By Alan Mascarenhas and Katie Maloney
This year is proving to be one of insurrection within the Republican Party. In recent weeks a cavalcade of long shots has shocked the establishment in GOP primaries, armed with little but Tea Party backing and a supportive tweet or two from Sarah Palin. Now comes the Tea Party’s biggest test: can its heroes actually win in a general election? While few pundits would be willing to bet against the house just yet on Sharron Angle coming out on top in Nevada or Christine O’Donnell pulling ahead in Delaware, the movement has certainly thrown this year’s campaign for a loop. But among the kookier candidates the Tea Party has unearthed, there are a few who stand out as possible rising stars. Following our recent look at the top Tea Party movers and shakers, here’s a rundown of the most exciting and controversial names you’ll see on November’s ballot.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Tea Party Darlings - Newsweek
CORRECTED - UPDATE 1-AIG exit plan to slash US bailout costs-official - Reuters
(Corrects break-even share price to $28.70 in paragraph 3)
By David Lawder
WASHINGTON, Sept 30 (Reuters) - American International Group's (AIG.N) plan to exit government support could cut the cost of the U.S. Treasury's bailout program by half, to less than $50 billion based on current market valuations, a senior Obama administration official said on Thursday.
The plan to convert the Treasury's preferred shares in the bailed out insurer to common stock could yield a profit of around $16.5 billion for taxpayers, compared to a previously estimated loss of about $45 billion, the official said.
Under a Federal Reserve and Treasury bailout that exceeded $180 billion at one point, the Treasury invested about $49.1 billion from TARP into AIG, including capitalized interest costs. Based on an actual cash cost of about $47.5 billion, the Treasury views $28.70 at its break-even share price for AIG.
On Thursday, AIG shares were up more than 1 percent to $38.65, a price that hangs a $64 billion valuation on the government's stake.
The administration official cautioned, however, that any declines in AIG's share price could reduce taxpayer profits. But Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner briefed President Barack Obama that the internal cost estimate for the Troubled Asset Relief Program could comfortably fall by around half from its previous level of around $101 billion, the official said.
The administration is likely to make new TARP cost estimates in conjunction with the end of the government's fiscal year on Thursday and the expiration of authority for new TARP investments on Sunday, the official added.
Under the conversion plan announced earlier on Thursday, the Treasury expects to receive about 1.655 billion common shares in AIG, lifting its stake in the insurance giant to about 92.1 percent from 80 percent.
The conversion, which is subject to successful sales and stock offerings for AIG's foreign assets and repayment of Federal Reserve loans, is being done to give the Treasury a more saleable asset than the relatively illiquid preferred stock it received in the bailout.
The Treasury is still weighing options on how best to sell off the shares, a process that is not expected to start until 2011, the official said.
So the projected cost just went from 800 billion taxpayer dollars to 50 billion, and still headed lower.
And we got to keep our major corporations in business (including GM).
If the right-wing loudmouths hadn’t hammered that this was “Obama’s plan” (which it isn’t – Bush created it) they could take some of the credit.
Lies blow up in your face, boys.
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US: Only one supply route shut down by Pakistan - CNN International
Three soldiers were killed when NATO helicopters crossed the Afghanistan Pakistan border, Pakistani security officials said.NEW: U.S. says only one supply route is closedPakistan says its troops fired warning shotsNATO aircraft entered Pakistani airspace, ISAF saidIslamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- The U.S. military says only one supply route to Afghanistan has been closed by the Pakistani government after fighting that led to the deaths of three Pakistani soldiers, and a military spokesman said Thursday that United States is hopeful the situation is only temporary.
Pakistan banned NATO supply convoys from entering Afghanistan after the deaths of the three soldiers, whom the government says were killed in Pakistani territory during fighting between NATO troops and militants, according to a military official from the NATO-led command in Afghanistan.
Other routes from Pakistan to the war zone remain open, Pentagon spokesman Col. Dave Lapan said Thursday. Lapan said it was too soon to assess the impact of closing this crucial route.
The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad is talking with Pakistan to resolve the situation.
Supply convoys are all-important for the Afghan war effort, and officials from NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) were trying to persuade Pakistan to lift the ban. Coalition forces rely heavily on convoys from Pakistan to bring in supplies and gear.
ISAF said in a statement Thursday that its forces saw what they thought were insurgents trying to fire mortars at a coalition base in the Dand Patan District of Afghanistan's Paktiya province, near the Pakistani border.
