'Meet the Press' transcript for Nov. 9, 2008

MR. BROKAW:  There's also a lot of speculation that you're likely to have some Republicans in the Cabinet or in important posts.  Can you comment on that?

MS. JARRETT:  Certainly.  Throughout the campaign, President-elect Obama has talked about the importance of bipartisanship.  We always joke that one of his favorite books is "Team of Rivals," and I know Doris Goodwin will be on your show following, and he really believes in having people around the table who have differences of opinion.  He thinks he'll make better decisions if he's pushed hard by people with perspectives that are wide and broad.  And so it's important to him to have that kind of breadth at the table, and so I'm confident that his administration will include people from all different perspectives.

MR. BROKAW:  There is some speculation as well that he may carry over some Cabinet members from this administration, specifically Defense Secretary Gates.  Is that a possibility?

MS. JARRETT:  I think everything is a possibility right now.  I think, you know, you're, you're asking me these questions just a few days into the transition.  I think that, in a sense, putting together the Cabinet is like a jigsaw puzzle, and he wants to make sure that it represents the diversity of our country, diversity in perspectives, diversity in race, diversity in geography.  And so all of those pieces are going to come together.  And he will pick the best person for each position.

MR. BROKAW:  So you would not rule out keeping some members of the Cabinet that are already in place?

MS. JARRETT:  I wouldn't rule out anything.  As I said, I think that President-elect Obama has an open mind, he's looking for talent wherever he can find it, and he wants to, and he wants to select absolutely the best team that he can find and the team will work together as a whole.

MR. BROKAW:  The most conspicuous appointment so far has been Rahm Emanuel as the, as the chief of staff of the White House.

MS. JARRETT:  Yes.

MR. BROKAW:  It's gotten mixed reactions.  John Boehner, who is the House Republican Leader, had this to say in a statement, "This is an ironic choice for a President-elect who has promised to change Washington, make politics more civil, and govern from the center." Your president-elect is a soft-spoken man.  No one would say that about Rahm Emanuel.  He's the guy who plays tough. He has, well-described in this city, "very sharp elbows." Is there going to be a kinder, gentler Rahm Emanuel?

MS. JARRETT:  That's part of the change we're talking about, huh?  You know, I've had the pleasure of knowing Rahm for, oh my goodness, over 15 years now. He has had leadership experience both in the White House and now in Congress. He knows Senator, now President-elect Obama, very well.  Tone starts at the top, and I think that President-elect Obama has made it clear that he wants an administration that is--that reaches out, that's bipartisan, that works in a collegial way.  There's no one who can hit the ground running faster than Rahm Emanuel.  He embraces President-elect Obama's philosophy.  He's going to do an outstanding job.

MR. BROKAW:  The, the Clintons have a pretty prominent role in all of this. Rahm Emanuel worked for President Clinton in the White House.  John Podesta is running the transition team.  Is President-elect Obama talking directly to President Clinton about what he should know?

MS. JARRETT:  Of course.  Senator Clinton has been a key adviser throughout the general election.  They've campaigned together.  They've had many conversations together.  Senator Clinton has been very willing to speak to Michelle Obama about what's it's going to be like to be a first lady.  So I think she's a key adviser, and we, and we look forward to working with her after he is president, of course.

MR. BROKAW:  One of your mentors, Mayor Richard Daley of Chicago said to me about a year ago, "Ask any American citizen what the federal government has done for them recently and they don't have a good answer." I wonder if, as a Democrat, which has always represented the party of big government, whether there will be a kind of paradigm shift this time, that you'll take the Rich Daley model and shift more money and more responsibility to municipalities and the state government.

MS. JARRETT:  You know, it's ironic that you would say that it's the Democrats that are responsible for big government because government has grown enormously over the last eight years.  I think Barack Obama started out as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago.  He saw firsthand on the ground the challenges that you face trying to get government to work for the people, and so I think that grounding will serve him well, and we'll see that the federal government is really focusing on what's in the best interest of the America people, and that begins at the local level.

MR. BROKAW:  I want to share with you something that was said in the Chicago Tribune.  "Obama said that having an adviser like Jarrett, someone who `knows your flaws but also knows your strengths' is crucial.  What are his flaws?

