Rahm Emanuel: Obama’s New Chief-of-Staff
On Nov. 06, 2008, International Business Times reported that Rep. Rahm Emanuel has accepted President-elect Barack Obama’s offer to be his White House Chief-of-Staff. Obama’s selection of Emanuel was the first major decision he made in public after being elected as president.
Rahm Emanuel made his decision after weighing important issues like public service and what he wanted to do as a parent. He also revealed that he has taken it upon himself to devote his life to public service. Rahm Emanuel also believes his knowledge about the White House is one of the reasons why President-elect Obama chose him.
Born on November 29, 1959 in Chicago, Illinois, Rahm Emanuel graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1981 and received his master’s degree in speech and communication in 1985 from Northwestern University. As an undergraduate, Emanuel worked for the congressional campaign of Chicago’s David Robinson.
Rahm Emanuel is notable for his “take-no-prisoners attitude” so much so that some people have taken to calling him “Rahm-bo”.
The new chief-of-staff’s political career began with an organization called Illinois Public Action. Then in 1984, he joined Paul Simon’s campaign for a seat in the U.S. senate. In 1988, he became the national campaign director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). The following year, he played an important role – as senior advisor and chief fundraiser – for the victorious mayoral campaign of Richard M. Daley.
Rahm Emanuel’s vast knowledge about fundraising; including the identification of the country’s top donors as well as potential donors within the Jewish community. He helped Bill Clinton’s presidential primary campaign raise a whopping $72 million.
When Clinton assumed the presidency, Rahm Emanuel became the senior advisor to the president; a role which he diligently played from 1993 to 1998.
In 1988, Rahm Emanuel resigned from his White House post and took on the job of an investment banker at Wasserstein Perella (presently known as Dresdner Kleinwort).
Prior to running for congress, Rahm Emanuel was one of the Board of Directors for the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, or Freddie Mac. Rahm Emanuel is the Democratic Caucus Chairman of the United States House of Representatives.