"On Monday, Mr. Daley turned over day-to-day management of the West Wing to Pete Rouse"

[Pirate Smile]

Top Obama Aide Takes Step Back

WASHINGTON—William M. Daley was hired to help resuscitate Barack Obama's presidency after deep Democratic losses in 2010. Ten months into his tenure as chief of staff, Mr. Daley's core responsibilities are shifting, following White House missteps in the debt-ceiling fight and in its relations with Republicans and Democrats in Congress.

On Monday, Mr. Daley turned over day-to-day management of the West Wing to Pete Rouse, a veteran aide to President Obama, according to several people familiar with the matter. It is unusual for a White House chief of staff to relinquish part of the job.
A senior White House official who attended Monday's staff meeting where Mr. Daley made the announcement said that his new role has not yet been fully defined. But in recent weeks, Mr. Daley has focused more on managing relations with influential outsiders.

The recalibration of Mr. Daley's portfolio, agreed to by Mr. Obama, is designed to smooth any kinks in the president's team as it braces for the overlapping demands of governing while campaigning for re-election, people familiar with the matter said. The West Wing is preparing for budget battles with Congress and is seeking to use its executive powers more extensively.

The new set-up effectively makes Mr. Rouse the president's inside manager and Mr. Daley his ambassador, roles that appear to better suit both men's talents. Mr. Rouse served as interim chief of staff before Mr. Daley arrived, and his White House bio boasts he is "known as the '101st Senator' " for his extensive knowledge of Congress.
In an interview last week before the formal announcement, Mr. Daley said he was doing more, not less. "The president challenged us all to pick up our game after the summer, and I think we're all trying to do that," he said.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203733504577024443125874140.html

Rouse:

Obama's impression of Pete Rouse -- very high

President Obama scheduled a speech today to introduce new White House chief of staff William Daley, but he spent more time praising outgoing chief of staff Pete Rouse.
Obama said he implored his long-time aide to stay on as a White House counselor, an announcement that drew applause and a standing ovation from other staff members -- and also included a presidential impersonation of Rouse.

"Pete's leadership is all the more remarkable when you consider that when I first met him and asked him to lead my Senate staff (after the 2004 election), he told me in that gruff voice of his that, 'his strong inclination was to leave government,' " Obama said, employing a gravelly accent to portray Rouse.
The impression is at the very beginning of the video, right after the 0:50 mark; hey, maybe not Saturday Night Live quality, but amusing.

Obama added that the reason so many people applauded is that "because they've heard him say that every day."
"They've heard him say that every day for the last six years," the president added. "And yet, each time I've asked him to accept one more assignment, he's saddled up and he's taken the job. And it's fair to say that I would not be where I am today without his extraordinary counsel."

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2011/01/obamas-impression-of-pete-rouse----very-high/1

[MannyGoldstein]

1. Isn't Daley the Ambassador to Wall Street?

I guess Jamie and Lloyd need some TLC.