Bill, Gore, Rubin Guide Obama in Spirit

President may encourage having families to White House for evening meals

(NEWSER) - The early-bird White House of the Bush administration is almost history, Politico reports. Unlike President Bush, who was usually out the door by 6pm, President-elect Obama’s staffers are expecting long, late hours to match their heavy workload. The Obama team is already working on ways to keep workers in touch with their families. One idea? Communal meals at the White House. More»

It's OK Obama's 'jamming a lot of change down the system'

(NEWSER) - Bill Clinton has a hopeful exhortation for Congressional Democrats trying to push through health care reform. “The president's doing the right thing. It is both morally and politically right,” Clinton tells Esquire. “I wouldn't even worry about the Republicans,” who are just “sitting around waiting for us to mess up,” he says. “I'd worry about executing.” Clinton sees parallels between Obama’s first year and his own, with one caveat. More»

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama is moving to DC this weekend, and he's already got an interesting lunch date lined up next week with some fellows named George Bush (both of them), Clinton, and Carter, ABC News reports. Wednesday's meeting at the White House will bring together the president-elect with all the living former presidents for the first time. More»

Bill Clinton's secretary is now answering phones for Podesta

(NEWSER) - Yet another link with the Clinton White House: Betty Currie, the secretary to Bill Clinton who became embroiled in the Monica Lewinsky scandal, has rolled up her sleeves and is now manning the phones for John Podesta, the co-chairman of Obama’s transition team and former Clinton chief of staff, the New York Times reports. Currie, 69, came out of retirement to volunteer during the Obama campaign, and was a natural choice for the transition, Podesta said. More»

President-elect told he can't move into official guest house early

(NEWSER) - Washington's hotels are booked solid for January and the Obamas have joined those struggling to find a place to stay, the New York Times reports. The president-elect and his wife had hoped to move into Blair House, the official White House guest house, in time for the girls to start their new school Jan. 5. But the Bush administration has told them it won't be available until January 15—just 5 days before the inauguration. More»