An air weapons team targeted the suspected insurgents' firing position, located inside Afghanistan along the border area, and the aircraft entered Pakistani airspace briefly "as they engaged this initial target," the ISAF statement said.
After this strike, the "aircraft received what the crews assessed as effective small arms fire from individuals just across the border in Pakistan" and the ISAF aircraft, operating in self-defense, entered into Pakistani airspace and killed "several armed individuals."
Later, Pakistani military officials told ISAF that coalition aircraft struck its border forces.
"ISAF and Pakistani forces are reviewing the operational reporting to verify the exact location of the two engagements and the facts in this case, and we will work together to fully investigate this incident.
"Both sides have in mind that it is the insurgents, operating on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan and violating the territorial sovereignty of both countries, that we are focused on fighting," the ISAF statement said.
ISAF issued "sincere condolences to the Pakistani military and the families of those who were killed or injured."
The Pakistani government said two helicopters from Afghanistan appeared to have crossed the border into Pakistan in the Mandata Kandaho, Ali Mangola area of the upper Kurram Agency and engaged an outpost of Frontier Corps through cannon fire.
The post, manned by six soldiers, is located 200 meters inside Pakistan, and troops fired their rifles to indicate that the helicopters were crossing into Pakistani territory.
Instead of heeding the warning, the choppers fired two missiles and destroyed the post, killing the three soldiers and injuring three others.
"This is the third incident of its kind during past one week. In the wake of the last incident on 27 September, contact was made at the highest military level and the incident was regretted by the USA," the government said.
NATO helicopters crossed into Pakistani airspace from Afghanistan in pursuit of insurgents over the weekend, killing 49 people, a spokesman told CNN Monday.
Crossing the border did not violate the International Security Assistance Force rules of engagement, Maj. Michael Johnson said.
Pakistan is very sensitive about U.S.-led military operations on its territory and issued a strong protest Monday.
Pakistan called the incursions "a clear violation and breach" of U.N. rules for foreign forces in Afghanistan.
The United Nations "mandate terminates/finishes at the Afghanistan border. There are no agreed hot pursuit rules," Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
A senior administration official in the tribal region's Khyber Agency told CNN Thursday that Pakistan had temporarily stopped NATO supplies from entering Afghanistan in the area of Takhta Baig, which is located about 45 km (28 miles) from the border with Afghanistan.
The official asked to not be named because he was not authorized to talk to the media.
A commander of international forces in the western part of Afghanistan said Thursday that Pakistan's recent ban on use of supply routes is "not a problem" for troops in his area of the country.
Italian Gen. Claudio Berto, talking to reporters in the Pentagon via satellite from Afghanistan, said, "In my point of view, it's not a problem, we are really far away from Pakistan, and if you mean the goods for the soldier, they're coming through other borders, for example Turkmenistan. And we have no problem with this issue."Fox News Poll: Voters Use Midterm Elections to Send Message to White House - FOXNews
With the balance of power in Congress at stake, many voters plan to register dissatisfaction with a Democratic-controlled White House – making the midterm elections a referendum on President Obama.
A Fox News poll released Thursday finds that 41 percent will use their vote this year to express opposition to Obama's policies, compared to 34 percent who describe their vote as expressing support. The message is even clearer among the swing group of independent voters: by an 11 percentage-point margin, independents will cast their ballot to express opposition (41 percent) rather than support (30 percent) for Obama.
That's not surprising given the lack of support for some of the administration's policies. More voters favor rather than oppose repealing the new health care law (46-42 percent). That includes 24 percent of Democrats and 44 percent of independents who want the law repealed.
And by a wide 54-36 percent margin, voters favor legislation stopping the government from spending the hundreds of billions of dollars of unspent stimulus money.
While 57 percent say the Tea Party will not be a factor in their vote for Congress, fully 70 percent of voters support the "main issues the Tea Party has raised" -- calling for lower taxes, less government spending and less government regulation. That includes 49 percent of Democrats.
Those who will use their vote to make a statement on the Tea Party are more likely to cast their ballot as an expression of support for the movement rather than opposition (21-13 percent). It’s important to note the new poll finds just 13 percent consider themselves "part of" the Tea Party movement.
Almost all voters -- 86 percent -- say it feels like the country is still in a recession.
Nearly four in 10 (37 percent) say their family is worse off today compared to two years ago. Just over half (52 percent) say their situation hasn’t changed. Only 11 percent say they are better off today.
