Emanuel's name has been circulating for some time as a possible chief of staff, who is the main gatekeeper to the president. A former senior adviser to President Clinton, Emanuel has a reputation as a tough strategist with keen political instincts and is known as the main architect of the Democrats' recapture of Congress in 2006. Full Story »
Posted by Chris Finnie
The rumor mill is running overtime. None of these names are new, so it really isn't even news. No sources listed, so it isn't verifiable either. I too hope Obama names cabinet positions quickly. If for no other reason than that I don't want to have to read gossip for the next two months.
I'd like to correct one misstatement repeated here. I worked on two congressional campaigns in 2006 and so watched the whole thing pretty closely. Though Emanuel was happy to claim the victories, the fact is that 1/3 of the candidates he recruited and backed lost their primary battles. Half of those left lost in the general campaign. So the gains the Democrats made were due to DNC chair Howard Dean and grassroots activists--and pretty much despite Rahm Emanuel and the lackluster ... More »
This story would be much stronger if limited to issues and mechanics and the person speculation was removed. An example of how person speculation poisons is included in another review. What we have heard or observed from a distance has little or no merit.
The election is done. The selections for various posts are extremely important and largely determine how this presidency will go forth. But clearly, this is all speculation right now. Anyone can do this and may well select the same people and there is no surprise or big delight here.
Staff is important. Cabinet is more important. There is an urgency to get going; these must not be last moment selections. But the president-elect needs a little bit of time.
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