"If Senator Barack Obama is elected president, he'll be leaving the Senate behind. But the presumptive Democratic nominee took steps today to ensure he'll stay in touch with his old colleagues.

Obama's campaign announced the formation of a Congressional Liaison Team today, which will "ensure that the member of Congress' counsel is considered in overall message strategy, campaign planning and execution."

The four team members are hardly household names, but three of the four have close ties to the Obamas:

-- Senior Advisor, Phil Schiliro -- Chief of Staff to Representative Henry Waxman of California

-- Senior Counsel, Mike Strautmanis -- A chief Obama advisor, served as Chief Counsel and Deputy Chief of Staff in Obama's Senate office

-- DNC Policy Director, Karen Richardson -- Obama's Iowa policy director, served as Deputy to the Policy Director in Obama's Senate office

-- Director of Congressional Affairs, Michael Robertson -- Served as Deputy to the Chief Counsel in Obama's Senate office"

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This strikes me as an innovation that will bear good fruit, and a sign of good footwork.


A