By Associated Press
Albany, NY – The man who set up the campaign strategy that led to Eliot Spitzer's landslide victory has been chosen to lead the governor-elect's transition team.
Rich Baum is the chief of staff in the attorney general's office. He'll lead a team formed today to work with outgoing Governor George Pataki's administration in creating the Spitzer administration.
The 37-year-old Baum was once the minority leader of the Orange County Legislature. He has been a key player in Spitzer's overhaul of the attorney general's job into a force for reforms on Wall Street and in corporate America.
Spitzer says he'll also create a Web site to attract top candidates to various jobs in his administration. That's a novel approach for Albany, where knowing the right people has traditionally been the foot-in-the-door for job seekers.