into a dialog with the president-elect and his teams with a level of transparency that we have not seen before.
He wakes up every morning and he makes his decisions through one lens and that lens is what is in the best interest of the American people. Because the American people had in this election an unprecedented frustration with “government-as-usual†with the special interest groups dominating Washington, what the president-elect has said is we are going to open the process up. We are going to reach out in a very proactive way to include voices that have not been heard historically. We won’t entertain what is on the lobbyist agenda. We are going to look for what is on the American people’s agenda. Our decision-making will be guided by that sole purpose. As people come forth with their ideas and suggestions, I think it will be readily apparent whether those ideas and suggestions are ones that will actually benefit the American people.
I never met anyone better at listening through the most thorough dialogue on an issue. [Obama] does that by making sure he has people at the table with a wide range of perspectives.
Are you looking forward to moving to Washington?
That’s a trick question. I grew up in Chicago. My parents live in Chicago. Many of my dearest lifelong friends live in Chicago. On the other hand, the opportunity to work with the president-elect, who also happens to be one of my dearest friends, is the most extraordinary opportunity of my lifetime. So I am humbled by the opportunity, and of course I look forward to moving to Washington and being part of an administration that will not just change our country for the better, but will change the world.