Obama plans West Wing shakeup

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- There will be "significant changes" in President Obama's White House staff following the Democratic debacle in the U.S. election, a top adviser said Thursday.

The reorganization will be the first major one since Obama became president almost two years ago, The New York Times reported Thursday. Aides said the president is expected to announce the changes in early January after he returns from a Christmas trip to Hawaii with his family.

"You're not going to see wholesale changes, but there will be significant changes. I think that's desirable," said David Axelrod, a senior adviser. "This is a bubble. It's been an intense couple of years, and there's an advantage to bringing in folks who have a fresh set of senses -- smell, touch and feel -- about what's going on out there."

Axelrod's departure has already been announced.

Obama had a long discussion with former President Bill Clinton this month and has also talked to former Clinton advisers and at least one veteran of President Ronald Reagan's administration. He has also read books about Clinton and Reagan.

Obama told advisers he does not plan to follow the Clinton policy that became known as "triangulation," advocating centrist policies aimed at splitting moderate Republicans from their colleagues, the newspaper said. Aides told the Times the president ordered them not to use the word.