President Obama’s Chief of Staff Bill Daley is resigning! He has been on the job for one year, as with each of the President’s previous three chiefs of staff (well, one was an interim position). The news apparently came in a letter of resignation Daley delivered to Obama in a private meeting last week. Obama asked Daley to reconsider, but in a follow-up meeting the next day Daley confirmed his decision. Effective the end of January, Daley will be replaced by Jack Lew, currently the administration’s budget director. Daley will be going back to where he came from, which is … Chicago.
Is working for Obama so hard? Is there any way to stop the relentless wind-power-generating speed of this administration’s revolving door? For comparison’s sake, President George W. Bush had two chiefs of staff in eight years; President Clinton had four; and President George H.W. Bush had three in four years, which is still better than the rate at which Obama is going, and that guy was terrible!
Last year, Bill Daley had assured Obama he would remain in his position through the election. But in November Daley’s role changed somewhat, and Pete Rouse, a “trusted aide” and former interim chief of staff, was given some of his duties, while Daley’s position came to be described as “high-level managerial duties” and being an “advisor and surrogate for the president.”
Perhaps not coincidentally, Daley sat down for an interview with Politico in October in which he was pretty frank (“unplugged”) about what an awful time of it the Obama Administration has had:
It’s been a brutal three years. It’s been a very, very difficult three years, an incredible three years. And we are doing all this under the overhang of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. F—k! It wasn’t like all this was happening in good times.
So, great job, Politico. [LA Times, ABC News]
{ 140 comments }
Maybe Rahm and Daley can trade jobs.
I can understand Daley's frustration.
Before the CoS job, he was at one point trying to influence a lot of other points.
Now, he sits at one point trying to parry influence from a lot of points.
In corporate life, tyranny reigns.
In government life, chaos reigns.
George Washington said that——maybe.
Better yet, let Chicago actually choose their mayor, for once, and not historic family dynasty worshippes and business interests.
Can't say I'm sorry to see Daley go.
No doubt another corporatist asshole will be found to fill slot.
~
Eh, I suppose Chief of Staff is like Press Secretary. No one stays in that job for longer than a year, either.
Hey, geniuses: if turnover is a major problem in a particular position, then just make the position a one-year contract with option to renew. But that would be efficient, which isn't the Beltway way.
They do seem to be particularly thankless, grim positions.
Beg to differ, although admittedly the contracts are for two years in the case of House members.
Pete Rose works for Obama's Chief of Staff? Well it's good to see the administration is more forgiving of the whole gambling thing than the MLB Hall of Fame.
It must just kill Pete that Barry Larkin made it into the Hall of Fame ahead of him.
Who could have seen that one coming?
Pete would not have bet on that.
SB:
Odds are you are corrrect. Sometimes in life you've just got to take a chance – you've go to roll the dice and see how they turn up.
It's all part of the Hills for VP, Biden for State Dept. with a player to be named later deal.
I see one big upside to doing that. If they wait to announce until the Republicans declare their nominee, the Dems will totally knock the Republican candidates off the television screens for DAYS. It would be hilarious.
Yes, but think of all the unintentional humor we'd be missing.
Pussy.
Oh oh is he going back to Chicago, to pick up some pointers on Chicago Style politics for Obama.
Does he really need pointers? The Daley's invented Chicago Style politics. It's in their DNA.
Lew Jack liked this replacement.
“high-level managerial duties” and being an “advisor and surrogate for the president” = out to pasture, but with a decent interval before departure so as to avoid the appearance of being fired for whining. So long, whiner.
If Romney were president, he'd have enjoyed it.
Chicago politics, again.
This proves Obama is morally weak. And, apparently, a jobs-killer, just like Mitt. Hope he doesn't decide to take Bo on a car trip…
Maybe Daley can do stand-up comedy team with Mike Ditka – Punt & Counter Punt.
And if that team consisted of Ole Crazy Eyes and Duh Gov'Nuh it would be…?
Stand up comedy with Sarah and Bristol Palin: Cunt and Pound her cunt.
That was awful! Thank you, good night!
Fuck, I'm just amazed that the President hasn't resigned.
Time to appoint FLOTUS and be done with it…she'd do a better job than any of the others have…
Bitches get stuff done.
Plus, if she needs to grab the President by the balls, well, she knows where they are.
And she's proven she can put the Queen of England in a choke-hold and smile while she's doing it.
No kidding. Honestly, they should just give it over to her or Valerie Jarrett, already. Everyone knows it is Valerie that runs shit in that house, at least it's been apparent since we even knew who she was that that is what she is basically there to do in an unofficial capacity.
It is a sunny day at the White House with bright light streaming through the gauzy curtains that cover the patio doors and many windows of Bill Daley’s corner office in the West Wing. And so I try to find some underlying gloom.
Of course you do, Roger Simon. Because it's not like Politico should even pretend to be objective or anything, amirite?
If you have to try and find underlying gloom whilst sitting in a room with Bill Daley, you've got a fuckin' problem.
Um. Was this guy in any way related to Richard Daley? If so, has he been fitted for cement overshoes? Lake Michigan can be cold this time of year.
Yep, Richard Daley Sr.'s youngest son, and hence brother to the other Daleys.
Fox News is absolutely outraged that Obama sneaked this guy in without congressional approval.
Boner & Co. are scrambling to make the appointment of a replacement dependent on Congressional approval. So they can filibuster it.
There hasn't this much "fuckin'" in the White House since Clinton.
Apparently he was intensely disliked by Congressional Democrats, so Obama replaced him. This is definitely the administration turning over a new leaf — I mean, I was used to the president giving in to his adversaries, but giving in to his allies? Oh, imagine the synergy of the same side working together…
I sure hope they don't intensely dislike his wife and daughters.
What happens when Congressional Democrats intensely dislike themselves?
"wind-power-generating speed of this administration’s revolving door"
There you go. Preznit Obamar proves himself to be a sochulust by generating power with his revolving door policies. Damn tree-hugger!
Chicago is where the power lies. None of this deal-making and compromising as in Washington. I can understand him.
And don't you forget it!
He's just anxious to get started on his book.
In lieu of Lew?
Lou Reed.
Just not Lou Sarah.
The colored girls will approve. Or at least go "Doo, doo doo, doo doo, doo doo doo, doo, doo doo, doo doo, doo doo doo".
This explains doing a record with the guys who made the Black Album.
These Chiefs of Staff all think they're going to be the power behind the throne, and they're a bit disappointed when they find that the most important part of their day is making the prez's Ovaltine.
Hey! Ovaltine is an important part of a balanced breakfast!
Normally that is the case, when the President is of normal intelligence, it is ovaltine and arse kissing and diplo duty with congress. With presidents of diminished capacity such as Reagan and Dubya the role grows considerably. In Reagan's case it was fairly important, in Dubya's since Cheney had his hand up Dubya's ass moving the lips and head, slightly less. In the case of Clinton, bimbo smuggling and camoflage came into play. In Obama's case it was probably listening to congresscritters screaming in his ear and smoothie delivery from the kitchen.
No man, he's the Preznit. He drinks Boss-co.
Jack Lew, currently the administration’s budget director.
And former worldwide director of wealth management for Citicorp–one of the the most willing lackeys of the one percent.
He's a Corporatist Made Man. During the ceremony, you have to foreclose and eviscerate a Union Pipefitter. Then they mingle your blood with rare truffle slices for the Oath.
As a Union Pipefitter in Reagan's 1984, i resemble that remark.
"Good times."
You know, "St. Ron" laid waste to my union relatives in the '80s as well. I remember at the time that my Sister called it for what it is – the wealthy kicking the "middle class" working class back down into their places. Yeah, it didn't take my folks until 2011 to figure out they were being fucked, by whom, and for what purpose, unlike certain people in "Bain-boat" campaigns. Why is that? Well, perhaps "blahs" are not as gullible as some people. (Present company excepted! And you may well be blah yourself, also.)
If you're a blah, can I be a whah? Yeah, I know … we copy everything you do in a desperate (and failing) attempt to be cool.
Daley’s position came to be described as “high-level managerial duties” and being an “advisor and surrogate for the president.”
