President Barack Obama, with counselor John Podesta, speaks about actions being taken to support communities facing climate change on July 16, 2014. | AP Photo WikiLeaks trove shows Obama in 2008 prepping to move into the White House

A new set of emails from WikiLeaks appears to include exchanges with Sen. Barack Obama in October 2008 that reveal a presidential campaign confidently preparing to govern — and grapple with the financial crisis.

For example, an Oct. 6, 2008, email from Mike Froman (a transition adviser who would become a top aide in the White House) with the subject line “Diversity” has lists containing the names of women and minorities who could serve as political appointees throughout the administration.


On the list of potential cabinet-level positions and deputies: Hillary Clinton, who was floated in early October not only as a potential Secretary of State, but Health and Human Services Department chief, as well. Clinton ultimately accepted the post at State on Nov. 21, after weeks of reported negotiations between the two primary foes.

An Oct. 30 conversation between Obama and John Podesta, his transition chairman at the time, shows how the campaign considered creating an “emergency national economic council” to deal with the exploding financial crisis in the months between Election Day and Inauguration Day. Attached memos consider different staffing options and urge Obama to decide how he wants to structure his economic team during that interim period.

“Normally these decisions could be made after the election, and ideally after the selection of a National Economic Advisor, but, of course, these are not normal times,” Podesta writes in the memo to Obama’s “[email protected]” address. In the body of the email, he notes Obama’s interest in having Warren Buffett serve as an interim economic adviser.

The White House declined to comment on the emails or confirm their authenticity. It has consistently refused to weigh in on the “stolen emails of a private citizen,” a reference to Podesta, who is now Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman and the target of the broader email hack.

In emails dated Nov. 4, 2008 — Election Day — Obama and his staff were debating how to deal with George W. Bush’s outgoing administration before the polls were even closed. At issue: whether Obama should accept an anticipated invitation from Bush to attend the upcoming G-20 summit, at which world leaders would discuss the global response to the economic crisis.

His aides advised against going.

“Attendance alongside President Bush will create an extremely awkward situation. If you attempt to disassociate yourself from his positions, you will be subject to criticism for projecting a divided United States to the rest of the world,” a memo warned. “But if you adopt a more reserved posture, you will be associated not only with his policies, but also with his very tenuous global standing.”

The email went on to consider various ways to get out of it, without sending a public signal that Obama didn’t want to cooperate with Bush.

WikiLeaks has released the Podesta emails incrementally over the past week. The organization highlighted the Obama correspondence on Thursday.

Rachana Pradhan contributed to this report.