By Margaret Talev

McClatchy News Service

WASHINGTON

Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, a veteran of Capitol Hill and a backer of the Clinton administration's failed health- care effort of the early 1990s, is President-elect Barack Obama's choice to be secretary of health and human services.

The HHS secretary will play a major role in working with Congress on Obama's campaign promise to expand health-care coverage for Americans through a combination of broader eligibility, more subsidies and employer mandates.

The Obama transition team made no announcement Wednesday regarding Daschle, but several well-placed insiders confirmed it. The campaign announced that Obama's chief campaign strategist, David Axelrod, will serve as senior adviser to the president.

Obama aides also confirmed that Greg Craig, a former Clinton administration lawyer and Obama foreign-policy adviser, will serve as White House counsel.

Craig has worked for high-profile clients including Elian Gonzalez's father, John Hinckley Jr. and Kofi Annan and on President Bill Clinton's impeachment defense. Craig could play a key role in Obama's plans to close the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and to reshape interrogation policy for terrorism suspects.

A list of 11 transition advisers who will recommend how Obama can turn his campaign promises into administration policy also was released Wednesday.

Because Daschle is on that list as the health-care policy working- group leader, speculation swirled over whether other working group leaders also might be tapped for Cabinet or other key administration posts. James Steinberg, former Clinton deputy national security adviser, and former Assistant Secretary of State Susan Rice are co- leaders of the working group on national security.

A knowledgeable Democratic official confirmed Daschle's selection, speaking on the condition of anonymity because she wasn't authorized to discuss it. Officials with several health advocacy organizations also confirmed the selection.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., who would play a key role in any health-care overhaul in Congress, said that Daschle "knows health care, he knows the Congress and the rhythms of the Senate in particular" and that having him be the administration's point man would improve the chances for passing overhaul legislation.

Daschle didn't respond to a request for comment.

Daschle has advocated creating a national board to oversee health care, similar to how the Federal Reserve regulates finance.