In a book, articles and speeches, Podesta has proposed paying for universal health care with a value-added tax, a levy on the value of a good or service. He also has proposed that Americans who don't enroll in a health insurance plan should pay a charge that would be tied to their income and the care they would need.

Obama would require that large employers not offering meaningful coverage - or failing to make a meaningful contribution to the cost or quality of care - must contribute a percentage of payroll toward the cost of the national plan. Small businesses would be exempt.

Podesta has extensive proposals to reduce government secrecy. His plans would discourage overclassifying information, establish a presumption under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act in favor of disclosure, and propose a law directing courts to weigh the costs and benefits of disclosure.

In 2006, during a news conference with Sen. Joseph Biden - now the vice president-elect - Podesta cited President George W. Bush's handling of the Iraq war to make a point about presidential appointees who give their boss bad advice.

"I think at some point the people serving this president are disserving him," Podesta said. "And at some point, they have to come to grips with that."