Obama's choices show little change

US President-elect Barack Obama promised the voters change but has started his Cabinet selection process by naming several Washington insiders to top posts.

Obama is enlisting former Senate leader Tom Daschle as his health secretary. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, the wife of former President Bill Clinton, seemed more likely than ever to be his secretary of state. Clinton is deciding whether to take that post as America's top diplomat, her associates said on Wednesday.

Obama is ready to announce that his attorney-general will be Eric Holder, the Justice Department's No 2 under Bill Clinton. Rahm Emanuel, Obama's chief of staff, is another veteran of the Clinton White House.