I Need Him

President-elect Obama has reportedly offered to U.S. Representative Rahm Emanuel, Democrat of Illinois, the job of White House chief of staff. It's not yet official, but it would be odd for a president-elect to allow a story to go this far, without being confident of acceptance.

Emanuel needs to consider whether to sacrifice a promising congressional career, in order to go back into the White House whirlwind.

He became chair of the House Democratic Caucus, the fourth-highest position in his party's House leadership, in his third term. That could put him on the road toward eventually becoming speaker. House Democrats, more so than the Republicans, tend to follow an orderly system of promotion within their leadership ranks.

That seems odd in a party about which humorist Will Rogers said "I belong to no organized party. I am a Democrat." But it has been the case.

Perhaps Emanuel, who was a key aide in the Clinton White House, wants to return to the center of action.

The title of this post is arguably the most famous quotation about a White House chief of staff. Dwight Eisenhower said it of Sherman Adams. Eisenhower was later required to get along without Adams, who resigned after being caught up in a bribery scandal.

Eisenhower's successors, John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, did away with the position. But Richard Nixon brought it back, placing the infamous H.R. (Bob) Haldeman in that spot. All of Nixon's successors have appointed chiefs of staff.