Obama's Top Aide Wants Different Job

(April 20) -- His boss talks a lot about change, and now White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel confirms he's thinking about making a change of his own.

In an interview with PBS's Charlie Rose Monday night, Emanuel acknowledged publicly for the first time that he hopes to be the next mayor of Chicago -- but only if the current mayor, Richard M. Daley, decides not to run again.

Emanuel, a former Daley fundraiser and congressman from Chicago, made it clear he's given up his dream of becoming speaker of the House when Rose asked if there is any other government job he'd like to have.

"First of all, let me say it this way: I hope Mayor Daley seeks re-election. I will work and support him if he seeks re-election," Emanuel replied. "But if Mayor Daley doesn't, one day I would like to run for mayor of the city of Chicago. That's always been an aspiration of mine even when I was in the House of Representatives."

There's been speculation about Emanuel's future for months. The Washington Post's Sally Quinn reported in January he had "told people that the chief of staff role is an 18-month job and that he is considering a run for mayor of Chicago." Emanuel flatly denied it, but the buzz grew louder after The New York Times and the Post published detailed profiles of him early last month. That even prompted debate among bloggers over whether the chief of staff was hurting the White House.

Politico's Ben Smith said Emanuel's confirmation "helps squash a favorite bit of buzz I'd heard: Rahm for secretary of state." (After all, Hillary Clinton declared in a January interview that she couldn't imagine remaining secretary of state until the end of the Obama administration.)

Commentary's Jennifer Rubin also noted last week's report that Press Secretary Robert Gibbs is angling to replace senior strategist David Axelrod.

"There is something a bit peculiar about all the public jockeying and self-promotion, the likes of which I am hard-pressed to recall in any prior administration. Moreover, the degree to which the mainstream media is enlisted in the job hunt is a bit startling even for them," Rubin complained. "Perhaps if Emanuel and Gibbs spent more time on their current jobs, the country would be better served and they wouldn't look quite so craven."

Daley comes up for re-election next year. He will break his father's record as Chicago's longest-serving mayor this year. Although he's expected to seek another term, he probably won't make the announcement until later this year, according to Lynn Sweet of Politics Daily and the Chicago Sun-Times.

New campaign finance laws that would require Daley to raise more through small donations than even before could play a big part in his decision, noted Chris Cillizza on his Washington Post blog The Fix. Still, Cillizza said, most observers of Windy City politics believe that if Daley runs, he'll win.

Although Emanuel repeatedly told Rose he won't run if Daley does, "one really does have to wonder," said Warner Todd Huston on Publius Forum. "Few presidential chiefs of staff last long, and one can be pretty sure that Emanuel will be gone from that position sooner rather than later. So, is he really, really sure that he won't run to beat Daley?" Huston asked.

Emanuel's announcement made NBC Chicago's Ward Room blogger Edward McClelland curious too.

"Was it a signal to Daley to get out of the way, and stop blocking the political talent that's been waiting 20 years to climb to the fifth floor of City Hall? Or was it a signal from Daley that Emanuel is his chosen successor?" McClelland wondered. "More likely the latter. Despite his cheeky image, Emanuel is an organization man, through and through."

But with the possibility of his current boss remaining in the Oval Office until 2017, Emanuel could become "the most connected mayor in America," McClelland added.

NBC Chicago's Web page asked readers if Emanuel should run for mayor. Comments were mixed:

• Might be a nice change. -- David
• He just looks so sneaky. ... I wouldn't buy a used car off the guy! -- Jason
• Kinda seems to be a lose-lose no matter what. -- Benjamin

One potential constituent, Chicago-based writer and Web developer Daniel X. O'Neil, was quick to offer a response on his Derivative Works blog: No thank you, Rahm Emanuel.

Emanuel's remarks on running for mayor overshadowed his answer to a question posed by The Point last week about the next Supreme Court nominee.

"I think that there'll be a huge, huge battle" over whoever the president picks to replace Justice John Paul Stevens, Emanuel predicted. Unfortunately, he gave no hint about the identity of the person who will be at the center of that fight.