Your guide to the region's top events, mixed with some commentary about life, media, gossip and politics in Washington, DC.
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Bringing the Windy City to the Nation’s Capital
With the Obamas now living here, here’s a field guide to their Illinois ties.
By
Lynn Sweet
Michelle Obama Title: First Lady Connections: Former U of Chicago Medical Center vice president for community and external affairs. Former lawyer in Mayor Daley’s city hall, hired by Valerie Jarrett. Mother of former U of Chicago Lab School students. Former member of U of Chicago Lab School board. Valerie Jarrett Titles: Senior adviser and assistant to the President for intergovernmental relations and public liaison; First Friend. Connections: POTUS, FLOTUS confidante. While at Mayor Daley’s city hall, hired Michelle. Cochair of Obama’s presidential transition team. Former board chair of U of Chicago Medical Center, where Michelle worked. Parents live down the street from the Obama Chicago home. Attended U of Chicago Lab School. David Axelrod Title: White House senior adviser Connections: Top strategist for Obama presidential, senate campaigns. Political clients include Rahm Emanuel, Mayor Daley. A public-affairs firm Axelrod founded, ASK Strategies, had a consulting contract with the U of Chicago Medical Center. U of Chicago graduate. Rahm Emanuel Title: White House chief of staff Connections: Washington and Chicago politics; worked with Obama when Emanuel ran the House political operation. David Axelrod is a friend and political adviser.
Desiree Rogers Title: White House social secretary Connections: Former Chicago business executive is close friend of POTUS, FLOTUS, and Jarrett. Former wife of John Rogers Jr. John Rogers Jr. Title: Friend. Cochair, presidential inauguration committee. Cochair, presidential campaign Illinois finance committee Connections: Raised down the street from the Obama Chicago home. Grew up with Jarrett. Attended U of Chicago Lab school. Basketball buddy of Michelle’s brother, Craig, at Princeton. Member, U of Chicago board, U of Chicago Lab School board. Christina Tchen Title: White House director of public liaison. Connections: Jarrett friend. Served on U of Chicago Medical Center board. Arne Duncan Title: Secretary of Education Connections: Raised in Hyde Park. U of Chicago Lab School graduate. Basketball buddy. Former Chicago Public Schools chief. James Crown Title: Cochair, presidential campaign Illinois finance committee Connections: Friend; chair of the U of Chicago Board of Trustees. Susan Sher Title: White House associate counsel Connections: U of Chicago Medical Center vice president for legal and governmental affairs and general counsel. While a corporate counsel in Mayor Daley’s city hall, she passed Michelle’s résumé to Jarrett, who hired her. Former member, U of Chicago Lab School board. Elena Kagan Title: Solicitor general Connections: Friend of the Obamas’ since her days at the U of Chicago law school, where she was on the faculty. Eric Whitaker Title: First Friend Connections: Met Obama at Harvard Law. Campaign-trail, vacation pal. U of Chicago Medical Center executive. Former director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. Penny Pritzker Title: Cochair, presidential inauguration committee; economic transition-team adviser Connections: Billionaire business mogul was Obama presidential campaign national finance chair. Member, U of Chicago Lab School Board. Marty Nesbitt Title: First Friend Connections: Obama’s presidential campaign treasurer. Campaign-trail, vacation pal. U of Chicago business-school grad and president of the Parking Spot; Pritzker is company board chair. Member, U of Chicago Lab School board. Married to Anita Blanchard, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the U of Chicago Medical Center, who delivered both Obama children. Cass Sunstein Title: Administrator, Office of Management and Budget office of information and regulatory affairs Connections: Informal Obama campaign adviser. Before moving to Harvard last year, taught at the U of Chicago Law School, where Obama was on the faculty. Last summer married Obama adviser Samantha Power. William Daley Title: Adviser; cochair, presidential inaugural committee; cochair, transition-team advisory board Connections: The former Commerce secretary and brother of Chicago mayor Richard Daley was a campaign and transition adviser. Close to Axelrod, Emanuel. This article first appeared in the February 2009 issue of The Washingtonian. For more articles from that issue, click here. More>> Capital Comment Blog | News & Politics | Society Photos
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Comments
Looks like Ray LaHood may be the first one out the door, if yesterday’s media comments are any indication of his thought processes.
Posted by: Carol Parker, Feb 21, 2009 02:41:21 AM
now, who will be the first to go home?
Posted by: jeffery mcnary, Feb 20, 2009 11:38:57 AM
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