Obama Names Gay Man to Head Office of Management and Administration
Filed by: Michael Crawford
January 6, 2009 4:30 PM
For the second high profile LGBT appointment to his administration, President-Elect Barack Obama has named Brad Kiley as the director of the Office of Management and Administration. Kiley is currently the director of operations for the Obama-Biden Transition Project and was a former vice president at the Center for American Progress.
In this role he will oversee all aspects of administrative services to all entities of the Executive Office of the President (EOP), including direct support services to the President of the United States. These services include financial management, human resources management and research assistance. He will represent the EOP before congressional funding panels.
In making the announcement the Obama-Biden transition team said:
Today, President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Biden announced the following White House staff: Don Gips, White House Director of Presidential Personnel, Bradley J. Kiley, Director of the Office of Management and Administration, Susan Sher, Associate Counsel to the President, Brian McKeon, Deputy National Security Advisor to the Vice President, Courtney O'Donnell, Communications Director for Dr. Jill Biden, Carlos E. Elizondo, Residence Manager and Social Secretary for the Vice President and Dr. Jill Biden and Pete Souza, Chief White House Photographer.
President-elect Obama said, "I am honored to have this talented group of individuals joining my staff. They bring diverse backgrounds and unique perspectives to our team. I am confident that the American people will benefit from their experience and expertise and Vice President-elect Biden and I look forward to seeking their advice and counsel as we work to move our country forward."
Kiley's appointment follows the appointment of openly lesbian Nancy Sutley to head the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
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20 Comments
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I wonder what job in the administration he's going to give Warren?
MonicaHelms | January 6, 2009 4:50 PM
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Well, I am less interested in Warren than I am in seeing more LGBT people appointed to the administration. The more LGBT and allied people we have in positions of the power, the more likely we will be able to create the political change that our community needs.
Michael Crawford | January 6, 2009 5:00 PM
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Michael,
It'll be interesting to compare posts. The ones where the discussion is about Warren, you get 35 to 50 comments. This one, where Obama has done something good for LGBT people, just a few people will comment. It'll prove that many LGBT are more interested in being angry and making demands to Obama then praising him for doing things like this.
MonicaHelms | January 6, 2009 6:30 PM
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This is excellent news.
Administrators today - ENDA tomorrow.
It's on the horizon.
This just proves that they are listening to you and Monica and not Rick Warren.
patrick | January 6, 2009 6:57 PM
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Obama will help us all he can. But he's got bigger fish to fry, and I don't mind him playing politics with us. He needs broad support for his domestic agenda, which is why Warren got a ceremonial slot.
It's totally important that Obama succeed. If he does, if a black man can fix the Bush disaster, it'll be a huge moral victory for liberalism, and
I intend to do everything I can to help.
I loved watching the Clintons dodge and weave. Far from criticizing Obama for doing the same, I say go daddy. Make me a sweater.
Wilberforce | January 6, 2009 7:41 PM
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Michael,
I think we will be well-pleased by the actions of the Obama-Biden Administration.
Kim Johnson | January 6, 2009 8:53 PM
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This is not news, at least not to those of us accustomed to dining on more than the occasional crumb.
He'll be in charge of "direct support services to the President of the United States" and he'll basically do the same job he did in Bill Clintons White House: "the travel office, the visitors office, and White House administration, which included finance, human resources and facilities." And Kiley can be trusted not to be in Obama's face about marriage and all those other "divisive" issues; he's a graduate of Texas Christian University.
Among his many varied and exciting duties Kiley will no doubt take time out to book Warren into the Lincoln bedroom on weekends so he can be on tap to provide spiritual guidance for Obama.
Bill Perdue | January 6, 2009 9:29 PM
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You are good at telling us what politicians do to piss you off, but never what it will take to make you totally happy, short of anarchy.
MonicaHelms | January 7, 2009 6:52 AM
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I'll be happy if there's a concerted program to make bigotry illegal. So I like the idea of hate crimes and hate speech laws, a tough, inclusive ENDA that covers housing, employment and access to public services with confiscatory fines and jail time for bigots.
You on the other hand voted for a bigot named Obama who opposes same sex marriage for superstition driven reasons and a party that just a year ago trashed those bills. Do you have some hush-hush info you’d like to share that would excuse your vote for bigots? Please, share.
I'll be happy when the US withdraws all its military, espionage, mercenary and terrorist units from the 737 military bases it maintains around the world to insure profits for the rich, who don’t limit their looting just to North America. But you voted for a party and a warhawk who’ll increase the fighting in the Middle East. More GI’s and south Asians will die. Does that make you happy?
I’ll be happy when the looters who wrecked the economy get what they had coming. But you voted for a pair of Wall Street lap dogs named Obama and Biden, and a party that consistently favors the rich at our expense> Obama favors handouts to the rich, bailouts, union busting, bankruptcy and opposes socialized medicine and welfare for the poor and underpaid. So, other than that, what makes you happy about the Democrats economic policies?
