Special Report: U.S. presidential election
2008
WASHINGTON, Nov. 20
(Xinhua) -- U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's White House chief of staff pick
met with Republican lawmakers on Thursday in an attempt of bipartisan
cooperation.
Rahm Emanuel, an Illinois congressman who has been
named the top White House official, told reporters that his meeting with
Republicans in Congress sought for cross-party solution to challenges the
country is facing now.
"Since I was named, I also have been reaching out and
I have had about 20-plus phone calls with members of the Republican conference,"
he said. "We welcome their ideas and their concepts."
Obama has vowed to address the economic crisis and
other key challenges to the U.S. through partisan cooperation and "leave
politics aside."
During his yearlong campaign for the White House,
Obama has recruited Republican advisors and been endorsed by prominent
Republican incumbent and former officials including former State Secretary
Collin Powell.
After his successful bid for the White House, Obama
met with his former Republican presidential rival, John McCain, when the two
vowed to work together after the government is sworn in on Jan.20.
Emanuel noted that the challenges for the country are
large but there was "enough goodwill for ideas from both parties to solve those
challenges."
He said that Democrats can cooperate with Republicans
in areas of education, healthcare, taxes, energy policy and national security.
The No. 4 among Democrats at the House of
Representatives is known for his sharp political style. His visit to the
Congress was considered by U.S. media as an effort to heal the wound resulted in
the bipartisan cooperation before he takes the new job in the Obama's
administration.
Poll: U.S. Republican Party popularity
hits record low
WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- After losing
Congress majority and the White House, U.S. Republican Party witnessed its
popularity declining to a record low, showed a poll released on Thursday.
According to the Gallup poll
conducted from Nov. 13 to 16, only 34 percent of Americans said that they have
positive view on the party, about 40 percent down from a month ago before the
elections, while about 61 percent said they have an unfavorable view. Full story
U.S. Defense Department kicks off
transition to Obama's team
WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert
Gates met with President-elect Barack Obama's team on Thursday and started
political transition at the Defense Department.
The Pentagon said that Gates
discussed some key issues the new government would face after being sworn in on
Jan. 20 with leaders of the Obama transition team, John White and Michele
Flournoy, said Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman.Full story
Women eyed as Obama's top candidates
for key cabinet posts
WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) --
Two more women have been eyed by President-elect Barack Obama as the top
candidates for key cabinet posts after Hillary Rodham Clinton was reportedly
offered the secretary of state, said a TV report on Thursday.
Janet Napolitano, the governor of
Arizona who was named to Obama's advisory board, was vetted for the secretary of
homeland security, sources close to the Obama's transition office told
CNN. Full
story
