President Clinton this afternoon announced his selection of Chicago attorney William Daley to replace Commerce Secretary Kantor and Rep. Bill Richardson, D-N.M., to replace U.N. Ambassador Madeleine Albright.
Richardson holds a graduate degree in diplomacy from Tufts University and served in the State Department's congressional relations office and on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff before winning election to the House in 1982. Daley -- one of seven children of the late Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley and brother of current Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley -- managed Clinton's 1992 campaign in Illinois and helped the White House win congressional approval of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Clinton also picked Gene Sperling, a White House deputy assistant for economic policy, to succeed National Economic Council Chairwoman Laura D'Andrea Tyson.
In addition, Clinton said he will make acting U.S. Trade Representative Barshefsky permanent in her job, make deputy economic policy assistant Daniel Tarullo his international economic policy adviser, and asked Attorney General Reno, EPA Administrator Browner and HHS Secretary Shalala to remain in their jobs for the second term.
White House aides said Federal Highway Administrator Rodney Slater has become the likely choice to replace Transportation Secretary Pena, according to the Associated Press. And former Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Alan Blinder, a Princeton economist, has emerged as the leading candidate to replace Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Joseph Stiglitz, although Blinder reportedly is demanding certain conditions be met before he accepts the job.
With today's announcements, Clinton has reduced to four the Cabinet jobs remaining to fill: Transportation, Energy, Labor and HUD.
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