APPOINTMENTS

Monday, November 17, 2008 11:20 AM

Clinton Impeachment Lawyer Tapped As White House Counsel

By AMY HARDER

Among a handful of appointments announced over the weekend, President-elect Barack Obama named Washington attorney Greg Craig as general counsel and longtime friend Valerie Jarrett as a senior adviser and assistant to the president for intergovernmental relations.

Craig, who is a partner at Williams & Connolly, was a close adviser to Obama during the campaign and was a longtime adviser to Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton, defending then-President Bill Clinton through his impeachment trial. He's also advised Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. What's got some conservative bloggers riled up is his defense of controversial clients like John Hinckley Jr., who attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan. Bloggers on the left argue that Craig's extensive legal work in presidential politics will help Obama through difficult legal challenges ahead, such as closing the Guantanamo Bay detainment facility.

Here are some useful links about Craig:

• His biography page on the Williams & Connolly Web site
• A New York Times' profile, published Nov. 8 as his name was floating around as a likely counsel pick

Jarrett, who was also a campaign adviser to Obama, is now out of the running to take over the president-elect's Senate seat, despite speculation that she was a likely candidate. According to AP, other likely contenders for that seat include Reps. Jesse Jackson Jr., Danny Davis, and Jan Schakowsky, as well as state Senate President Emil Jones, Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Veterans Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth.

For more on other appointments announced over the weekend, check out Hotline On Call.