Rahm Emanuel

This is a face we might be seeing a lot of over the next several years. If you don't recognize it, you obviously weren't paying enough attention to the Clinton White House, where Rahm Emanuel served as a senior adviser to the President until 1998. Or maybe you were paying more attention to the spunky little Greek guy. Emanuel ran for Congress in 2002, led the Democratic Party to major gains in 2006 as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and is now the caucus chairman. It was assumed he had his eye on the Speakership. Now it seems he may have another job in mind:

In his first major move as president-elect, Barack Obama has asked Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), a tough-minded tactician with West Wing experience, to serve as his White House chief of staff, Democratic sources tell Politico.

Emanuel has said to friends that he wants and will take the job, but it was not a done deal as of early this morning. Obama plans to move swiftly with his transition announcement and could name Emanuel this week, the sources said.

I like this pick. It means Obama is serious about getting things done. Emanuel knows the White House, he knows Congress, and he knows the Democratic Party. That's the triangle that Obama's plans will live or die in. And it is a good indication that Obama recognizes that while his own power stems from an ability to inspire and unite, that's not always enough:

Some Democrats have warned that Emanuel's take-no-prisoners style could hurt Obama. But the president-elect wants to move fast to push his legislative agenda through the Democratic-controlled Congress -- and Emanuel knows the Hill and power politics as well as anyone in town.

"Obama wants a bad cop, so he can be good cop 90 percent of the time," an adviser said.

Emanuel is also a strong advocate on Jewish issues; his father was a member of the militant Irgun in British Palestine, and Emanuel himself served as a civilian volunteer in Israel during the Persian Gulf War. He accompanied Obama to a meeting with the AIPAC executive board after endorsing him in early June.

The pick would also be fitting if for no other reason than to continue the West Wing parallels that so many have seen in this election. Emanuel was reportedly the inspiration for the character of Josh Lyman, President Bartlet's Deputy Chief of Staff. For those who followed the series to its conclusion, Josh Lyman leaves the White House to run the presidential campaign of Matt Santos, a character inspired in part by Barack Obama. When Santos wins the election against the older, white maverick Republican Senator from a western state, he makes Lyman his Chief of Staff. And now the circle is complete.

UPDATE: Ezra Klein has more.

UPDATE II: Michael Crowley at TNR raises the question of why this is being played out so publicly in the press. I've been wondering the same thing. Emanuel should either take the job or not; going on television to ponder taking the job is ridiculous.