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Press Reporting Cabinet Picks Without Official Confirmations

By Stephen Kaufman  

American statesman and legendary wit Benjamin Franklin once said, "Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead." President-elect Barack Obama's communications team might be in full agreement after a week of steady reporting by the news media about Cabinet selections, none of which has yet been announced officially.

Speculative headlines about the makeup of the incoming Obama administration have supplanted reflections on the historical significance of his victory in the days following the November 4 vote.

During the weeks leading up to the January 20, 2009, inauguration, President-elect Obama will announce his choices for his Cabinet and other high-level officials who will help guide his administration and play an influential role in shaping U.S. policy. (For more information, see "Dozens of Advisers Will Guide Next U.S. President ( http://www.america.gov/st/elections08-english/2008/November/20081114165105hmnietsua0.377392.html?CP.rss=true).")

The week of November 16 saw widespread news reports on several presumed Cabinet picks: Eric Holder as attorney general, Obama's primary Democratic rival Hillary Clinton as secretary of state, former Senator Tom Daschle as secretary of health and human services, and Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano as secretary of homeland security.

But as of November 21, visitors to the Obama-Biden Transition Team's official Web site have yet to see any such announcements. News outlets are citing anonymous staffers or Democratic Party insiders as sources.

These rumors are at odds with the Obama campaign's famous discipline in communication, such as its ability to keep the choice of Senator Joe Biden as running mate a secret until Obama sent his millions of Twitter subscribers a brief announcement in August.

In his first news interview after winning the election, Obama was repeatedly asked by CBS reporter Steve Kroft on November 16 about whom he might ask to serve in his administration, or at least when he might make an announcement.

"How close are you to settling on a Cabinet?" Kroft asked. The president-elect replied, "Well, I think that I've got a pretty good idea of what I'd like to see. But it takes some time to work those things through," adding, twice, that announcements would be made "soon."

Was Senator Clinton in the running for the Cabinet? Kroft persisted. "She is one of the most thoughtful public officials that we have. Beyond that, you're not getting anything out of me, Steve," Obama replied. Kroft eventually gave up.

Despite the silence of the president-elect and his staff, news outlets have been confidently reporting Cabinet selections. The news that Governor Napolitano was the apparent secretary of homeland security won the public endorsement of Obama's election rival Senator John McCain, who said he had called her to offer his congratulations and urged her "rapid confirmation" by the U.S. Senate, even though there has been no official announcement.

The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza wrote November 19 that the tremendous number of phone calls involved in "vetting" Cabinet nominees and obtaining background checks for security clearances has widened the circle of those "in the know" about who is being considered for these important posts. That growth "virtually ensures people with less loyalty to the president-elect will be privy to critical information," he said. And of course, the news media are always eager to tap these sources.

America.gov has remained silent on the ever-expanding list of likely officials because, as an official U.S. government information source, it cannot report on them until they are officially announced.

In the meantime, more information about each Cabinet position is available on our Transition page ( http://uspolitics.america.gov/uspolitics/elections/cabinet.html ), where updates will be posted as they are officially announced.

For more information, visit the Obama-Biden Transition Team's official Web site ( http://www.change.gov/newsroom ).

Source: U.S. Department of State

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