Transition teams

Both candidates are (understandably) building early versions of their "transition teams," the people responsible for staffing the administrations if they win.

This really does matter as the cabinet and key posts do alot of the shaping of an administration. As an extreme example, Cheney ran the Bush transition and placed his sympathetics at power points or secondary observational positions in almost every key department, giving him unprecedented direct and influential control which led us.... well, here.

Obama has named John D. Podesta, a former chief of staff to President Bill Clinton, as the head of the early transition efforts which likely means center left, DLC types in the early running for top positions.

On the other side, McCain's transition work is being coordinated by William E. Timmons, a longtime Washington lobbyist whose clients have included the American Petroleum Institute and the mortgage company Freddie Mac.

(One of those questions I would like to see, "Sen. McCain, if elected President, which of George Bush's appointees will you keep in your administration?")