Barack Obama is looking more like a realist

The president-elect who promised to overthrow Washington's partisanship and cronyism is turning to seasoned veterans -- even lobbyists -- in an apparent effort to avoid rookie mistakes.

Now that the confetti has fallen, the nascent administration of Barack Obama has come face to face with one of its biggest challenges: living up to the exceptionally high expectations his thrilling campaign produced among supporters and long-suffering Democrats.

At his transition team's first public briefing Tuesday, the audience was wildly outsized for the presentation by the transition chief, owlish think-tank denizen John Podesta. Full Story »

Posted by Kaizar Campwala

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Review

Derek Hawkins
4.0
by Derek Hawkins - Nov. 12, 2008

Although this piece takes some liberty with language and style, I'm glad the Times didn't shy away from an analysis of John Podesta's presentation. This could have easily been a plain, straightforward news story. Good context is provided by comparisons to Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter's early days as presidents-elect. Key statements from the campaign trail are pitted against recent actions Obama has made toward transition into the White House, questioning the reformist tone Obama maintained during the election.

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