elect Barack Obama has assembled high-powered team to tackle the US economy, foreign policy and energy - so powerful in fact that many in Washington wonder whether they will all be able to get along. Administrations often get entangled in internal disputes over the direction of policy and who has the president's ear. Obama has been praised for bringing former rivals into his administration. Now comes the task of managing them. “If you can get them pulling in the same direction it's a win all around,” said a former senior Commerce Department official, David Rothkopf. “But if there start to be conflicts or the process starts to become undisciplined then having so many views can prove to be a detriment.” Will Obama be able to keep a lid on the out-size personalities, such as Secretary of State nominee Hillary Clinton? Yes, at least in the beginning, analysts believe, because the urgency of the challenges will command a spirit of harmony. “There is so much energy, they are all on the same wavelength,” said presidential scholar Stephen Hess, a political science professor at George Washington University. “They all want the president to succeed.” But over time, cracks could emerge when the fundamental issues in areas like the economy, energy and foreign policy are debated. Differences often get aired in leaks to the news media, generating internal turmoil and finger-pointing. “There's plenty of potential for conflict and somebody will end up being the alpha male or female in each of those areas. But we won't know that for a while,” said University of Virginia political science professor Larry Sabato. For advice on how to rebuild the sagging US economy - Obama's most urgent priority - Obama has two high fliers - former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers as his chief White House economic adviser, and New York Fed Governor Timothy Geithner as his choice for Treasury secretary. Geithner is trying to get past the Senate confirmation process after reports that he had to pay back taxes owed from a previous job. Summers on point It is not clear who will be the point person on the economy. So far it has appeared to be Summers, who has been the primary Obama lobbyist on Capitol Hill for Obama's economic stimulus and financial bailout plans. On foreign policy, Obama has a particularly strong team, including two people he defeated for the Democratic presidential nomination last year - Clinton and his vice presidential choice, Joe Biden, former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. All eyes will be on Clinton to see how well she gets on with Biden and Obama's national security adviser, James Jones. An added ingredient is the extent to which Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton, attempts to assert himself in matters of State. “Certainly her conduct in the Senate suggests that she's rather collaborative,” said Dartmouth political science professor Linda Fowler. “I don't see her and Biden butting heads a lot.” In addition, Clinton is expected to choose some big names to lead specific problem areas. Foreign policy veteran Richard Holbrooke, once considered a candidate for secretary of state, will be special envoy to India and Pakistan, while former Middle East negotiator Dennis Ross will assume a similar role for Clinton. While Clinton was undergoing her Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday, Biden was ending an overseas trip that took him to Kuwait, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq. He briefed Obama on the trip on Wednesday. Obama's energy team includes a wild card beyond Energy Secretary-nominee Steven Chu. He has picked former Environmental Protection Agency administrator Carole Browner as White House coordinator of energy and climate policy, a new position. Rothkopf said he has been encouraged by the early steps the Obama team have taken because “the optimal situation is a strong president with a strong team.” “But presidents and processes are often tested, often very early by unexpected events and by the incredible welter of demands on everybody,” he said. “If that happens they are going to be subject to the same stresses that have undone previous administrations.”
