This Week in Politics: Transitional Period Begins

National Politics: Obama Transition

President Elect Barack Obama has begun to choose is White House staff, and his first selection was Rahm Emanuel for White House Chief of Staff. Emanuel is a Congressman from Illinois's 5th congressional district, and was the Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee for the 2006 midterm elections. According to Politico.com the selection “was a powerful signal of Obama’s determination to be effective under the existing rules of the Washington game.” While John Nichols of the Nation described the selection of Emanuel as “best understood as a disappointing choice rather than a definitional selection.” Jacob Weisberg of Slate described Emanuel in 1996 as “the [Clinton] administration's most diabolically effective tactician.” While Noam Scheiber of the New Republic made a case for Emanuel because no one else had the “combination of policy chops, Hill knowledge, and the understanding of how to mobilize voters that he'll need to pass major initiatives like healthcare reform.”

What Rahm Emanuel symbolizes is that while we can expect an Obama Administration to be bi-partisan, we can also expect to see the administration aggressively perusing Obama’s agenda. The role of the Chief of Staff is to execute the President’s agenda, and no one has argued that Emanuel will not be able to execute with proficiency. There have been those that have characterized Emanuel as a partisan, and there have been those that have characterized him as moderate. However, it does not matter, what matters is whether or not he will be able to execute what it is a President Obama will ask him to do. Barack Obama ran one of the most discipline campaigns that have been seen in politics, and the appointment of Emanuel symbolizes that an Obama White House will be just as disciplined.

Robert Gibbs was reported by Politico.com yesterday to be President Elect Obama’s choice for Press Secretary; the choice of Gibbs as the voice of an Obama Administration has been talked about for several months and it is widely regarded as a perfect fit. Gibbs was communications director of Obama's Senate office, and was Senior Strategist for Communications and Message for the Obama campaign for the presidency. Gibbs became the prototype for progressives and liberals for how to aggressively counter the attacks of conservative media pundits when he took on Sean Hannity on Fox News after the second Presidential Debate at Belmont University. What Gibbs will bring to the podium will be the ability to convey the Administration’s policy and agenda to the media and the public with authority, and to remain calm and collected during questioning from the White House press corps.

Obama met with his economic team in Chicago this afternoon, after which he held his first press conference as the President Elect. Behind him stood an array of economic voices to his right stood his Vice President Elect and to his left stood his new Chief of Staff. Obama’s opening remarks began with an overview of the current economic climate including the new unemployment numbers. The first priority Obama outlined was a rescue plan for the middle class; Obama laid out the rest of his plan for repairing the economy.

Then Obama answered questions from the press for the first time as President Elect. Obama made it clear that a stimulus package should be passed either now or shortly after the new administration takes office. “I want to see a stimulus package sooner rather than later.” Also, Obama reiterated more than once that there is only one President at a time, and that he will do his best to send the right messages to the nation and the world. In his last answer Obama said, “My priority is how do we grow the economy, how do we create more jobs.”

By the way, Obama named two criteria for the new dog or puppy: it should be hyper-allergenic and a rescue dog.

Texas Politics: Direction of Texas Politics is Uncertain

In Texas the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives is being sought after by nine representatives, including five Democrats and four Republicans (including the Current Speaker of the House Tom Craddick). Phillip Martin of the Burnt Orange Report clarified the major issue that concerns the next Speaker of the House, “What is the status quo that is not acceptable? Simple: every Member should be treated equal. Republicans should not be pressured to vote against their districts. Democrats should not be held to any previous litmus test.” According to the Dallas Morning News House Democratic Caucus Chairman Jim Dunnam said, “I have a problem today, I can't stop smiling. Stick a fork in Tom Craddick. He's done."

Make no doubt about it, who becomes the Speaker of the House will determine the direction that the House of Representatives takes in the upcoming legislative session. The question is whether or not Democrats and Republicans will come together in bi-partisan cooperation to vote in a new Speaker of the House. Jim Keffer and Tommy Merritt could make serious challenges to Speaker Craddick and could garner bi-partisan support.

According to an article in the Austin American-Statesman Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison has indicated that the results of the election have not changed her mind to run for governor and resign two years before her term ends and that Texas would be “Texas would be actually well positioned because John Cornyn.” Hutchison is positioning herself for a challenge of Governor Rick Perry in the Republican primary and a very realistic chance to defeat Perry and eventually win the gubernatorial election; Democrats will have a real chance to take the Senate seat in a special election without the burden of facing an incumbent. However, Capitol Annex has reported that Congresswoman Kay Granger (R-Fort Worth) has announced that she will not seek another term as vice-chair of the House Republican Conference, fueling speculation that she is positioning herself for a race for U.S. Senate if and when U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison steps down to run for governor.

According to a interview with the Houston Chronicle Houston Mayor Bill White may be considering a run for Governor, and could seriously challenge the Republican nominee. If Hutchison where to lose a primary bid to Governor Perry or the gubernatorial election to the Democratic nominee she could be weakened by what would probably be a tough primary battle or gubernatorial election. There are apparent paths for the Democrats to take back either the Governor’s mansion or a Senate seat in Washington. However, the dust is yet to settle from Tuesday’s election; the next two years will be critical in determining Texas’s political direction.