Enter Pete Rouse: Who is Obama's new chief of staff?
Rahm Emanuel's replacement couldn't be more different from his predecessor, say pundits. A quick guide to the "101st Senator"
Pete Rouse, a White House senior adviser, is stepping into Rahm Emanuel's shoes as White House chief of staff today. Who is Rouse, and what might he bring to the position of Obama's right hand man?
What is Rouse's background?
Currently a senior adviser to the President, the 64-year-old consultant has worked with Obama since his freshman term as senator in 2005. Before that, he worked in the office of then Senate majority leader Tom Daschle. A long-term political consultant, he has been described as the "101st Senator" due to the depth of his Washington knowledge.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What's he like?
"Remember that no-drama thing you used to hear about the Obama team?" asks Ezra Klein at The Washington Post. "That's Rouse." Described variously as "low-key" and "spotlight-shy," Rouse is famous for working quietly behind the scenes to get a result. Politico's Mike Allen describes him as being "invisible to most of Washington, figuratively and literally: He rarely talks to reporters, and never on the record."
Is he an Emanuel clone?
Far from it. The 64-year-old is almost a polar opposite to the famously combative Emanuel, described by New York's Nitasha Tiku as "a combo of Machiavelli and Iago." In fact, he's the "anti-Rahm," says Sheryl Gay Stolberg in The New York Times. "Mr. Emanuel relishes repartee with reporters; Mr. Rouse avoids it. Mr. Emanuel’s penchant for four-letter words is legendary; one friend of Mr. Rouse’s says that in 35 years, he has never heard him swear. The high-octane Mr. Emanuel bullies; Mr. Rouse, low-key and lumbering, soothes."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
What will he bring to the job?
White House aides tell the Associated Press' Ben Feller that Rouse will provide what Obama needs: "a sharp and strategic mind, a sense of continuity, a knack for troubleshooting and an ability to keep people focused on their tasks." But he's an insider, not a communicator, says Bryan Preston at Pajamas Media. His appointment could "increase the disconnect between the White House and Congressional Democrats."
Will he stay in the position?
Most expect the interim appointment to become permanent after the midterm elections. But it would be better for Obama to look "outside his inner circle for a true game changer," says Doug Schoen at Fox News. The President not only needs someone with "independence" and "unquestionable credibility," but an individual willing to say no to the President, "clearly and effectively," when necessary. Has Rouse got what it takes to stand up to Obama? Unlikely.
Sources: Associated Press, New York Times, Pajamas Media, New York, Politico
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
'His story should be here'
Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
By The Week Staff Published
-
'Not cross buns': the row over recipe revamps
Talking Point New versions of the Easter favourite have sparked controversy but sales are soaring
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
The England kit: a furore over the flag
Why everyone's talking about Nike's redesign of the St George's Cross on the collar of the English national team's shirt has caused controversy
By The Week UK Published
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling Bibles
Speed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published
-
Henry Kissinger dies aged 100: a complicated legacy?
Talking Point Top US diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner remembered as both foreign policy genius and war criminal
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Last updated
-
Trump’s rhetoric: a shift to 'straight-up Nazi talk'
Why everyone's talking about Would-be president's sinister language is backed by an incendiary policy agenda, say commentators
By The Week UK Published
-
More covfefe: is the world ready for a second Donald Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question Republican's re-election would be a 'nightmare' scenario for Europe, Ukraine and the West
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Xi-Biden meeting: what's in it for both leaders?
Today's Big Question Two superpowers seek to stabilise relations amid global turmoil but core issues of security, trade and Taiwan remain
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published