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By BEN FELLER, AP White House Correspondent


      WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama on Friday said a
bittersweet goodbye to the energetic and fierce manager of his
White House, chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, and elevated a quiet and
seasoned adviser, Pete Rouse, to the most important gate-keeping
job in American politics.


      "We could not have accomplished what we've accomplished without
Rahm's leadership," Obama said. Emanuel is departing after nearly
two grueling years to run for Chicago mayor.


      The announcement was such a poorly kept secret that Obama joked
it was "the least suspenseful announcement of all time," but it
represented an important moment of transition for the presidency.


      The mood at the White House reflected that this was no ordinary
staff change. Cabinet members and senior staff members packed the
ornate East Room, a setting often reserved for visits of heads of
state, for the official word that Emanuel, the hard-charging leader
of the staff, was on his way out.


      Rouse, named interim chief of staff, is a calm, trusted senior
adviser to Obama who has spent much of his career as a chief of
staff in the Senate.


      "There is a saying around the White House: `Let's let Pete fix
it,' " Obama said. "And he does."


      In a nod to the political sensitivities of Emanuel's move, he
never directly mentioned that he was running for mayor, and Obama
didn't touch that, either. Emanuel, sure to be cast as an outsider
by his competitors in the upcoming mayoral campaign, did not want
to announce his run from Washington.


      But Emanuel did call Chicago "the greatest city in the greatest
country in the world." And he told Obama, "I'm energized by the
prospect of new challenges, and eager to see what I can do to make
our hometown even greater." The president and Emanuel, confidants
and friends, hugged three times during the event.


      Rouse, befitting his style, stood quietly by the president and
never spoke. Obama described him as never seeing a television
camera or a microphone that he liked - unlike the boisterous
Emanuel. The differences were even apparent on stage - Rahm stood
with his trademark hands on hips; Rouse was still and stoic.


      What Emanuel leaves behind is more than a staff job. It is the
most demanding and influential position in the White House - save
for Obama's. The person who holds it is entrusted to shape the
president's thinking, prioritize his time, manage scores of egos
and issues and keep the White House focused on its goals.


      The mantra in the West Wing is that no one who works for the
president is irreplaceable. And yet that's how they describe
Emanuel, a whirling force of ideas and energy with expertise in
foreign policy, political campaigns, communications and the
legislative process. Obama's aides talk of an unquestioned loss.
      

Gallery

Politics and Government News

President Barack Obama on Friday said a
bittersweet goodbye to the energetic and fierce manager of his
White House, chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, and elevated a quiet and
seasoned adviser, Pete Rouse, to the most important gate-keeping
job in American politics.

Emanuel out, Rouse in as chief of staff

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