Obama takes a break after cabinet laudits

President-elect Barack Obama was set to round out his cabinet picks yesterday after moving with his promised "deliberate haste" to get the faces in place to confront a dizzying array of menaces.
At a Chicago press conference Obama is expected to name Democratic lawmaker Hilda Solis as labor secretary and former Dallas mayor Ron Kirk as US trade representative, the Washington Post reported.
But after leaving Saturday for a Christmas break in Hawaii, the Democrat will have a chance to reflect on what has been unusually busy period for an incoming president since his November 4 election triumph.
And while these are still early days, Obama can bask in stellar poll readings -- 83 percent of respondents in a Marist survey Wednesday approved of his performance so far.
"This was one of the more well-organized and well-prepared transitions that we have seen," Princeton University historian Julian Zelizer said.
"Not only has he appointed some very high quality picks in terms of intellectual capacity and experience, but on key areas -- including economics and defence -- he has been able to move to the centre without alienating his core supporters," he said.
"It is a difficult balancing act. The most distinct aspect of this transition is how fast it is taking place."
At his first post-election news conference on November 7, Obama vowed to confront the US economic crisis head-on but stressed he would not rush into making cabinet appointments.