MS. JARRETT:  Well, that's the advantage of being his friend is that I only talk about his strengths.  We never talk about his flaws, but he does have them.  Nobody's perfect, of course.  But I have to tell you, just on a personal note, I am so extraordinarily proud of, of President-elect Obama and the campaign he ran, the thousands of people who worked on the campaign and the hundreds of thousands of people across the country.  We really have this extraordinary spirit in the country where everyone is excited about this.  It says so much about our country that we could elect the unlikely candidate. It's been a great journey, and he will do a terrific job as our president.

MR. BROKAW:  And your very good friend Michelle Obama...

MS. JARRETT:  Yes.

MR. BROKAW:  ...as first lady, will her model be more Laura Bush or Hillary Clinton?

MS. JARRETT:  I think her, her model will be Michelle Obama.  She's going to be her own first lady.  There'll be nothing like it.  She has journeyed this extraordinary path with him, learned so much from the American people, been so heartened by the spirit and the enthusiasm.  The interests that she's had so far have been focusing on a work-life balance.  She was a working mom.  She knows how hard it is to manage being a mom, a spouse, have a professional job. And she has a lot of support.  She's the first to say, "Look, I did it with all this support.  What about the women out there who are doing it in such a challenging way?" She's also been focusing on military spouses and the challenges that they're up against.  Volunteerism is another issue that's so important to her.  So she'll be an extraordinary first lady.

MR. BROKAW:  But will she have a place at the table?  Bill Clinton use to say about Hillary Clinton, "elect one, get one free." And that's that she would be in on the decision-making within the bowels of the White House.

MS. JARRETT:  Michelle is really not interested in doing that.  Her first priority as she comes to Washington and moves into the White House are those two darling girls, making sure that they are OK, getting them in school, getting them comfortable.  Her mom, Mary Robinson, is coming with them, and so she'll have her hands full.

After that, as I mentioned before, her interests will be work-life balance, volunteerism, military spouses.  And she'll go from there.  But having a seat at, at the table and being a co-president is not something that she's interested in doing.

MR. BROKAW:  Do you have a vote in the puppy selection?

MS. JARRETT:  No.  You know what?  I'm leaving that to the girls.  I've heard many a conversation over the last two years about what dog they're going to select, and I think that they'll reach a consensus within the family, and we're looking forward to seeing that puppy.  It's something that, that, that Barack Obama promised the girls long ago, and we're looking forward to that day.

MR. BROKAW:  Let me ask you a personal question.  Last Tuesday night, at 10 Central time, 11 Eastern time, all the networks made the announcement that your good friend Barack Obama was the president-elect of the United States. What went through your mind, and what was your reaction?

MS. JARRETT:  Well, first tears, of course.  I cried.  Everyone who was with us was in tears.  Just an immense sense of joy for the possibilities of our future of our country.  I think it says so much about the American people that they were able to come together and support my dear friend.  I've known for so long his extraordinary qualities and, and what he could offer our country. And the fact that he was embraced so broadly by more votes than we've ever had in an election just said so much about him.  So deep sense of pride and gratitude and hopefulness about, about the future for our country.

MR. BROKAW:  And what did you say to him?

MS. JARRETT:  You know, it's so funny.  I, I saw him backstage right before he gave his speech, and we just looked at each other, and we made some expressions, and we actually didn't say a word.  But I think one look probably said a thousand things just in a sense of satisfaction and pride and, and hopefulness for the future.

MR. BROKAW:  Valerie Jarrett, thanks so much for being with us.

MS. JARRETT:  My pleasure.

MR. BROKAW:  I know we'll be seeing a lot more and hearing a lot more from you.  And you're always welcome to come back to this desk at MEET THE PRESS.

MS. JARRETT:  I look forward to it.  Thank you, Tom.

MR. BROKAW:  OK.  Thank you very much.

Coming up next, can the two parties unite after this tough-fought election? House Democratic Whip James Clyburn and Republican Senator Mel Martinez weigh in.  Plus, our roundtable, with insights and analysis on this presidential election.  All here this morning on MEET THE PRESS.

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