Big names drafted to Obama’s transition team: report

Former secretary of state Warren Christopher and respected Democratic former senator Sam Nunn will head president-elect Barack Obama’s transition teams in key government departments, CNN reported Wednesday.

Christopher, 83, will lead the transition team for the State Department. He led it from 1993 to 1997 under Democratic president Bill Clinton, and was deputy secretary of state 1977-1981 under Democrat Jimmy Carter.

Nunn, 70, will lead the handover team for the Department of Defense. He represented Georgia in the US senate from 1992 to 1997, and for eight years headed the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Since retiring he has focused on national security issues, especially on nuclear disarmament.

(Article continues below)

Names floated in the media as possible Obama secretaries of state include Democratic former presidential candidate John Kerry, and New Mexico governor and former UN ambassador Bill Richardson.

Obama’s presidential transition team on Tuesday sidestepped a flurry of speculation that he would ask Defense Secretary Robert Gates to stay on in his administration.

Obama transition officials have not announced any appointments of senior government officials beyond Rahm Emanuel as the president-elect’s chief of staff, and have said that none are expected this week.