Obama names Clinton aide W.H. counsel

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 (UPI) -- U.S. President-elect Barack Obama announced key staff appointments Tuesday, including Clinton administration alumnus Gregory Craig as White House counsel.

David Axelrod, who managed Obama's 2004 Senate campaign and served as chief strategist this year, was named senior adviser to the president. Axelrod, who left his job as a political writer for the Chicago Tribune in 1984 to manage Paul Simon's first campaign for the U.S. Senate, has worked for many Democrats as a consultant, including New York Sen. Hillary Clinton.

Craig served as special counsel and assistant to the president under Clinton. He has also been on the staff of Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

Lisa Browne, former counsel to vice president Al Gore and now executive director of the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy, is to be staff secretary. Brown was a partner in a Washington law firm before joining the Clinton administration.

Christopher Lu, who has served on Obama's Senate and campaign staffs, was named cabinet secretary. Lu, now executive director of the transition team, was a Washington lawyer before joining the staff of Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif.