The Trouble with Rahm

Politico reports that, in Barack Obama's first major move as president-elect, Illinois Congressman Rahm Emanuel is likely to accept his offer to serve as White House chief of staff. Some question, however, whether Emanuel, who served as a senior adviser in the Clinton White House, is right for the job. He is famously in-your-face, and is something of a primadonna: According to The New York Times, in the early days of the Clinton Administration, he drove around in a monogrammed car, and Hillary lobbied to have him fired (eventually, she got him demoted). But Politico cites several reasons why Obama might want Emanuel, including his knowledge of Washington and his loyalty, and the Times has one big reason why Emanuel may want to accept: "The chief of staff is one of the most powerful posts in all of government, the gatekeeper to the president on every issue, and the person with the last word."