Wikileaks released a new batch of emails on Thursday that were sent by then-Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) to Leon Podesta when he was preparing for his transition to the presidency. One email, from senior Citigroup executive Michael Froman, included lists of candidates for presidential appointment, evidently prepared at Obama’s request, focusing on women and minorities.
The email was addressed to Obama’s evident private email, bobama@ameritech.com.
Froman wrote:
Barack —
Following up on your conversations with John over the weekend, attached are two documents:
— A list of African American, Latino and Asian American candidates, divided between Cabinet/Deputy and Under/Assistant/Deputy Assistant Sectetary levels, as well as lists of senior Native Americans, Arab/Muslim Americans and Disabled Americans. We have longer lists, but these are candidates whose names have been recommended by a number of sources for senior level jobs in a potential Administration.
— A list of women, similarly divided between candidates for Cabinet/Deputy and other senior level positions.
Please let us know if you have any questions.
Many of those on the attached list were, in fact, promoted. There were also some noteworthy omissions: Harvard professor (and later Senator) Elizabeth Warren appears on neither the “women” nor the “Native American” lists.
Journalist Fareed Zakaria was also recommended for a post at the State Department or the National Security Council. Harvard Law School professor Charles Ogletree — an accomplished defense lawyer, and political radical — was considered for a post at the Department of Justice.
During the 2012 election, Democrats and the media mocked Republican nominee Mitt Romney for commenting during a debate that as governor of Massachusetts, he kept “binders full of women” in an attempt to promote them.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News. His new book, See No Evil: 19 Hard Truths the Left Can’t Handle, is available from Regnery through Amazon. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.