Next you’re going to ask if I think the Republicans are any better. Don’t bother. Of course they’re not. But they’re not worse either.
Then you’ll want to know if I’m a pseudo-Marxist crypto-anarcho-syndicalist quasi-bomb throwing Un-American terrorist consumed by bitterness and a desperate need to hate, gripe and grouse. That seems to be the only thing you and Michael can think of to explain why so many of us just don’t like the kind of bigots you have so much faith in.
Bill Perdue | January 7, 2009 5:45 PM
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You want all the same things I want, but you go out of your way to belittle people on their direction to obtain them. If all of those things happened, would you finally be happy, or would you find other LGBT things to complain about? I think you would.
This reminds me of a famous Irish song, "You take the low road and I'll take the high road . . . " Sometimes we need to focus on the end results and stop bitching about the process to get us there. Life's too short for that.
MonicaHelms | January 9, 2009 11:32 AM
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I agree with Bill. This man sounds like an HR rep for the White House, a great and important job I bet, but not much to do with public policy. I don't think I like the idea of Obama touting this as "inclusion" for LGBT appointees, a cabinet post would have bee nice. I'm still holding out for Secretary of the Navy.
K. Travis Ballie | January 6, 2009 11:03 PM
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Travis,
Despite what Bill says, Kiley was appointed to a key position in the Obama administration.
Not every job in the administration is policy related. People who hold the non-policy related posts that help the government are incredibly important.
I, too, would also have liked to have a LGBT person appointed to a cabinet level position. So far, that has not been the case.
There are a lot of people in both policy and non-policy roles and I believe that more openly LGBT people will be tapped to help fill those positions.
Michael Crawford | January 7, 2009 7:36 AM
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I hope Obama appoints an out gay man or lesbian woman to replace Richardson at Commerce.
This would go a long way toward a mea culpa for his stupidity and arrogance over Rick Warren and Tim Kaine.
But alas, the ultimate mea culpa would be for Obama to uninvite Rick Warren from the festivities on January 20, 2009.
Christopher | January 7, 2009 8:11 AM
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But Christopher!?!?!?!?!
Why would Obama uninvite Rick Warren? Don't you think it is a sign of everything good that might happen that Obama hired a gay office manager?
I mean come on...I'm sure he and Michelle have a gay hairdresser too. Come on, man...change is a comin'....
Heck, we are a bunch of pedophiles that get off on incest, but we are also great secretaries!!
See!! It's all good!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOG2x6xhbhM
patrick | January 7, 2009 9:32 AM
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Patrick,
We will see how swiftly Obama moves to reverse 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.'
Or, whether he quickly gets so bogged on with expanding the Afghanistan war that he forgets all about his promises to make it go away.
I hear Obama has tagged CNN's Sanjay Gupta to be Surgeon General. I know many CNN loyalists are cheering this decision but I can't forget the way Gupta eviscerated Michael Moore on the subject of National Healthcare.
Gupta is opposed to the creation of National Healthcare. If Gupta, as Surgeon General, has Obama's ear, will National Healthcare get swept under the carpet too?
Christopher | January 7, 2009 11:22 AM
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I think that ENDA and hate crimes will come before repeal of DADT.
Also, the surgeon general's role is more one of promoting public health than setting policy. The surgeon general will undoubtedly be consulted on legislation to expand access to healthcare, but as Obama has said the buck stops with him.
He also named Daschle as head of HHS and you don't name someone of Daschle stature to that position without being serious about reform.
I have said before that we are going to have to help Obama be the most progressive and transformational president that he can be. That won't be easy considering the lengths that the insurance industry etc will go to stop us. We are going to have to fight for what we want and need.
Michael Crawford | January 7, 2009 11:30 AM
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Michael,
I like Tom Daschle. He's a good man. Obama got it right with Daschle. The same with Leon Panetta. The CIA needs a breath of fresh air. Obama did well with Panetta.
Hillary and Gates? No. Warren and Kaine? No fucking way.
Obama is no progressive but he's 1000 times better than the Old Coot and I'm so happy Obama defeated him. And another thing. You know me. I will be riding Obama's you-know-what to make sure our tribe gets what is ours.
That's why I blog.
Christopher | January 7, 2009 11:49 AM
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Great!
Isn't that Dawn Johnson also a lesbian? I've heard nothing but great things about her.
Alex Blaze | January 7, 2009 12:08 PM
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Thanks for this info Michael.
This appointment can only be a good thing.
MauraHennessey | January 7, 2009 3:21 PM
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Maura...please let me know that you realize I am being an insincere smart ass.
patrick | January 7, 2009 3:53 PM
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