The Obama White House Chief of Staff
The White House chief of staff is the most powerful political appointee in the executive branch, with daily contact with the president and control over the administration’s executive office. The position does not require Senate confirmation and serves at the pleasure of the president.
Zeke Emanuel is a family man who lives a two-minute walk from the White House. He is known as an arm twister and enforcer, bringing discipline to an administration that has suffered from factions.
Rahm Emanuel
The choice of a chief of staff is one of the most important in the White House. It can determine who gets access to the president and help develop administration policies. President Obama chose Democratic Congressman Rahm Emanuel for the job.
In addition to serving as mayor of Chicago, Emanuel served three terms representing Illinois’ 5th district in the United States House of Representatives. He was also the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee during the 2006 election cycle, where he helped Democrats win 30 seats and regain control of the House of Representatives.
A savvy political strategist, Emanuel is known for his aggressive style and willingness to speak his mind. He’s a master of the Washington insider game and is known for his ability to navigate the partisan minefield of Capitol Hill politics. In his spare time, he enjoys running marathons and restoring old cars. He is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and Northwestern University.
William Daley
Bill Daley, a ceramic artist as well, is renowned in Chicago for his ability to bring new techniques and polling data to political campaigns. He helped run his brother Richard’s successful 1980 campaign for Cook County state’s attorney, and later he managed several other campaigns that used the new techniques.
The son of a legendary Chicago mayor irked some West Wing staffers with his faith that the collegial, backroom deal-cutting Washington he left after serving in the Clinton administration still existed, and encouraged Obama to go all-in on a grand bargain with House Speaker John Boehner despite signs of Tea Party revolt in the Republican leader’s caucus. Daley also earned a reputation for freelancing, and for his hierarchical management style and closed-door office door.
Obama’s choice to replace Daley is Deputy National Security Adviser Denis McDonough, who will assume the role on Friday. He will be joined by aides Pete Rouse and Mona Sutphen. McDonough has been with the president for most of his tenure and is considered one of the most forceful decision-makers in the White House.
Pete Rouse
The president’s chief of staff is the most powerful political appointee in the executive office and has the power to decide who gets access to the president. Unlike other White House positions, the chief of staff is not subject to Senate confirmation and is appointed by the president. Rouse served as chief of staff to Democratic Senate leader Tom Daschle for 19 years and was an Obama campaign adviser.
The low-key fixer has a deep Washington network, often helping Obama recruit candidates for top government jobs. He’s been known as “the Warren Whisperer,” for his ties to Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, a progressive favorite with an independent following.
A seasoned Washington insider, Rouse can help navigate the often treacherous politics of Capitol Hill and is expected to be an invaluable help in shaping administration policy. He’ll be tasked with smoothing summertime conflicts over Syria and Federal Reserve policy as well as a fall budget showdown with Republicans.
Denis McDonough
McDonough served as the White House chief of staff from 2013 to 2017 and as the principal deputy national security adviser from 2010 to 2013. As chief of staff, he managed the 4,000-member White House staff and Cabinet secretaries and agency leaders. He advised the president on domestic and national security challenges and management issues facing the federal government.
He also enforced plans and accountability for performance and goals, while maintaining the administration’s reputation for effective and ethical operation. Before joining the White House, McDonough was a top aide to former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle and a foreign policy advisor on Obama’s 2008 campaign.
He is known as a loyal confidant and is a rare Washington player who is devoted to protecting the president’s interests. A Minnesota native, he graduated from St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, with degrees in history and Spanish and played safety on the football team. He later earned a master’s degree at Georgetown University.
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