Updated on
Summary
White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, one of President Barack Obama's most powerful aides, plans to step down on Friday to pursue a run for Chicago mayor. Obama was to make an announcement at a White House East Room event on Friday. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs would not confirm Emanuel is the subject of the announcement but the sources said Emanuel's announcement would come on Friday. Pete Rouse, a senior adviser who is one of Obama's longest serving aides, is expected to take over the chief of staff position for the time being. Mayor Richard Daley's decision earlier this month to not seek re-election on Feb. 22 leaves the door open for a run by Emanuel, the hard-charging former ballet dancer who has helped guide the direction of Obama's presidency. Emanuel, who worked in Bill Clinton's White House in the 1990s and served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois, has made no secret of his interest in the mayoral bid. As chief of staff, the 50-year-old Chicago native has held broad sway over the White House policy strategy and even over who gets to meet with the president. Gibbs said Obama holds a meeting with Emanuel at the start and end of each day. Rouse is likely to serve as an interim chief of staff while Obama settles on a permanent replacement. Most signs have pointed to Obama sticking with an insider, such as deputy national security adviser Tom Donilon or Vice President Joe Biden's chief of staff, Ron Klain. Emanuel's departure will leave a hole in the close-knit White House team and is likely to mark the start of what many Obama watchers expect will be a staff shake-up after the Nov. 2 congressional elections.
