US elections: Romney's campaign lays groundwork for transition team

Washington: Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's campaign team has quietly been preparing itself for the transition to presidency if he manages to defeat incumbent US President Barack Obama. Mindful of the fact that in the last 100 years only three sitting presidents George H W Bush, Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford have been defeated in their reelection bid, the Romney Campaign has secretively been gearing itself for the transition through its "Readiness Project" headed by the former Utah Governor Michael Leavitt.

Informed sources familiar with the discussions and the conference calls in this refrained from giving any names at this point of time, but said that at least a couple of familiar Indian American names would be there in the transition team. "Indian Americans cannot be ignored. We will be adequately represented," one of the informed campaign officials said.

Though not much is known about this closely kept secret of the Romney campaign, those familiar with the preparations said that Leavitt has already has several rounds of meetings with the Congressional leaders.

In fact it is understood that several eminent Indian Americans have been alerted to be part of the transition team and be ready to move to Washington DC immediately after November 6, if Romney wins the elections. "They're interested in recommendations for Cabinet posts," a congressional source was quoted as saying by the CNN.

The advance legwork could enable Romney to sidestep some of the problems he encountered nearly a decade ago when he entered the governor's office in Boston, the news channel said. Former World Bank President Robert Zoellick is head of the national security transition planning on Readiness Project.

According to The Cable of the Foreign Policy, Romney campaign's senior advisor for defence and foreign policy Rich Williamson has been named the head of the transition team for the National Security Council, giving him a prominent role should Romney win.

Two other officials who are leading the national security transition effort are former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Eric Edelman and former New Jersey governor and co-chair of the 9/11 Commission Tom Kean, it said. The New York Times was the first to report on the Romney's transition plan in August.