Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Gregory Craig to be White House Counsel
Politico ^ | November 15, 2008 | By Mike Allen

Posted on 11/15/2008 7:12:58 PM PST by JACKRUSSELL

Gregory B. Craig, a well-known Washington lawyer who quarterbacked President Bill Clinton’s impeachment defense, has been chosen White House counsel by President-elect Barack Obama, according to Democratic officials.

Craig is intimately familiar with the president-elect’s record because he played the role of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in debate preparations.

The officials said Obama has settled on Craig but were not sure when the appointment would be announced.

The choice gives the president-elect both experience and loyalty. During the primaries, Craig was an early Clinton alumni defector to Obama. Columnist Robert D. Novak reported back in the winter of 2007 that Craig had told him he “was impressed with Obama when he first met him at the home of investment banker Vernon Jordan, an intimate friend and supporter of the Clintons.”

Craig was an Obama foreign policy adviser during the campaign. At the start of the Clinton administration, he had been the State Department’s Director of Policy Planning, the head of State’s in-house think tank. He also was senior adviser on defense, foreign policy and national security to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.).

The White House counsel, among the most powerful members of the West Wing inner circle, serves as the president’s lawyer, giving him legal advice and handling pardons and conflict-of-interest issues.

Craig, 63, is a partner at Williams & Connolly and a protégé of the late Edward Bennett Williams, the legendary Washington power lawyer. His selection adds to the surprisingly large number of Clinton White House veterans who are at the top of the Obama roster.

Craig, who had been friends with Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham at Yale Law School, was recruited for the impeachment job by John Podesta, then deputy White House chief of staff and now a leader of Obama’s transition.

A Washington Post profile in 1998 by Lloyd Grove and John F. Harris reported: “Craig brought along his best bedside manner when Clinton summoned him to the White House residence on the night of Sept. 10 — the day after independent counsel Kenneth Starr's lurid report to Congress was published on the World Wide Web. On a balcony overlooking the South Lawn, Clinton and Craig sat talking for two hours.”

Among Craig’s other high-profile cases: successfully representing Elian Gonzalez' father, a Cuban, in his efforts to regain custody of his son; and representing U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan in connection during the Volcker Commission's investigation of the Oil-for-Food Program at the United Nations.

From Craig’s official biography: “In September 1998, President Clinton appointed Mr. Craig to be Assistant to the President and Special Counsel in the White House where Mr. Craig served as quarterback of the President's team that was assembled to defend against impeachment. Mr. Craig was also a member of the President's trial team in the United States Senate and presented the President's defense with respect to Count One during that trial.

“In 1997, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright appointed Mr. Craig to be one of her senior advisors, and he served the Secretary as her Director of Policy Planning during the years 1997 to 1998.

“For five years (1984-1988), he served as Senator Edward Kennedy's Senior Advisor on Defense, Foreign Policy and National Security issues.

“Mr. Craig also has taught trial practice at both Yale Law School (1975-1976) and Harvard Law School (1981-1984).”


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 19980910; 200811; alamoudi; amoudi; annan; bho2008; clintoncrimecabal; clintonistas; craig; edwardkennedy; elian; gregcraig; gregorybcraig; impeachment; johnpodesta; jordan; kofiannan; lawyers; obama; obamatransitionfile; oilforfood; podesta; tedkennedy; vernonjordan; volckercommission
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-62 next last
To: backhoe
Oil for Food scandal ping...

Gregory B. Craig, a well-known Washington lawyer who quarterbacked President Bill Clinton’s impeachment defense, has been chosen White House counsel by President-elect Barack Obama, according to Democratic officials. ...Among Craig’s other high-profile cases: ... representing U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan in connection during the Volcker Commission's investigation of the Oil-for-Food Program at the United Nations.

41 posted on 11/15/2008 8:14:32 PM PST by piasa (How's that change workin' for ya?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Comment #42 Removed by Moderator

To: JACKRUSSELL

CHANGE!


43 posted on 11/15/2008 8:33:56 PM PST by headstamp 2 (Been here before)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JACKRUSSELL

More “change”...


44 posted on 11/15/2008 8:43:14 PM PST by tips up
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Hey, don’t complain.
We get to keep the old score cards, just change the positions


45 posted on 11/15/2008 8:43:25 PM PST by SoCalPol (In Defeat: Defiance - Churchill)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: piasa
“representing U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan in connection during the Volcker Commission's investigation of the Oil-for-Food Program at the United Nations.”

Who's next? Ramsey Clark, America-loathing, International A.N.S.W.E.R. founder, anti-Israel/pro-Palestinian, Free Mumia proponent and all-around America hater? Fits the pattern, yes?

I wonder if the Obama Youth staffers will be running around the White House and Capitol building donning their orange ski caps and Che Guevara t-shirts.

46 posted on 11/15/2008 8:47:59 PM PST by Chairman of the Bard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies]

To: utahagen

This A-hole defended John Hinckley- successfully.

