Appointments and Resignations
Secretary of Health and Human Services: Who is Tom Daschle?
Tom Daschle, a 26-year veteran of Capitol Hill, is not only Barack Obama’s choice for Secretary of Health and Human Services, but also the man to run the president’s new White House Office of Health Reform. In this capacity, Daschle is expected to... read more
Secretary of Commerce: Who is Bill Richardson?
Bill Richardson’s 30-year career in politics has included several controversies, including “pay to play” allegations that are likely to become highly publicized during his confirmation hearings for Secretary of Commerce.
Born William Blaine “B... read more
Secretary of Education: Who is Arne Duncan?
If confirmed, Arne Duncan would become the first Cabinet member who has earned a living playing and coaching basketball. Duncan was born on November 4, 1964, to Starkey Duncan, a psychology professor at the University of Chicago, and Susan Morton,... read more
Secretary of Energy: Who is Steven Chu?
In nominating Nobel laureate Steven Chu for Secretary of Energy, Barack Obama may have selected the smartest man ever to run a cabinet department.
Chu was born on February 28, 1948, in St. Louis, MO. His father, Ju Chin Chu, and his mother, Ch... read more
Secretary of Homeland Security: Who is Janet Napolitano?
Janet Napolitano does not shy away from tough fights, having first risen to prominence as Anita Hill’s attorney during the Clarence Thomas controversy, and later as a Democratic governor of a very Republican state.
Napolitano was born on Novem... read more
Secretary of Labor: Who is Hilda Solis?
Reaction from liberals and labor unions to the announcement of Hilda Solis as the next Secretary of Labor can be summed up in a word: Delighted. Solis has a long track record in Congress and the California Legislature as a strong supporter of orga... read more
Small Business Administration: Who is Karen Gordon Mills?
Karen Gordon Mills, Barack Obama’s choice to head the Small Business Administration, is an established venture capitalist and future heir to one of America’s favorite candy companies.
Born in 1953, Mills is the daughter of Melvin, 89, and Elle... read more
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Who is Shaun Donovan?
In selecting Shaun Donovan to take over the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), one of the federal government’s most consistently embattled agencies, Barack Obama has tabbed something of a housing “whiz kid.” Donovan, 42, is no stra... read more
Secretary of Agriculture: Who is Tom Vilsack?
Former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack is Barack Obama’s choice to lead the Department of Agriculture. Vilsack was born with the name Kenneth on December 13, 1950, in a home for unwed pregnant women in Western Pennsylvania, and was placed in a Catholic ... read more
The Best and Brightest are Not Always the Wisest: Frank Rich
Lawrence Summers and Timothy Geithner [Obama’s nominees for Director of the National Economic Council and Secretary of the Treasury] are both protégés of another master of the universe, Robert Rubin. His appearance in the photo op for Obama-transi... read more
National Security Advisor: James “Chevron-Boeing” Jones
When George W. Bush took charge of the White House, he chose as his National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, who spent 14 years on the board of directors of Chevron Corporation and even had an oil tanker named after her. When Barack Obama won e... read more
Secretary of the Treasury: Who is Timothy Geithner?
Like Barack Obama, Timothy F. Geithner, Obama’s choice for Secretary of the Treasury, was born in August 1961, spent part of his childhood living in Asia, and currently enjoys playing basketball.
Geithner was born in Brooklyn, New York, August... read more
Attorney General: Who is Eric Holder?
Eric H. Holder, Jr. is Barack Obama’s choice to serve as Attorney General. Holder’s father, an immigrant from Barbados, sold real estate, and his mother worked as a secretary. Born in the Bronx in 1951, Holder grew up in East Elmhurst, a neighborh... read more
National Endowment for the Arts: Gioia Moves On
Dana Gioia, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts since March 2003, plans to announce today that in January he will leave the federal agency he is credited with helping revitalize. Gioia, a prize-winning poet and critic, said he will bec... read more