Obama Asks Emanuel to be Chief of Staff

After nearly 21 months of campaigning, president-elect Barack Obama has just 11 weeks to transition to the White House. In a brief statement earlier today, President Bush said he would work with Obama to ensure a smooth transition to the presidency.

And Obama took the first step in that transition process by asking Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois to serve as his White House chief of staff. Sources are now telling several news organizations that Emanuel has accepted the offer.

Emanuel is currently the Democratic Caucus chairman, the fourth-highest-ranking member of the House Democratic leadership. He has also developed a reputation for hard-nosed political tactics, dating back to when he served as a senior adviser to President Bill Clinton for six years. He was a critical figure behind the passage of NAFTA, and clearly knows his way around the West Wing as well as Capitol Hill.

He was often called "Rahmbo" and has many powerful enemies from his days in the Clinton White House. He once mailed a rotting fish to one of his political opponents. Democratic strategist Paul Begala described Emanuel's aggressive style as a "cross between a hemorrhoid and a toothache." The bottom line is, if anyone messes with Obama, they're going to have to deal with Rahmbo.

However, friends to both Obama and Emanuel say that they like each other, and that Obama respects Emanuel's knowledge of Washington--namely the legislative process--and his reputation for getting things done.

Some have warned that Emanuel’s take-no-prisoners style could damage Obama's image of unity and moving on from the old-style politics. But it is clear that the president-elect wants to immediately start pushing his legislative agenda through the Democratic-controlled Congress--and Emanuel, with his knowledge of the Hill, can certainly make that happen.

Despite the public's perception of Emanuel, he is a centrist, and he will be a hard-working and very loyal chief of staff to president-elect Obama, especially during this crucial transition period. Emanuel will be blunt and ruthless at times, but he will get things done. I think that Obama made a great first decision and this offers some foreshadowing about whom he will choose to surround himself with in terms of his staff and cabinet.