Briefing: Obama's West Wing

6 The General
A low-profile former NATO commander, Gen. James L. Jones met Obama only twice before being tapped as a national security adviser. He will be the primary conduit of security information to Obama and is charged with reinventing hte National Security Council to encompass issues such as energy, climate and cybersecurity.

7 The Spokesman
Press secretary Robert Gibbs, who has worked for Obama since his 2004 Senate run, is "one of four or five guys who can walk into the president's office and sit in on meetings where every big decision is being made," says a Democrat in the know. The downside: Gibbs can't play Scott McLellan-dumb and tell reporters, "I don't know."

8 The Cabinet
Three members have already emerged as key players. Attorney General Eric Holder operates with Obama's full trust and few rivals. Treasury secretary Tim Geithner holds enormous sway over the bailout. And Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, never one to be counted out, is fighting a turf war with Geithner, expanding her portfolio to include China.

9 The Body Man
Other than Obama's secretary, no one sits closer to the president than Reggie Love, the former Duke basketball player who serves as his personal assistant and workout buddy. Love bought Obama an iPod and loaded it with Jay-Z. "There's no doubt that Reggie is cooler than I am," the president says.