Obama Administration: Rahm Emanuel

No. 8 Rahm Emanuel (White House Chief of Staff): Obama Administration

The single most significant staff turnover in the White House’s first two challenging years. Rahm Emanuel announced, as of October 1, 2010, that he would resign as Chief of Staff to run for Chicago mayor. Not good timing for a relatively soft-spoken Administration with (at times both) parties vigorously against them. It will not get easier. Obama depended on the outspoken champion to quarterback their defensive position with loud and resilient views. Although VP Joseph Biden assumed the role of advocate and deflector-in-chief, the aggressive and tireless manner in which Emanuel faced opponents is a loss at a crossroads in the political timeline. Here is the double-edged sword: If Emanuel wins, he will be mechanic-in-charge of the engine of a state that, like so many, is facing financial crisis. It will be hard to gain public support by further reducing Illinois’ already economically embattled budget. Now, in the face of a Republican-leaning Congress, President Obama lost his most vocal and fearless political confidante. It is easy to consider that the recent tax reform bill, and how it was spun, might have been different with Rahm at the table.