Emanuel is the Hot to Obama's Cool

Illinois Rep. Rahm Emanuel has officially accepted the position of White House chief of staff for president-elect Barack Obama. Emanuel's deputies will include Pete Rouse, who is currently Obama's Senate chief of staff.

Obama said that "No one I know is better at getting things done than Rahm Emanuel."

The selection of Emanuel as chief of staff signals that Obama is eager to start working with the Democratic-controlled Congress and plans to launch his legislative agenda as soon as possible. This choice also shows that Obama wants to play hardball. As Ben Smith and John Harris write this morning:

If his [Obama's] goal had been to create a cordial bipartisan tone in Washington — much less a calm, profanity-free West Wing — Obama would have looked elsewhere.

The selection of Emanuel, one of the Democratic Party's most effective operatives over the past two decades, was a powerful signal of Obama's determination to be effective under the existing rules of the Washington game.

“He's from the Lombardi wing of the party — he's a guy who wants to win at any cost and will do whatever it takes,” said John Lapp, a former top Emanuel aide at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Many top Republicans are already attacking the selection and not even giving the Obama administration a chance, even before he takes office. House Minority Leader John A. Boehner said in a statement: “This is an ironic choice for a president-elect who has promised to change Washington, make politics more civil and govern from the center.”

Others are calling him a "partisan insider" and are saying that Obama's first decision as president-elect undermines his promise to heal divides and unite the country by selecting the "hyperpartisan" Emanuel.

But Sen. Lindsey Graham, of all people, praised the selection of Emanuel yesterday, saying "He can be a tough partisan but also understands the need to work together. He is well-suited for the position of White House Chief of Staff."

Emanuel is known for being profane and even Machiavellian at times, but he always gets his desired result. The contrasts between Emanuel and Obama are vast, and should complement each other in a "good cop, bad cop" kind of way.

He will certainly play a huge role in Obama's transition to the White House and with his vast legislative agenda, and with this selection, it is clear that Obama is playing to win.