Is that a nice way of saying "fetched coffee" and "answered the phone"?
Don't forget wearing short skirts!
surrogate = carry a butt-baby?
I think it involves conversations with Boehner and Cantor. So obviously even a made-man from Chicago isn't capable of doing THAT for more than a year.
A real made-man from Chicago wouldn't put up with their weasely BS for a whole year. Bah-dah-dee, bah-da-BOOM.
"…to spend time with family…."
Only insane people want to spend too much time in DC
I think you just explained my dad.
~
I resemble that remark. Prolly explains how I ended up with all the other disturbed peoples on teh Wonkette.
What's cool, though, is that Obama's punch card is now full, so the next Chief of Staff is free with the purchase of soft drink.
From wiki entry on Chief of Staff's duties:
I was gonna say duh, we have a FLOTUS who could meet much of that description – - but now I'm considering that they're the parents of the youngest youngsters to have inhabited the White House in a while. Sasha and Malia will be young women by the time their father wraps up his presumed second term. The first daughters figure into many daily decisions, I would wager; perhaps not directly so much as with subliminal pressure given the vulnerability of this young age they'll soon grow out of. I may be reading a lot into this but Barry gets to do the parenting thing only once if these two are all they've got – - and how daunting that must make it for Daley or whoever to perform the tasks of coordinating his schedule, arranging visitors etc. Not to mention earlier posts about purported friction between Michelle & Rahm; it's not hard to imagine how this of all administrations could be extra challenging to hold such a position.
One would like to think, in a more civilized country, that Sasha and Malia would influence their father towards the moral high road.
One dreams…
Friction between Michelle and Rahm? Hope they had plenty of lube.
Michelle must've hated him.
You know who else was a Lew?
Lew Wallace? He wrote Ben Hur and didn't pardon Billy The Kid.
No but I was in it.
Lew Wasserman and the world's largest glasses?
Lew Sarah?
Sir Lew Grade?
Or as we used to call him Sir Low Grade, because he produced a lot of crap, but to be fair..also the Muppets.
I thought he was made a member of the nobility–Lord Low Grade has a certain ring to it.
Lou Sarah?
Lew Zealand?
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar?
I made the mistake of saying Lew Alcindor the other day when discussing the glory days of UCLA basketball and someone said "Who?".
Fucking kids these days.
I'll bet they don't know who Cassius Clay is either.
Lesus Christ
I don't know what he did for the People but on People's Court, that guy who always signed off "I'm Doug Llewellyn."
C'mon down, You're on the Price is Right for that one.
It has been that kind of day, revisiting memories of old after-school teevee entertainment indulgences.
Lew Costello ?
Little Lewlew?
Lew Rockwell? Potential chief of Staff of a Ron Paul Presidency?
St. Louis IX, king of France, and many other monarchs in the Capet / Valois line.
Oh, I thought you said JEW. Cause, you know, you have to ask yourself that question every waking hour.
First T-Paw and now this whatzizface? What the hell? Being a boring emo politician must be a medal event at the next Olympics, because mopey contenders are popping up all over the place today.
Pat Buchanan is (allegedly) available.
"Every President needs an S.O.B. — and I'm Nixon's."
Too bad Harry Robbins Haldeman is dead.
A former Chairman of JP Morgan Chase complaining about how hard this economy has made his new job is like Hitler complaining about the Allies bombing Paris.
You mean Berlin (Dresden maybe)? Paris was one of the few towns that was spared major damage during the war. Point well taken anyhoo.
Pete Hoekstra? That you?
Jack Lew?? Why not Jack Off?
he just got of jail, too! And he already wrote his book.
Don't mind if I do!
Election year shake-up of White House staff!
In other news, tomorrow morning the sun is expected to rise in the East.
I hope TLC gets good ratings with "Bill Daley's Chicago".
But now who will order all the interns pizza when they work late?
If the job involves quitting, maybe Palin should consider applying.
Or Daley is going to take a job as Palin's Chief Of Staff.
Lemme guess, he got jealous about FLOTUS looking hot and fashionable, too.
He was good on the old Bob Newhart show.
