The picture of then-Senator, Joe Biden (with coffee pot in hand,) has been consistently posted along with a quote for many mornings within Kula's Morning Reaction series. It is what prompted the origin of this series to focus upon the transitions and daily activities of the other Executive Office holder: Vice President-Elect, Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr.
Today's Menu Specials:
- Reheated Cajun Trinity a la 43.
- Sharp Tounge with Fillet of Alaskan Flounder.
- Sweet Talk.
As always (just over the bump), I start you off with a quote from The Gentleman to mull over with your morning Joe.
2 DECEMBER 2008 --
Addressing the 49 Governors and Governors-elect attending the National Governor's Association meeting at Congress Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania::
"We are all in this boat together. And if you sink, the country sinks. If you float, the country does very well."
-- Vice President-Elect, Joe Biden
::::: COCKTAILS :::::
Via a press release through Change.Gov, Vice President-elect Biden will join the Nominee to become the next Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, to be briefed by the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism on current events impacting the focus of this non-partisan commission.
Remember reading my recent complaints on little news about Joe? Well, now it's on like Donkey Kong!
::::: APPETIZER :::::
As reported last Sunday (and offered as a reminder to me yesterday from 1BQ -- h/t!), the Associated Press lined up Mr. Biden's key staff appointments for the office of the Vice President and all of them have impressive backgrounds. I break each one down but suggest you read both the AP column and the press release at Change.Gov
I'm going to offer the following as a repudiation from other research I've come across concerning the transition team for Mr. Biden. This is not so much about Mr. Biden's choice of Counselor to the Vice-President, Michael Donilon; but of his brother, Thomas, who is expected to be named as Deputy National Security Adviser. Read on, McDuff.
During the Carter Administration, Thomas E. Donilon worked as a liaison in the White House Office of Congressional Relations. He was also manager of both the 1980 and '84 DNC Conventions at Madison Square Garden in New York City and the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California respectively. This political background (coupled with his Juris Doctor from the University of Virgina) led him in 1986 to serve Senator Biden as a Senior Advisor to Senate Judiciary Committee. Since that first job with Mr. Biden, Mr. Donilon has served as a debate preparer for Governor Dukakis (1988), Governor Clinton (1992) and -- recently -- Senators Obama and Biden (2008). He has also worked in the private sector as Executive Vice President for Law and Policy at Fannie Mae from 1999 to 2005.
Wikipedia offers the above information and a more "relative" connection between these two gentlemen that I think speaks for itself.
[Mr. Tom Donilon] is married to Cathy Russell, who has been named Chief of Staff to Jill Biden, and he is the brother of Mike Donilon...
... the appointee. Stick it, Freepers.
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According to Change.Gov, Terrell P. McSweeny has a strong advisory background in economic and domestic policies and has served on-and-off with Mr. Biden for some time. She will apparently be the key connection to Former Senator, Tom Daschle's efforts in revamping the nation's health care system if Jonathan Cohn at The New Republic is correct in reporting the following.
Today the Obama transition office will announce its health care policy team. As expected, Tom Daschle will be leading it. According to sources closes to the transition, he'll be joined by a set of analysts including Lauren Aronson, Mark Childress, Dora Hughes, and Jeanne Lambrew. Harvard economist David Cutler will be serving as a part-time, outside advisor, reprising a role he served during the campaign. Among the other outside advisers are Jonathan Blum, Rahul Rajkumar, Terrell McSweeny, and Jenny Backus.
All are names best to become familiar with as their backgrounds may offer some excellent inter-networking on who is really going to do the grunt-work toward creating a National H.C. System for the middle class.
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Evan M. Ryan is very close to Secretary of State nominee, Hillary Clinton. A New Yorker, former White House staple and an expert advisor in foreign policy and international relations. My concern with this pick (as with anything Clinton-related) are her ties when she was First Lady Clinton's scheduling secretary to some questionable fundraising allegations in the mid-1990s.
More on this later; but for now, I think she's another Clinton-connected go-getter with fantastic advisory abilities that should help keep the ties between Veep Biden and (an expected) SoS Clinton very strong while the Press continues their flaccid attempts to raise points of interest that these two cannot come together in the White House. Sit on it, media.
