doing what needs to be done, forward thinking, big bold ideas." One of the most colourful figures in American politics, Mr McAuliffe has be'en an indefatigable fundraiser for his party, once wrestling an alligator in return for a $15,000 donation to Democratic party funds.
Yesterday Mr Obama said he would resign his Senate seat effective from Sunday as he focuses on his transition to the White House.
Under Illinois state law Democratic governor Rod Blagojevich is responsible for naming a successor to Mr Obama, who would serve the president-elect's term through to 2010. With the Senate planning to hold a post-election session starting on Monday, which may address the ailing economy and struggling auto industry, Mr Blagojevich could install a fellow Democrat promptly to help the party win potentially close votes during the special session.
- (additional reporting by Reuters)