Meanwhile, Obama's job rating remains low. Currently 42 percent of voters approve, matching last week’s record low, and 49 percent disapprove. Two weeks ago the president’s rating hit a new low approval (42 percent) and record high disapproval (52 percent).
In addition, 46 percent think Obama is doing a good job "listening to the American people," down slightly from 49 percent in February. Forty-three percent think he’s doing a bad job listening. Yet the president fares better on this measure than those on Capitol Hill. Majorities think Democrats (59 percent) and Republicans in Congress (55 percent) are doing a bad job listening to the American people.
Overall, 72 percent disapprove of the job Congress is doing, including 56 percent of Democrats, 73 percent of independents and 89 percent of Republicans. Likewise, 67 percent agree that the federal government has gotten “totally out of control” and American voters need to clean house.
The national telephone poll was conducted for Fox News by Opinion Dynamics Corp. among 900 registered voters from September 28 to September 29. For the total sample, the poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Click here to view the complete poll results
Republicans Maintain Edge in 2010 Vote
More Republicans (78 percent) than Democrats (60 percent) are extremely or very interested in the upcoming election, and those who consider themselves part of the Tea Party movement are the most interested group of voters this year (89 percent). In addition, a larger number of Republicans (83 percent) than Democrats (71 percent) are "certain" they will vote in the upcoming election.
That turns into an advantage for the Republicans. With Election Day less than five weeks away, by a 44-38 percent margin, more voters say they would back the Republican candidate in their district than the Democratic candidate if voting today. In mid-September, Republicans also had a 6-point edge on this generic ballot question (46-40 percent).
Among those who are extremely or very interested in the election, the Republican edge increases to 15 points (51-36 percent).
Not only are more Republicans (89 percent) than Democrats (82 percent) backing their party’s candidate, but also Democrats (20 percent) are more than twice as likely as Republicans (9 percent) to say they "dread" voting this year.
Ninety-three percent of those who consider themselves part of the Tea Party, as well as 82 percent of Republicans, 69 percent of Democrats and 67 percent of independents are “looking forward” to voting this year.
Clinton Preferred Over Obama on Campaign Trail
While 35 percent of voters say they would be more likely to support a candidate if Obama campaigns for them, nearly half -- 48 percent -- say they would be less likely to do so.
Among independents, the president would do even more harm. By a 29-point spread, independents would be less likely (48 percent) to vote for a candidate Obama backs rather than more likely (19 percent).
It's a similar story for First Lady Michelle Obama -- voters would be less likely to vote for a candidate if she campaigns for them by 16 points.
For former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, the effect is about the same: by 19 points voters overall would be less likely to vote for a candidate she backs, and by 20-points independents would be less likely.
The most positive response was for former President Bill Clinton. Some 39 percent say they would be more likely to vote for a candidate Clinton backed, while 40 percent say less likely. Even so, among independents, Clinton would do more harm than good: 25 percent say they would be more likely and 40 percent less likely.
Congress Should Vote on Tax Cuts before Election
Most voters -- 76 percent -- favor continuing the Bush tax cuts for those making less than $250,000 a year. That drops to 45 percent support for extending the tax cuts for all Americans, including those making $250,000 or more.
Still, 71 percent think raising taxes right now would be a "mistake" because it would hurt the economy. That’s more than three times as many as think raising taxes is a “necessity” because of the size of the federal deficit (19 percent).
Either way, a 65 percent majority thinks Congress should take action on the Bush tax cuts before the upcoming midterm elections so lawmakers can be held accountable for their vote. That includes more than 6 in 10 Democrats, Republicans and independents.
The Republicans New Pledge to America
Nearly half of voters (47 percent) say they are familiar with the Republican Party’s new “Pledge to America,” which was announced September 23.
Of those at least somewhat familiar with the new Pledge, many more have a favorable (46 percent) than an unfavorable (35 percent) impression of it. For 9 percent it is too soon to say.
Click here to view the raw data
Indian Court Orders Holy Site Divided Between Hindus, Muslims - Voice of America
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RSS FeedIndian Court Orders Holy Site Divided Between Hindus, Muslims Kurt Achin|New Delhi30 September 2010
Photo: AFPIndian security personnel stand guard as an elderly man walks past on September 29, 2010 in Ayodhya, on the eve of a court ruling that divided a long-contested holy site in the city between Hindus and Muslims (AFP). Share ThisDiggFacebookStumbleUponYahoo! Buzzdel.icio.usRelated ArticlesIndia Braces For Verdict In Charged Religious Property Dispute Indian judges have ruled Hindus and Muslims will divide the site at the heart of a religious property dispute. Their verdict has been awaited for decades and is seen as a symbolic watershed in India's broader history of Hindu-Muslim tension.
