Political veterans map out recommendations, pitfalls for president-elect

President-elect Obama should seek bipartisan support during the transition and his first 100 days in office to tackle a number of legislative priorities that are supported across party lines and avoid some of his boldest promises right out of the gate, a Washington think tank advised on Friday.

The Brookings Institution issued a memo to the president-elect urging him to move carefully during the next few months and to choose his priorities, and his closest allies, with caution. The memo was released at a standing-room-only forum on transition-related issues -- the first of 12 to be hosted by Brookings in the coming weeks.

The panelists, all veterans of presidential politics, agreed that Obama must start by stabilizing the financial market and curbing the recession.

Kenneth Duberstein, former chief of staff to President Reagan, said Obama has "an opportunity to lead an economic revival," but only if he finds a way to work across the aisle with Republicans.

"America is looking for someone with the ability to govern," Duberstein said. "And that means working not just with your friends but with your adversaries."

In addition to the economic meltdown, the memo suggests Obama should begin with issues such as public funding of stem cell research, expanding the State Children's Health Insurance Program, and passing new subsidies for renewable fuel research and development.

"The point is to start with legislative proposals that avoid reigniting bitter partisan battles," said Darrell West, the memo's author and Brookings' vice president and director of governance studies. "As you proceed to address your highest priorities -- such as health care and tax policy -- you should direct members of your administration and congressional leaders to seek the involvement of key Republicans willing to engage in serious deliberations."

Several of the panelists noted that President Clinton erred during his first term by focusing on gays in the military, a divisive issue that might have hurt his ability to govern and to implement some of his larger campaign promises, such as a middle-class tax cut.

Scholars suggest Obama could have more immediate administrative and logistical issues to deal with during the transition period.

Stephen Hess, who has served on the staff of two administrations and advised two others, said Obama should start by setting no more than five goals he wants to accomplish immediately. Then he should select his top White House staff -- but not necessarily his Cabinet -- who will loyally carry out his priorities, Hess said. Finally, he said, Obama should focus on his inaugural address, which will be historically and politically important.

"He's got a lot of work to do," said Hess, whose new book, What Do We Do Now? (Brookings Institution Press, 2008) offers a transition roadmap. "But, these are the things you have to do to get your priorities in place when you get started."

One of the pitfalls Obama could face, several panelists suggested, is unrealistically high prospects for immediate change. The public must understand, they said, that his vision will not be implemented overnight and that it could take years to work through the mortgage crisis, fix failing schools and provide universal health care.

"Some people are going to have unreal expectations about what he can accomplish," said Terry Edmonds, an associate vice president of Columbia University and a former Clinton speechwriter. "They are going to expect miracles."

One of ways to keep Obama focused and to avoid the distractions of an endless array of interest groups is through a disciplined White House staff that will not overburden the president with issues he needs not be concerned with. Members of the panel agree that Obama might have found such a gatekeeper in his selection of Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., as his chief of staff.

A fiery partisan with a reputation for using colorful language and sharp-edged politics, Emanuel will be responsible for making decisions that do not need to reach the Oval Office, according to Leon Panetta, former chief of staff to President Clinton.

"As I told the president-elect and I have told others, part of the job description is that you have to be an SOB as chief of staff," he said." You need to have someone who makes the tough decisions. And he is the guy to do that in the administration."

The memo also encourages Obama to employ the technology he used during his campaign in the executive branch. The report suggests his chief technology officer should "bring the public sector up to the standard of top private sector innovators such as Amazon and eBay."

Obama also should make use of online forums to increase feedback from the citizenry, West said. Among his recommendations were adding complaint lines and surveys to government Web pages to evaluate agency performance.