FOLLOW THE MONEY

David Axelrod, Obama's top campaign aide, runs a PR firm that has represented Commonwealth Edison, ATT and Cablevision.

William Donaldson, on the Obama economic transition committee, has been chairman and CEO of the investment banking firm Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, which he co-founded and chairman and CEO of the New York Stock Exchange.

Warren Buffett, on the Obama economic transition committee, is chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway

Roger Fergurson, on the Obama economic transition team, has worked for Davis Polk & Wardwell, representing commercial and investment banks, as well as Forrtune 500 companies on syndicated loans, public offerings, and mergers and acquisitions. He became chair of Swiss re America Holding Corporation in 2006. In 2008, he was named president and CEO of the financial giant TIAA-CREF

Penny Pritzker, on the Obama economic transition team, is the former chair of the Superior Bank, one of the first to get into subprime mortgages. While she resigned as chair of the family business in 1994, as late as 2001 she was still on the board and wrote a letter saying that her family was recapitalizing the bank and pledging to "once again restore Superior's leadership position in subprime lending." The bank shut down two months later and the Pritzker family would pay $460 million in a settlement with the government.

Paul Volcker, on the Obama economic transition team, was chair of the investment banking firm, J. Rothschild, Wolfensohn & Co.
NAMES IN THE HOPPER

David Swanson - According to news reports, president elect Obama is considering for Labor Secretary three people who actually know something about labor and actually support the intended mission of the labor department, which is protecting the rights of laborers. Here's the short list:

Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., chairman of House Education and Labor Committee

Former Rep. David Bonior

Andy Stern, president of Service Employees International Union