Obama Cabinet headed toward quick Senate approval

By Thomas Ferraro

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's proposed Cabinet of top advisers seems headed toward swift U.S. Senate approval, with former presidential rival Hillary Clinton appearing a shoo-in for secretary of state.

Following a tradition in the treatment of incoming presidents, Obama's fellow Democrats along with Republicans have made Senate confirmation of his Cabinet a top priority.

Most of Obama's picks may be approved within days of the Illinois Democrat being sworn in as the 44th president at noon on Tuesday. A few are expected to be confirmed within hours of the inauguration.

Twelve of President Ronald Reagan's 14 Cabinet members were confirmed within two days of his first inauguration in 1981, while 13 of President Bill Clinton's 15 Cabinet members were confirmed within one day.

President George W. Bush's Cabinet took longer to seat, with seven winning confirmation the first day and the rest approved within 11 days, according to Senate Democrats.

Members of both parties agree Obama's proposed department heads need to be in place to help him hit the ground running as he confronts two wars, a deepening recession, an explosive Middle East and an estimated 46 million Americans without healthcare.

Hillary Clinton, a senator from New York since 2001 and wife of former President Bill Clinton, may be the first of Obama's nominees to be confirmed, likely a few hours after he takes office. Clinton, who was Obama's chief rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, had her nomination sent to the full Senate by a 16-1 vote of the Foreign Relations Committee.

Others who may be confirmed quickly include Nobel physics laureate Steven Chu as energy secretary, former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack as agriculture secretary and Democratic Sen. Ken Salazar of Colorado as interior secretary.

None of Obama's nominees to his 15-member Cabinet is expected to be rejected by the Democratic-led Senate.

But New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson withdrew as commerce secretary-designate to deal with a corruption probe, and Treasury Secretary-designate Timothy Geithner has faced embarrassing questions about $34,000 in unpaid taxes.

The Senate confirmation hearing for Geithner, head of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, has been postponed until the day after Obama takes office.

"He'll be chastened and embarrassed -- as he should be -- but he'll likely be confirmed," said a senior Republican aide.

Many argue Geithner's expertise is vital to deal with the recession. But as another Republican said: "Let's see how he does at his hearing. Less people have gone down for less."

It has not been all smooth sailing for the emerging administration of the first African-American to win the U.S. presidency and his efforts to create a diverse Cabinet.

ADMITTING AN ERROR