Administration insiders say Ron Klain, who starts Wednesday as the White House Ebola czar, will be in line to succeed John Podesta as counselor to President Barack Obama when Podesta leaves, likely to chair Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.

“The president has been talking to Ron about different roles for a long time, and he wouldn’t accept the Ebola job unless there was a promise of something bigger,” said a longtime Klain colleague.

A senior Democrat who works closely with the White House said: “He’s very good at seeing around corners. And they know they need someone who can do that.”…

“The president likes extraordinarily smart people,” said the Democrat who works closely with the White House. “That’s the first thing he looks for when he’s filling a strategic position — someone who can match wits with him.”