Indian leaders are calling for peace and unity after a high court in the state of Uttar Pradesh issued what some are calling a victory for both Hindus and Muslims.
The court ruled a long-disputed holy site in the city of Ayodhya is to be divided between the two faith groups, with two thirds of the property to be administered by Hindus, and one third to be in the possession of Muslims.
Hindu groups successfully convinced judges about the importance of the site to members of their faith, who believe the area is the birthplace of the Hindu god Lord Rama, one of their most revered deities. An Islamic mosque stood on the spot for hundreds of years before a Hindu mob destroyed it in 1992. That sparked violence around the country that killed more than 2,000 people, mainly Muslims.
A lawyer representing Muslim plaintiffs in the case, Zafaryab Jilanni, says the verdict is a step towards unity. He said the judgment indicates that Muslims and Hindus must coexist in India.
A lawyer for Hindu litigants, Ravi Shankar Prasad, called for Muslims and Hindus to view the verdict positively. "I would appeal to them in all humility, please accept this verdict ... it will lead to new amity, new brotherhood and a resurgent India," he said.
Hindu-Muslim resentment historically has been one of the greatest strains on India's social fabric. As the verdict approached, the government dispatched nearly 200,000 security personnel to prevent renewed violence. Major Indian media outlets agreed to a range of mandatory and voluntary restraints on coverage to avoid inciting emotion. The mass distribution of mobile text messages also was curtailed.
Several parties on both sides of the dispute have said they will appeal the decision to the Indian Supreme Court. That is expected to further delay the Ayodhya case, which has been in the court system for 60 years.
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VOANews:NewsProgramsVideoLearning EnglishAbout UsWeb Services:PodcastsRSSMobileNewsletterWebcastsAbout VOANews.com:Terms of Use and Privacy NoticeBroadcasting Board of GovernorsLink to UsFAQsContact VOANewsJob OpportunitiesTyler Clementi Suicide Puts Bullying In Spotlight - MTV.com
Police are still searching for the body of 18-year-old Rutgers University freshman Tyler Clementi, one week after he is believed to have killed himself after his roommate posted online a video of Clementi having a sexual encounter with another man.
Authorities believe that Clementi leapt from the George Washington Bridge in New York after his roommate secretly taped him and then posted the footage on the Internet.
Clementi's roommate Dharan Ravi and Ravi's childhood friend Molly Wei are each facing two counts of invasion of privacy and could spend up to five years in prison if they are convicted of distributing sexual images without consent. Ravi allegedly posted a live feed of Clementi on Skype, according to CBS News, and boasted about it on Twitter.
"Roommate asked for the room till midnight," Ravi, 18, tweeted on September 19. "I went into Molly's room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out with a dude. Yay." Ravi is also alleged to have tried to broadcast a second encounter a few days later.
Investigators do not know how many people saw the feed or if Clementi had other issues that may have contributed to his despondency, but he clearly was upset by something. Before his disappearance, he wrote on his Facebook page, "Jumping off the gw bridge sorry."
Clementi's death is the latest incident to reveal the dangers of cyberbullying and the consequences of using wired means to taunt. ABC News reported that Clementi complained to his resident advisor and other university officials about Ravi allegedly livestreaming video of Clementi having a sexual encounter with a male classmate earlier this month. A university spokesperson said the information was turned over to local authorities.
His death comes as a rash of bullying-related suicides has made the news. Minnesota Public Radio reports that seven teenagers in the Anoka-Hennepin School District, one of Minnesota's largest school districts, have taken their lives over the past year. Administrators are concerned that bullying, cyber or otherwise, may have played a part in the incidents, at least two of which involved gay students who'd allegedly been harassed or bullied at school as a result of their sexuality.
In Tehachapi, California, 13-year-old Seth Walsh died on Tuesday, several days after trying to hang himself from a tree in his backyard following years of taunting over his sexual orientation. Less than a week earlier, 13-year-old Texas teen Asher Brown shot himself to death after enduring bullying over his small stature, his religion and, possibly, his sexual orientation, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Gay activists and "Savage Love" columnist Dan Savage launched a new YouTube channel called "It Gets Better." The channel gives positive examples of gay adults living their lives after suffering serious bullying in their youths in order to give hope to GLBT teens who may be struggling with abuse from their peers. Gay children are four times more likely than their straight peers to commit suicide and nine out of ten gay kids say they have been the victims of bullies at some point in their lives.
