Barack Obama

David Wade, a longtime aide to John Kerry known for his eye-catching statements, is returning to Kerry's office after a stint with President-elect Barack Obama's campaign.

Kerry's office confirmed that Wade, who was the travelling spokesman for Kerry during his 2004 president run, will return to the senator's Washington, D.C., office.

Wade served as Vice President-elect Joe Biden's spokesman during the presidential campaign this year.

Newsweek's Michael Isikoff is reporting that President-elect Barack Obama is planning to tap Eric Holder to be attorney general.

Holder, who was a deputy attorney general in former President Bill Clinton's administration, has long been rumored to be on Obama's shortlist for the post, along with Gov. Deval Patrick.

Newsweek cites two sources close to the transition team for the information. One source confirmed that Obama has offered Holder the job and Holder has accepted.

U.S. Sen. John Kerry's office said Tuesday that it is time to move past prior differences of opinion and U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman's efforts this year to help GOP nominee John McCain.

In a caucus meeting Tuesday morning, Democrats voted by secret ballot to allow Lieberman, a Connecticut Independent, to keep his chairmanship of the Homeland Security and Government affairs committee. However, Lieberman will lose his seat on the Environment and Public Works Committee.

In a statement to PolitickerMA.com, Brigid O'Rourke, Kerry's spokeswoman, said the caucus decided to move forward. "The Democratic caucus voted today by secret ballot and the result of that vote was to put aside old differences," she said.

O'Rourke also highlighted President-elect Barack Obama's call for leniency toward Lieberman.

"President-elect Obama asked for forgiveness for Sen. Lieberman, the caucus has made a decision to censure his comments and strip of his membership on the EPW Committee, and it's time to move on," she said.

O'Rourke declined to comment on how Kerry voted. Politico reported, however, that Kerry spoke out in support of Lieberman.

Middlesex District Attorney Gerard Leone is not pursuing an appointment as U.S. Attorney, his office said late Monday.

"I understand the speculation that is going on right now, but Gerry isn't seeking it," Corey Welford, Leone's spokesman, told PolitickerMA.com. "He has a job in which he feels like he can make a difference. And he has a job he enjoys."

PolitickerMA.com reported last week that several Democratic operatives mentioned Leone as a possible candidate for U.S. Attorney, a post appointed by President-elect Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Former White House Chief of Staff Andy Card said Tuesday morning that he is intrigued by the prospect of U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton becoming President-elect Barack Obama's secretary of state.

Card, a Holbrook Republican, was on the set of MSNBC's Morning Joe Tuesday morning for more than an hour. Asked about the current speculation surrounding Clinton, a New York Democrat, Card said her selection would present an interesting opportunity for New York Gov. David Paterson.

"I'd be very interested if Hillary Clinton became secretary of state; I actually think she'd be a pretty interesting choice," Card said. "But that would create another interesting choice: Who will Gov. Patterson put in the United States Senate? Maybe he'll put Bill Clinton in there."

Despite speculation that he's among those in the running for U.S. Attorney, a spokesman for Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley said Monday that his boss isn't pursuing the job.

"The DA's name has been floated for a lot of positions," Jake Wark, a spokesman for Conley, told PolitickerMA.com. "His constant response is he's got the job that he wants to have."

Wark said that Conley is not doing anything to seek out the post, which is appointed by President-elect Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Mitt Romney's former chief legal counsel said over the weekend that the appointment of Ben Clements, Gov. Deval Patrick's current chief legal counsel, as U.S. Attorney would be widely praised in legal circles.

"Ben Clements is a lawyer's lawyer with significant legal management experience as Governor's Chief Legal Counsel and prosecutorial talent," Dan Winslow, who is also a veteran local Republican strategist, told PolitickerMA.com. "His selection as US Attorney would be widely praised by the legal community and seen as a homerun by the president."

Several Democratic operatives told PolitickerMA.com last week that Clements should be considered for the U.S. Attorney post. U.S. Attorney's are appointed by the president and need to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Massachusetts Democratic State Committeeman Jim Roosevelt has been tapped to lead President-elect Barack Obama's Social Security Administration Review Team, according to Obama's transition office.

Obama, an Illinois Democrat, has launched teams to look at all arms of the government and make recommendations as to where reforms can be made. Roosevelt, along with Dr. Susan Daniels, is leading the Social Security team.

Roosevelt is the president and CEO for the Tufts Health Plan, where he previously served as senior vice president and general counsel. Before that, Roosevelt was the associate commissioner for Retirement Policy for the Social Security Administration in Washington, D.C.

While speculation surrounding who President-elect Barack Obama will appoint to his cabinet runs rampant, there are several local positions the Obama administration will fill as well.

Here is an early breakdown of some of the names we've heard as possibilities for U.S. Attorney, U.S. Marshall, regional administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and regional administrator of the Small Business Administration, in no particular order. Most Democratic officials have said that it is too early to talk about specific candidates for federal jobs, but some have been willing to speculate about lists of potential appointees.

Who are we missing? Who shouldn't be on this list? Send tips to jeremy.jacobs@PolitickerMA.com.

U.S. Attorney

• Gerard Leone, Jr., Middlesex County District Attorney
• Daniel Conley, Suffolk County District Attorney
• Ben Clements, Gov. Deval Patrick's Chief Legal Counsel
• Garrett Bradley, State Representative of Hingham
• Andrea Cabral, Suffolk County Sheriff

WORCESTER - If a Massachusetts U.S. Senate seat were to open up, Worcester County Sherriff Guy Glodis said Thursday that he would expect, and look forward to, a crowded and spirited Democratic field running for the seat.

Glodis, who is said to have one of the largest political machines in the state, told PolitickerMA.com at the Democratic State Committee meeting Thursday that it is "very premature" to speculate about who would run. But in the event the U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Boston) were to be tapped for a post in the Obama, Glodis said there are some pols that would already be serious contenders.

"I think you have [Attorney General] Martha Coakley, who would be a very strong candidate," Glodis said. "[Congressman] Steve Lynch has represented labor and has a great base in Suffolk. And some people say [Congressman Michael] Capuano and [Congressman Bill] Delahunt. I think all four of them would automatically be considered frontrunners."