Obama names sister, Daschle, Brokaw and other top names to oversee WH Fellows program

President Obama named his sister, former Health and Human Services (HHS) nominee Tom Daschle, NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw and a slew of other high-profile names to the Commission on White House Fellowships Wednesday.

Obama appointed 28 members to the commission, which leads the selection process for White House fellows, and will be chaired by John Phillips, a partner at Phillips & Cohen Law Firm.

The list is notable, though, for its high-profile appointees, including the president’s half sister, and former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) — the president’s onetime pick to lead HHS and healthcare reform until tax problems forced him to withdraw his nomination.

Among members of the commission are: Former NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw, former Democratic presidential candidate and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Wesley Clark (ret.), Carnegie Corporation President Vartan Gregorian, retired Army Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy (the first woman to hold that rank), eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, former Sen. Paul Sarbanes (D-Md.), Brown University President Ruth Simmons (the first African-American to hold that position), and Harvard Law Professor Laurence Tribe.
“The men and women of this commission embody what makes the White House Fellows program so special,” the president said in a statement announcing the appointments. “These leaders are diverse, non-partisan, and committed to mentoring our next generation of public servants. I’m confident that they will select a class of White House Fellows that demonstrate extraordinary leadership, strong character, and a deep commitment to serving their country.”

Many of the appointees were prominent backers of Obama’s presidential campaign.