Ill. congressman to be transport pick

Ex-SEC member also to be named to head the agency

President-elect Barack Obama introduced former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack (left) as his choice for agriculture secretary and Senator Ken Salazar of Colorado as his choice for secretary of the interior in Chicago yesterday. (Scott Olson/ Getty Images)

CHICAGO - President-elect Barack Obama intends to name Representative Ray LaHood of Illinois as his transportation secretary, a Democratic official said yesterday, adding a second Republican to his Cabinet-in-the-making.

The official disclosed the selection of LaHood after the president-elect announced former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack as agriculture secretary and Senator Ken Salazar of Colorado to head the Interior Department.

LaHood, 63, is stepping down from his congressional seat after 14 years in Congress representing the area around Peoria.

He has been at the forefront of efforts to make the floor of the House less partisan. Respected for his ability to preside, he was in the chair during most of President Bill Clinton's impeachment a decade ago.

The official who disclosed LaHood's selection as transportation secretary did so on condition of anonymity because the Obama team did not authorize the disclosure.

Obama also intends to name former Securities and Exchange Commissioner Mary Schapiro to head the much-criticized agency.

Schapiro, who currently heads a nongovernment regulatory group for securities firms, is also a former head of the Commodities Futures Trading Commission and former member of the SEC.

She has been appointed to government posts by two Republican presidents and one Democratic chief executive.

The selections came as Obama worked on completing his Cabinet, possibly in advance of a year-end holiday vacation in Hawaii with his family.

He has yet to announce choices for the Labor Department, senior intelligence positions, or the Office of US Trade Representative. Representative Xavier Becerra, Democrat of California, had been penciled in as trade representative, but he announced on Tuesday he intends to remain in the House.

In addition, numerous sub-Cabinet posts remain unfilled.

Knowledgeable officials said Dr. Gail Rosseau, a Chicago neurosurgeon, is among the final contenders to become surgeon general. These officials spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to discuss the appointment.

Obama introduced Vilsack and Salazar at a now-familiar ritual, a news conference where the president-elect makes his announcement, then takes a few questions from reporters.

Asked for the second day about a political scandal roiling his home state of Illinois, he said "it's a little bit frustrating" to not talk in detail about the investigation into charges that Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich schemed to name Obama's replacement in the US Senate based on who offered the best political or financial deal.

Neither Obama nor anyone on his team has been accused of any wrongdoing. But Obama has directed transition aides to detail who on his side had contact, and what kind of contact, with Blagojevich or his staff. "There's been a lot of speculation in the press that I would love to correct," Obama said in response to a question. He said his team is "abiding by the request of the US attorney" to not release the results of the internal investigation, already compiled, until next week.