Former Clinton secretary Currie is back

CHICAGO, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- Former White House secretary Betty Currie is back into politics, working for U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's transition team, an official says.

Currie, 69, who served as President Bill Clinton's personal secretary for eight years and got caught up in the Monica Lewinsky White House sex scandal, has emerged from retirement to answer phones for the co-chairman of the Obama transition team, John Podesta, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

Podesta, who was Clinton's last White House chief of staff, told the newspaper it was natural for him to call Currie back to service, saying, "Of course I asked her because in the 30 years we have worked together, I have never known anyone with more grace, dedication and public spirit than Betty. And she has one mean Rolodex."

Currie, who declined to comment, was called to testify to a grand jury five times about Clinton's relationship with Lewinsky. After Clinton left office, Currie gained custody of the Clinton family's White House cat Socks, now 19 and reportedly sick with cancer, the Times said.