Since launching on September 15, the "It Gets Better" channel has had nearly 500,000 views.
MTV's ongoing "A Thin Line" project also provides stories and resources for anyone who believes they are being cyberbullied or who is looking for ways to stop harassment by digital means.
Ecuador's president, claiming coup attempt, 'won't relent' - CNN International
(CNN) -- Ecuador teetered on the verge of a government collapse Thursday, as national police took to the streets of Quito, the capital, and attacked the president over what police say was the cancellation of bonuses and promotions.
The government declared a one-week state of emergency Thursday afternoon and put the military in charge of security.
"This is a coup attempt," President Rafael Correa said in a TV interview a couple of hours after police lobbed tear gas at him.
Correa, who was forced to flee to a nearby hospital, said police were trying to get at him.
"They're trying to get into my room, maybe to attack me. I don't know," he said in a telephone interview with state-run Ecuador TV. "But, forget it. I won't relent. If something happens to me, remember my infinite love for my country, and to my family I say that I will love them anywhere I end up."
A video by CNN affiliate Ecuavisa later showed a defiant Correa standing at an upper floor window, shouting to a crowd of supporters, "If they want me, here I am," and then rapidly ripping his necktie loose
A broadcast by Ecuador TV showed mobs on the streets and clouds of black smoke coming from burning tires and garbage. Sporadic looting was reported.
Correa had taken to the streets to try to negotiate with police but was soon surrounded and jostled by a crowd and forced to flee after someone fired a tear gas canister at him. Some of those shoving him were police officers in full gear.
Video from CNN affiliate Teleamazonas shows a man in a tan suit punching Correa and trying to yank a gas mask off the president's face.
The broadcast then shows a hunched-over Correa being led away, his face still covered by the gas mask. Correa, who recently underwent knee surgery, leaned on a crutch with his left arm.
A news photograph later showed him lying on a stretcher.
A government helicopter had tried to evacuate him but was unable to land.
He went on the air from a hospital a couple of hours later to denounce what he called a cowardly attack.
"They fired gas on us -- on the president of the republic," Correa said in a telephone interview with Ecuador TV. "This is treason to the country, treason to their president."
Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino led a large and boisterous pro-government rally at the Carondelet Palace, the president's home. He urged the crowd to take to the streets to peacefully "reject this coup" and "to rescue our president."
Said Patino, "We are not afraid of anyone."
Analysts pointed to the government's precariousness.
"This is the most serious protest that the government of Rafael Correa has faced," analyst Eduardo Gamarra told CNN en Espa?ol.
Rank-and-file police took over their agency's headquarters, Ecuador TV said.
There also were reports that the military had taken control of their bases and the airport.
Most of the military remained neutral, though there were reports that some rebellious units seemed to side with the police uprising.
Ecuador has nearly 58,000 members in its military and 33,000 in the national police force, according to Jane's Intelligence Review.
The military, Jane's said, is undergoing a professionalism transformation designed to give it greater flexibility.
The National Civil Police, meanwhile, is the nation's major law enforcement organization.
Government officials tried to quell the rebellion, insisting that the security forces had been misinformed and warning that the nation's democracy was in danger.
"I want to tell the country there has been an attempt at a coup," said Gabriel Rivera of the Country Accord Party.
"This is a Machiavellian plan organized by sectors of the right," Rivera said on Ecuador TV.
Miguel Carvajal, the minister for interior security, said there was no threat to salaries or benefits. He blamed the reports of the benefit cuts on a massive disinformation campaign.
"He who says that is lying," Carvajal said.
"We call on the citizens. We call on the armed forces. We call on other governments to defend our democratic institutions," he said.
A police spokesman went on the air on Teleamazonas to dispute the government's allegations, saying that the security forces were in fact supporting Correa.
"Fellow officers who hear me nationally, stop this action," said the spokesman, identified only as Sgt. Mejia. "Don't close the streets. Return to the streets to work."
The disturbances occurred as Correa threatened to dissolve the national assembly over a dispute about several laws, including public service and education.
Angry police said they were overworked and underpaid.
