Politico reports that Obama is going with Deputy National Security Adviser Denis McDonough, a man who’s “been involved in just about every major national security decision made by Obama since he took office” — though most Americans know him best as the guy sitting behind Hillary Clinton in the famous photo snapped on the night bin Laden was killed. On Monday, Obama told those complaining about the lack of diversity among top White House staffers and cabinet members to “wait until they’ve seen all my appointments,” but this pick isn’t likely to squash the controversy. Tom Daschle, McDonough’s former boss, suggests that wasn’t the president’s focus. “He has an extraordinarily close relationship with the president,” said Daschle. “What the president wants is a fairly tightly knit, cohesive team that he trusts, rather than to bring in people who would have to learn anew his style and positions.”