I wish the worst for this prick.


47 posted on 11/15/2008 8:48:34 PM PST by Finalapproach29er (Democrats still want to get Pres. Bush and/or VP Cheney; there might be show trials in Feb09)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: devolve
Wow, Obama’s taking on more and more Clinton people.
Wonder how loyal these people will still feel towards the Clintons. Hillary may wield some behind the scenes power after all.

Or am I totally offbase here?

48 posted on 11/15/2008 9:01:05 PM PST by potlatch
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JACKRUSSELL
This guy Craig has defended an assassin, and defended a Panamanian wanted in connected with the MURDER OF A U.S. SOLDIER.

THAT is the guy Barack Obama picked. Which makes sense-- since Barack Obama hates America too.

49 posted on 11/15/2008 9:03:37 PM PST by exist
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: potlatch

.

Loyalty is fleeting towards the Clintoons


50 posted on 11/15/2008 9:08:03 PM PST by devolve ( ____"hussein the creepy" -- Evan Thomas - Nudesweek ____)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: devolve

[Loyalty is fleeting towards the Clintoons]

Well, you study politics more than I. They seem to have a strong hold on people. FBI files and threats can do that.

I’m somewhat surprised that Obama would want to use so many of the ex Clinton crowd.


51 posted on 11/15/2008 9:24:57 PM PST by potlatch
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: potlatch

.

Many Clintonistas joined team creepy during the campaign


52 posted on 11/15/2008 9:35:50 PM PST by devolve ( ____"hussein the creepy" -- Evan Thomas - Nudesweek ____)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]

To: JACKRUSSELL

*snort* So much for the vaunted “Change” Obama claimed he was going to bring to DC. There are going to be x42 retreads everywhere! But seriously, just who does Barack Obama actually KNOW? Who are his friends? No one in the MSM seemed to be curious enough to ask, or try to find out, during the campaign.


53 posted on 11/15/2008 9:54:51 PM PST by SuziQ
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: piasa

So Gregory Craig is barely one degree separated from Saudi terrorists and Marxist leaders and trail of the money that supports them. That’s consistent with the rest of Obama’s network of anti-American friends.


54 posted on 11/15/2008 10:29:32 PM PST by Mack Truck
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: piasa
Oil for Food scandal ping... Gregory B. Craig, a well-known Washington lawyer who quarterbacked President Bill Clinton’s impeachment defense, has been chosen White House counsel by President-elect Barack Obama, according to Democratic officials. ...Among Craig’s other high-profile cases: ... representing U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan in connection during the Volcker Commission's investigation of the Oil-for-Food Program at the United Nations.

Just in case anyone has forgotten:

Click this picture:


55 posted on 11/15/2008 11:45:07 PM PST by backhoe (All across America, the Lights are going out...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies]

To: JACKRUSSELL

Old National Review article (Feb. 25, 2008)
Say a Prayer for Hillary
http://nrd.nationalreview.com/article/?q=ZDFiOGIwNGVkNWY4ZWE2NmM3M2MyYWZlZTdmOTRjZjk=

Craig comment about Hillary (Excerpt)

Our friend Tracy Mehan asks, “Do the Clintons hunt in pairs like those velociraptors in Jurassic Park?” And plenty of people will be asking the same question as Greg Craig, the attorney who represented Bill Clinton during impeachment. Suffering an apparent case of lawyer’s remorse, he said, “Recent events raise the question: If Hillary’s campaign can’t control Bill, whether Hillary’s White House could.”


56 posted on 11/16/2008 4:40:28 AM PST by enots
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JACKRUSSELL

Can someone summarize a list of all the Clintonistas involved in forming the Obama administration so far? It’s starting to look like the Clinton’s 3rd term.

So far:

Joh Podesta, transition team

Rahm “F-— the Republicans!” Emanuel, Chief of Staff

Jamie Gorelick, transition team

Greg Craig, White House Counsel (I guess BO anticipates he might be impeached? :0)

Hillary Clinton, possible Secretary of State

Billy Jeff Clinton, in charge of intern program LMAO


57 posted on 11/16/2008 4:46:19 AM PST by RooRoobird20 (1/20/2013: "Change We Can Believe In")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JACKRUSSELL

I knew nobama was stupid, but to bring in Clinton loyalists is suicidal.

I give him two years at best before nobama is out of office, one way or another.


58 posted on 11/16/2008 6:35:04 AM PST by sergeantdave (We are now in the Age of the Idiot)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: devolve
[Many Clintonistas joined team creepy during the campaign]

Very true, but most were minor players compared to some of the names bandied about lately.

59 posted on 11/16/2008 9:27:56 AM PST by potlatch
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: SuziQ

There was the “hope” as well. He’s delivered on that as in “Hope this gets overwith pretty doggone soon”.


60 posted on 11/16/2008 10:32:18 AM PST by muawiyah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-62 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson