Barack Obama is signaling a shift in tactics and temperament as he moves from candidate to president-elect, picking sharp-elbowed Washington insiders for top posts, the Associated Press reported.
His choice Thursday for White House chief of staff - Rahm Emanuel, a fiery partisan - is a significant departure from the soft-spoken, low-key aides Obama surrounded himself with during his campaign. And transition chief John Podesta, like Emanuel, is a former top aide to President Bill Clinton and a tough partisan infighter.
The selections are telling for Obama, who campaigned as a nontraditional newcomer. People close to him say the selections show Obama is aware of his weaknesses as well as his strengths and knows what he needs to be successful as he shifts from campaigning to governing.
