President-elect Barack Obama is preparing to make his first political appointments as part of plans to move swiftly with his transition to power in January. Reports said that Rahm Emanuel, 48, a Democratic congressman from Mr Obama's home town Chicago, had been offered the key post of White House chief of staff. Nicknamed "Rahmbo" for his sharp elbows and uncompromising style, the choice of Mr Emanuel indicated Mr Obama wanted a bad cop to balance his good cop routine. He reportedly told Tony Blair before his first meeting with Mr Clinton, during the Monica Lewinsky scandal: "This is important, don't f*** it up." A skilled ballet dancer as a teenager, the father of three volunteered for the Israeli Defence Force in the first Gulf War and later joined the Clinton administration as an adviser.
Reports said that Rahm Emanuel, 48, a Democratic congressman from Mr Obama's home town Chicago, had been offered the key post of White House chief of staff.
Nicknamed "Rahmbo" for his sharp elbows and uncompromising style, the choice of Mr Emanuel indicated Mr Obama wanted a bad cop to balance his good cop routine.
He reportedly told Tony Blair before his first meeting with Mr Clinton, during the Monica Lewinsky scandal: "This is important, don't f*** it up."
A skilled ballet dancer as a teenager, the father of three volunteered for the Israeli Defence Force in the first Gulf War and later joined the Clinton administration as an adviser.
With his historic election behind him, Barack Obama was moving ahead with his transition Wednesday as he prepared to confront the daunting challenges that he would have to face as president in just 76 days, amid two wars and the gravest economic crisis to afflict the country since the Great Depression. Representative Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, once an aide to former President Bill Clinton and a close friend of Obama, has been offered the post of his White House chief of staff and is expected to accept, according to Democrats familiar with the process. And the three co-leaders of Obama's transition team were to be announced Wednesday - John Podesta, the former Clinton chief of staff; Valerie Jarrett, a longtime Obama adviser; and Pete Rouse, Obama's Senate chief of staff. Obama got in a morning workout, but was expected mostly to be behind closed doors, meeting with members of his staff. He was to remain in Chicago until the end of the week at least. Campaign workers at his Chicago headquarters were told to take the morning off and not to show up until noon. Many, of course, are scrambling to sort out their own futures, hoping for roles in the new administration.
With his historic election behind him, Barack Obama was moving ahead with his transition Wednesday as he prepared to confront the daunting challenges that he would have to face as president in just 76 days, amid two wars and the gravest economic crisis to afflict the country since the Great Depression.
Representative Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, once an aide to former President Bill Clinton and a close friend of Obama, has been offered the post of his White House chief of staff and is expected to accept, according to Democrats familiar with the process.
And the three co-leaders of Obama's transition team were to be announced Wednesday - John Podesta, the former Clinton chief of staff; Valerie Jarrett, a longtime Obama adviser; and Pete Rouse, Obama's Senate chief of staff.
Obama got in a morning workout, but was expected mostly to be behind closed doors, meeting with members of his staff. He was to remain in Chicago until the end of the week at least. Campaign workers at his Chicago headquarters were told to take the morning off and not to show up until noon. Many, of course, are scrambling to sort out their own futures, hoping for roles in the new administration.
