NATIONAL

Will Obama name gay DNC head?
Hildebrand a possible successor to Dean; Nunn assisting with Pentagon transition

CHRIS JOHNSON
Friday, November 14, 2008

As President-elect Barack Obama prepares to transition into the White House, many gay politicos are vying to take positions in his administration or other leadership roles in Washington.

Steve Hildebrand, the deputy campaign manager for Obama and highest-ranking gay person in his campaign, has been mentioned as a possible successor to Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean, who announced this week that he would not seek another term as chair.

Media reports suggested that with Dean leaving the post, the DNC could return to a model it used during the 1990s and choose a general chair in addition to an operational chair.

A Democratic aide told the Huffington Post that Hildebrand would be in consideration to take the position of operational chair.

The DNC did not immediately respond to the Blade’s request for comment on possible successors to Dean.

No gay politicos were confirmed as having been offered a prominent position in the administration at Blade deadline.

But one former U.S. senator with an anti-gay past was confirmed to be working in an advisory role for Obama’s transition team. Sam Nunn, a former Democratic senator from Georgia and architect of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” is playing an informal senior adviser role through the defense transition process, according to the transition team.

Obama transition spokesperson Stephanie Cutter said Nunn’s “expertise and the respect he has earned will be invaluable to ensure a smooth transition.”

The Associated Press reported Wednesday that anonymous sources described Nunn’s role as “the leader of Obama’s defense transition.”

While Nunn was one of the architects of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” which prevents openly gay people from serving in the armed forces, he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in June that military leaders should examine how their policy is working.

Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, an organization working to overturn “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” said he needed “clarification” on Nunn’s role in the Obama transition team before he could offer an opinion on the situation.

“At this point, I think we’re talking about somebody who is playing a role as an informal senior adviser,” he said. “That doesn’t tell me what the scope of his portfolio is.”

Sarvis speculated that there are hundreds — if not thousands — of people working as informal advisers for the transition team.

But Sarvis said he would have “major concerns” if Nunn were chosen to take a major role in the Obama administration, such as being appointed as defense secretary.

As for other appointments to the transition team or administration, David Mixner, a gay Democratic activist, said he has “heard a lot of people express an interest,” but didn’t know of anyone that had been appointed or was under “serious consideration.”

“They’re running this selection process like they ran the campaign — tight, disciplined and no leaks,” he said.

Mixner said he expected the Obama transition team to make decisions for cabinet-level posts before making other decisions, and said he expected there would be for gays some “serious, senior-level appointments.”

Citing speculation that Obama could select Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) as secretary of state, Mixner said gay Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) might be Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick’s (D) choice to replace the senator.

“He definitely would be a leading contender to be the first openly gay U.S. senator,” Mixner said.
But Mixner noted that joining the Senate would mean that Frank would have to give up his powerful position as chair of the House Financial Services Committee.

Mixner also said Frank could be considered as Obama’s treasury secretary because “he has all the qualifications” and “has every right to be considered.”

Frank’s office did not respond to the Blade’s request for comment.

‘Progressive blueprint’

Amidst the administrative speculation, the Center for American Progress think-tank released Wednesday a “progressive blueprint” for the next president.

The document contains a chapter, penned by center associates and gay activists Winnie Stachleberg and Mark Shields, that reviews what Obama and Congress can do to advance gay rights.

Recommendations include appointing a gay liaison, developing a more aggressive policy toward the HIV epidemic, and passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and hate crimes legislation.

John Podesta, the founder and head of the Center for American Progress, is one of the four leaders of the Obama transition team.

One of the primary recommendations that the Center for American Progress calls for in its “blueprint” is the establishment of a gay liaison in the White House, similar to what Clinton maintained during his administration.

Richard Socarides, the gay liaison for Clinton, said no matter what the position is titled, “it’s important that there be someone at a senior level responsible for getting things done on gay civil rights issues.”

Socarides said one challenge the gay liaison would face is ensuring the gains made by gays during the Clinton years “are still in full force in effect.”

He said while President Bush did not withdraw Clinton’s executive order barring anti-gay discrimination in the federal workforce, the orders were not enforced during the Bush administration.
Citing the passage of state referenda banning marriage and adoption for gay couples on Election Day, Socarides said the gay liaison position would be especially important because “our rights are really under attack broadly … at the state level.”

Socarides declined to identify those he thought would be a good candidate for the gay liaison position, but said the person needs to be “someone who understands policy and politics and someone who knows how to build coalitions.”

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