Obama advisers may compete with Cabinet

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8 (UPI) -- West Wing counselors to President-elect Barack Obama may rival his Cabinet in efforts to shape policy for the United States, political observers said.

Obama's advisory team is intended to ensure his domestic priorities aren't lost through agency red tape or the current economic downturn, The Washington Post reported Thursday. Newly created White House positions have been filled by people versed in working with the White House and Capitol Hill.

Some, however, told the Washington publication they see potential difficulties for White House directors and Cabinet secretaries.

"We're going to have so many czars," said Thomas Donohue, U.S. Chamber of Commerce president. "It's going to be a lot of fun, seeing the czars and the regulators and the czars and the Cabinet secretaries debate."

Several Obama advisers said they've adopted a foreign policy governance model to domestic policy, in which the national security adviser oversees diplomatic and military issues from within the White House in proximity to the president.

"Given the enormity of the challenges we face, it is critical to have someone in the White House every day, reporting to the president, coordinating policy and giving these issues the important focus they deserve," Obama spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter said.