The transition: Will Rahm accept?

USA Today front-pages, “Barack Obama spent his first day as president-elect thanking the people who helped him win the job and lining up his White House team, starting with fiery congressman and Clinton administration veteran Rahm Emanuel as his chief of staff.”  The New York Times says that although Emanuel “was said to be concerned about the effects on his family and giving up his influential role on Capitol Hill, many Democrats said they expected him to accept it. Mr. Obama named John D. Podesta, the former Clinton White House chief of staff, to lead his transition team along with Valerie Jarrett, a longtime adviser, and Pete Rouse, his Senate chief of staff. In turning to Mr. Emanuel and Mr. Podesta, Mr. Obama sought out two of the hardest-hitting veterans of President Bill Clinton’s administration, known for their deep Washington experience, savvy and no-holds-barred approach to politics. Neither is considered a practitioner of the ‘new politics’ that Mr. Obama promised on the ... (link)