We also would have accepted I Dream Of Jeanie.
Major Healy? How'd that dumb fuck ever become an astronaut?
Public Sector Unions!
Proof that DC needs more and deeper dished pizza.
Deep dish pizza is one thing I really miss from when I lived in Chicago.
Impossible to transplant cultural items——
Suggestion: keep delicious pizza in windy city,
establish a DC-Chi high-speed rail link.
Jack Mei, Jack Yoo, Jack Lew and the whole crew, too!
Funny–he doesn't look Lewish…
I just hope that this is because for what Obama has planned, he needs a wartime consigliere.
Must have been Daley's penchant to hide in his office with the door locked while cranking up Low. Frankly, his parents were worried.
Being President is a 24/7 job and working for someone with that kind of life necessarily screws your life up, too. The President needs to bitch to someone occasionally and I'm guessing that was difficult at times. Plus, he's a white guy and had no idea how much hate Obama collects in a news cycle simply for being black-in-office. Lots of reasons to hate that job right there.
However, I'm available after the first of the month…
With resignations at this rate, they may have to expand the headhunting process to include the 2%.
Maybe Romney can use Daley as White House bartender, in what promises to be the grooviest administration since Ronnie Raygun.
When the Hacksquad was at WaPo they were assholes, now that they formed Politico they're still the same crew we know and love. They transcend the concept of villagers in the sense it is applied to the press corpse in DC
Chief of Staffing is hard work!
FLOTUS had spoken.
Mittens may like firing people, but Barry actually does it. Wow.
Yes. I didn't peg him for a masochist when he ran, but he really must be one. Who in their right mind would ask for four more years of dealing with Boehner/Cantor/Ryan?
Obama Openly Asks Nation Why On Earth He Would Want To Serve For Another Term
Yeah, and President Bartlet only had 2 Chiefs of Staff!
Transpose the first letters in the new Chief of Staff's name and shazam– Lack Jew.
Wasn't Flack Jew Rahm's nickname?
"The Rick Sanchez Presidential Administration was notable for this."
"What is 'Lacked Jews', Alex?"
"That is correct."
Mr. Obama was a US Senator – not a Governor – so he had to build his staff from scratch in 2008. He took over from a Republican, so on the staff side he wasn't going to keep anybody already in the White House.
It's been a meat grinder dealing with the economy, problems around the world, and the GNoPee'rs. That's not a complaint – that's just a fact.
And, to be frank, Mr. Obama didn't have a lot of executive experience. He ran a brilliant campaign – we all know that. But we can expect a few mistakes as he finds his sea legs in a very difficult job.
The reactionaries will jump all over this (along with the Alice-in-Wonderland Party – aren't you glad they are spending their collective time on important shit?) – but in the long run it is meaningless.
No. Body. Cares. Other than his family, of course. And a few close friends. The Washington press corpse. Nobody else.
I seem to recall an article several months ago when Rouse first took over some of Daley's duties. The story had it that Daley had been pretty incompetent and had alienated quite a few staff members in addition to many Dems on the Hill, which I guess is a huge no-no in that job. He was Chief of Staff during the debt-ceiling debacle and we all know what a cluster-fuck that was.
Bottom line, he was a bad hire and the administration is correcting it. But working in the WH has got to be an insane, 24-7 grind, especially these days with the amount of work that has to go in to get even the tiniest little thing done while the press and the opposition crawl all over you.
Well at least the big dumb cunt made it through this last presser without swooning-again.
All I really have to say to this announcement is "good." 'Bout damned time. Of the president's many cynical picks, this was (and Rahm) one of the most cynical. Go back to Chicago, you amoral, insidery hanger-on.
meh. no love for the daleys but chicago actually works pretty well.
DC not so much.
i know it comes with the territory but i'm pretty fucking sick of buttfuck america trash talking chicago. especially since buttfuck america has unleashed this plague of baggers and endless republican candidates on us.
wake me up when the fucking madigans are in the executive branch
if even the underlings can't stand what's going on, what keeps Obama sane?
Somebody established the term "whys" yesterday…
Once you go blah, you never go bah.
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