::::: MAIN COURSE :::::
Alaskan Governor, Sarah Palin, attended the National Governor's Association meeting held in the historic Congress Hall in Philadelphia on Tuesday. She joined the dozens of other Governors in welcoming the President-elect and Vice President-elect with 1) A standing ovation, 2) An underlying tension about State budget deficits, and 3) A raucous-but-uncomfortable burst of laughter as Mr. Biden stuck her with a one-liner to define the consequences of the 4 November election.
Mr. Biden's Prepared Remarks:
"Governor Palin, your being here today sends a powerful message that when campaigns end, we are all partners in progress. Thank you."
Mr. Biden's Reported Remarks:
"And Governor Palin, I want to thank you particularly. I might point out, as I told you, when we walked in. Since the race is over, no one pays attention to me at all. So I'm -- maybe you will walk outside with me or something later and say hello to me?" [laughter ensues]
Calculating Credit Card Costs:
Taking heat on the campaign trail for over 20 months.
A lot of coffee and few months of your life.
Being picked as running mate rather than the nominee.
A portion of your ego.
Being elected to serve as the next Vice President of the United States.
92,160 minutes & nearly $150 Million.
Landing a one-liner, directly to her face and in public, about how you're the "-elect" and she's not?
PRICELESS!
::::: DESSERT :::::
I transcribed -- as a whole -- the statement presented by Vice President-elect, Joe Biden, as offered yesterday during the press conference to unveil their appointments to the Obama-Biden Administration's National Security Team. Enjoy the read.
My transcription began from the C-SPAN video archive footage made available yesterday (Mr. Biden's comments begin at 00:24:14 and run for 3:30).
"Well Mr. President, you've assembled quite a team. And I hope and believe that the American people will come to feel -- as I do -- that we brought together one of the most talented, National Security teams ever assembled. A team prepared to meet the serious challenges that we face today and the emerging threats that will confront us tomorrow.
"I have worked with and admired each of the members of this team. Some as far back in the days, Jim, when you were Marine liaison to the United States Senate and so I have a long relationship -- as the President does and I do -- with each of these folks. And each, each has a clear understanding of the forces that are shaping this new century and the lives of our fellow Americans.
"As was mentioned earlier, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; the emergence of China, India, Russia, Brazil and a Unifying Europe as major powers; the spread of lethal weapons to dangerous countries as well as dangerous groups; the shortage of and scarcity of energy, water and food; the impact of climate change; economic dislocations; and persistent poverty; a technological revolution that sends people, ideas and money around the planet at ever faster speeds; and, as was already mentioned -- as we witnessed again last week -- with the terrible events in India, the challenge to democratic nation states from radical ideologies.
"That's just a short-list of the forces that are shaping the twenty-first century. And as been implied by the comments thus far, no one country can control these forces. But more than any other country in the world we have the ability to affect them if we use the totality of our strength.
"In bringing together Senator Clinton, Secretary Gates, Eric Holder, Governor Napolitano, Susan Rice and General Jones, the President-elect has assembled a National Security Team that is poised -- in my view -- to capture the totality of America's strength. Each member of this team shares the goals and the principles of the President-elect and I have attempted to advance.
"Each member shares our conviction that strength and wisdom must go hand-in-hand. Each member believes as we do that America's security is not a partisan issue -- witness the team. Each member understands that America's military might and economic strength must be married to the power of our ideas and ideals if we are to deal effectively with dealing with the forces of change -- some of which I have mentioned -- and if we are going to keep this country that we love so dearly prosperous and free.
"These are extraordinary times. That is not a flight of fancy or exaggeration. They are extraordinary times. We face extraordinary challenges. But I am, as the President-elect is, optimistic -- absolutely optimistic -- that this team, with the President-elect at the helm, will see to it that America leads not only by the example of our power but by the power of our example.
"And now, President-elect Obama is prepared to take your questions; and again, Mr. President-elect, congratulations on assembling -- what I believe will be -- a first-class team to lead us into this century.
"Thank you."
Your thoughts?
::::: THE CHECK ::::::
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See you next time.