Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said Obama did not alert her before announcing two major environmental picks: Lisa Jackson, his nominee for Environmental Protection Agency administrator, and Carol Browner, the new climate change czar. Boxer leads the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
"Maybe it's because he didn't want a lot of people knowing his choices, didn't want to leak things out," Boxer said. "That could be. But I think the chair of a committee can be trusted."
Likewise, Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), a conservative member of the House Appropriations Committee -- which will draft a large portion of the stimulus bill -- said he was frustrated by the lack of information available about the stimulus package.
"I'm very disappointed. I've read more in the public media than I've learned as a member of Congress," he said. "I'd be very interested in tax relief. I want to be part of it. But I have not been invited to any of these classic backroom meetings."
House Democratic Caucus Chairman John B. Larson (D-Conn.) heard that comment and joked, "You sound just like members of my caucus."
Another potentially troublesome point of discussion is what to do about the government's $700-billion bailout of the financial sector. The House could act as early as this week to set tougher restrictions on recipients of the bailout money, even as the Obama team crafts its own set of rules.
Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said Friday that he had been working closely with the Obama transition team on legislation and that he trusted the Obama staff to run the program effectively.
Still, he said, "We intend to trust but verify."
As Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy (D-R.I.) said last week, "We worked hard to get Obama elected. We're all in this together. . . . But we're also not going to necessarily be a rubber stamp."
Back in Chicago for the last two years, Obama's team has operated as a tight cadre of insiders who famously exercised control over its message and image. If the campaign officials weren't confirming something, it could scarcely be confirmed through other sources.
After the president-elect's first full week of doing business in Washington, though, members of that team are facing a new reality: They're reading about their own business in Capitol Hill releases and news accounts. They're bumping up against Hill-sized egos that operate on their own terms.
Former White House spokeswoman Myers thinks one person actually can influence Washington culture, arguing that Newt Gingrich and Ronald Reagan both did so.
"It's absolutely possible," Myers said. Obama "can do a lot to set a tone, to say, 'I expect this; it's important.' "
She said the moment might be right.
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cparsons@tribune.com
peter.nicholas@latimes.com
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Janet Hook and Jim Puzzanghera in the Washington bureau contributed to this report.
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First up: economic stimulus package
Obama urges Congress to act quickly on his plan, which could end up costing $1 trillion. NATION, A10
