As the sun comes up each morning, Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s chief of staff, calls his pals in the media – CNN’s James Carville and Paul Begala, ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, and pollster Stan Greenberg.
That was no problem last month, but Emanuel is now President Obama’s Chief of Staff, and the calls have now taken on an air of conspiracy. Where’s the shock and outrage and the suggestion that Emanuel is coordinating media coverage?
From our perspective, two things surprise us about this story.
First, that no one has objected to this “cozy” relationship between the president’s chief of staff and members of the media.
And second, that Emanuel has four friends.
This post was last modified on January 29, 2009
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Pete Rouse, one of President Obama’s most trustworthy advisers, is the new White House chief of staff. He replaces Rahm Emanuel, who made a name for himself in the position as a hard-nosed enforcer. Rouse has built a status as a behind-the-scenes facilitator, about 180 degrees opposite the hot-tempered Emanuel, who is leaving Washington to pursue his dream of becoming mayor of Chicago. Rouse is assuming a position analysts say in unenviable. His boss might be facing a steep uphill battle within the second half of his term, dependent upon the outcome of the November elections.