White House transition council holds first meeting

White House Chief of Staff John Podesta Wednesday chaired the first official gathering of the Presidential Transition Coordinating Council, which will steer the administration's transition activities.

The panel also includes Office of Management and Budget Director Jacob Lew and representatives from the agencies. Deputy White House Chief of Staff Maria Echaveste will lead future meetings and serve as the main day-to-day manager of the transition, White House officials said.

The group's first task was to identify areas of responsibility within the agencies, assess work that has already been done and determine future activities, according to White House Press Secretary Jake Siewert.

Siewert indicated the White House continues to do all it can to prod the transition forward without recognizing a winner in the presidential contest. He noted that Podesta Wednesday issued the formal request for resignations at the White House. And Siewert indicated Podesta is willing to discuss a wide range of issues in separate meetings with Bush transition liaison Andrew Card and with Roy Neel of the Gore camp. Siewert indicated the meetings had not been scheduled, but were expected to occur within a few days.

At a news conference Wednesday, GOP vice presidential nominee Dick Cheney announced the opening of a transition office in McLean, Va. Cheney also announced Dave Gribbin, Halliburton vice president for governmental affairs and longtime Cheney operative, would become director of congressional affairs for the transition.

Cheney, who said he received a clean medical checkup today, said he would be accompanying former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Colin Powell Thursday to Texas to meet with Bush.

Meanwhile, former Sen. Sam Nunn, D-Ga., mentioned as possible Defense secretary, said he had not discussed "the possibility of serving in the next administration" with either Bush or Gore. "While I am honored to have my name mentioned for a Cabinet position, I am not interested in going back into government at this juncture in my life," he said in a statement.