"We work 14 hours a day," a uniformed officer said on Ecuador TV. "We are the ones who never protest."
Said another: "One hour without police. Let's see what happens."
Diego Borja, director of the central bank, went on the air to urge calm and for people to take care.
"The police are not protecting the people. They are protesting," he said. "There could be problems."
He also sought to prevent a run on deposits.
"The money is safe," he said. "But be careful if making large withdrawals."
Peru closed its border with Ecuador, and messages of support for Correa came from the governments of Argentina and Venezuela.CNN's Rafael Romo contributed to this report.
View the original article here
Boehner Outlines Changes if GOP Takes House - New York Times
As minority leader, Mr. Boehner, of Ohio, is in line to become speaker if his party captures control of the House, and in his speech Thursday, he set out specific ways in which he would overhaul the legislative process, from upending the appropriations system to giving rank-and-file members more power and requiring that the enactment of any new program be accompanied by at least an equivalent cutback in another program.
Mr. Boehner placed Republicans and Democrats alike in the cross hairs, arguing that both parties had engaged in the sins of earmarking, overreaching and partisan pettiness. Mr. Boehner was perhaps trying to appeal to an electorate weary of partisan bickering and legislative inaction and to respond directly to the calls for “changing the system” that have fueled many Tea Party candidates this year and President Obama’s campaign in 2008.
“Republicans should not start from the assumption that all government is bad,” he said, “nor should Democrats start from the assumption that all government is good.”
He added: “Instead of clamping down even further, it’s my view that we should open this process up and let the battle of ideas help break down the scar tissue between the two parties.”
Mr. Boehner, in prepared remarks of his speech at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative policy group, proposed a series of largely procedural measures that he said would make government both more responsive and more transparent.
Mr. Boehner called for rewriting the budget act; ceasing the appropriations practice in budget bills of cobbling together spending across vast agencies; ending leadership-driven legislation that freezes out the vast majority of members; and instituting a cut-as-you-go requirement in which any member offering a new program must “terminate or reduce spending on an existing government program of equal or greater size — in the very same bill.”
In a final smack to members, who are fond of spending hours on the floor discussing things like the virtues of handcrafted beers and accompanying resolutions to honor them, Mr. Boehner said Congress ought to “consider taking all these commemorative moments and special honors, and handle them during special orders and one-minute speeches.”
Mr. Boehner was among a group of Republicans first elected to the House in 1990 known as the Gang of Seven who set their sights on ethics scandals and Congressional perks that tainted members of both parties. In his speech Thursday, Mr. Boehner seemed to put his own party on notice for a reform-minded agenda that he imagines under his tutelage, but framed it as an antidote to the practices of the current Democratic majority.
“It’s hard to guarantee a fair debate,” he said, “when the majority has the ability to change bills in the dark of night and literally drop them into the laps of the minority just hours before debate is set to start.”
How popular such proposals will be among even the Republican caucus is very much in question. Earmarks remain popular with many lawmakers, and watering down the appropriations process would fundamentally alter the power structure in the House by siphoning power from the appropriators.
But, Mr. Boehner lamented, “instead of tallying up a final flurry of legislative output, observers and constituents are asking, ‘What went wrong?’ ”
Rahm Emanuel expected to announce resignation tomorrow; Pete Rouse expected to ... - Washington Post
Pete Rouse, a senior adviser who was President Obama's chief of staff in the Senate, is expected to fill the role at least on an interim basis, although several officials said he could wind up in the job permanently.
Obama will make two "personnel announcements" in the East Room at 11:05 a.m. Friday, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Thursday. Obama is expected to announce the Emanuel and Rouse moves at the same time, to maintain as much continuity as possible.
Emanuel has been setting the stage for his departure for weeks, since the moment outgoing Chicago Mayor Richard Daley (D) said he would not run for reelection. The question of whether and when Emanuel would leave has been a sizable distraction, people who work with the White House said, as other senior officials try to assess what the vacancy will mean and what other moves will be set in motion.
Rouse, a longtime former Senate staffer, is a popular choice among the White House staff. Already intimately involved in most major internal decisions, he is seen as a problem-solver, often wrestling with the president's most difficult dilemmas.
He is so well known in the Senate - where for many years he was a senior aide to then-Majority Leader Thomas Daschle - that he was often referred to as the 101st senator. Yet he has a much lower public profile than Emanuel's.
kornbluta@washpost.com cillizzac@washpost.com
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