enlarge The Associated Press

Illinois Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., shown huddling with Barack Obama in June 2008, is known on Capitol Hill as a hard-charging fighter with a quick wit, a legendary temper and a strong grasp of policy.

 

 

WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama made the first appointment of his new administration Thursday, landing Rep. Rahm Emanuel to serve as White House chief of staff when he takes office next year.

The selection of a fellow Illinois Democrat, a close Obama friend who embraces a sharp-edged approach to politics, could signal a rapid succession of appointments. Obama is expected to announce that he will place two senior campaign aides, David Axelrod and Robert Gibbs, into key roles in the coming days.

Those early staffing decisions, coupled with reports that a number of prominent and established people are under consideration for Cabinet roles, suggest that Obama is focused more on projecting a reassuring image of continuity and competence than of quickly bringing wholesale change to a nation facing two wars and a severe economic downturn.

Obama plans to gather with a diverse team of economic experts in Chicago today and hold his first news conference since winning the presidency. On Monday, he and his wife are scheduled to meet with President Bush and the first lady at the White House, projecting a spirit of cooperation during a time of crisis.

The changeover in the executive branch is playing out across the board, as Obama's transition team moves into agency offices throughout Washington and the president-elect prepares to name his first Cabinet officials, something that could happen as early as next week.

Obama and his aides are seeking to establish a delicate balance as they try to select from a mix of policy experts and political operatives while also maintaining a solid representation of women and minorities, aides said. They also plan to mix in, as Obama pledged to do during his campaign, some Republicans and independents.

Obama's choice of Emanuel -- a veteran of the Clinton years with a quick wit, a legendary temper and a strong grasp of policy -- signals a potential mood shift away from the "No-Drama Obama" ethos that defined his campaign. It also demonstrates Obama's eagerness to be accompanied by tested allies in navigating his first act in the White House.

"Though Rahm understands how to get things done in Washington, he still looks at the world from the perspective of his neighbors and constituents on the Northwest Side of Chicago, who work long and hard, and ask only that their government stand on their side and honor their values," Obama said in a written statement.

Even before the announcement was official, Republicans pounced on the choice as a partisan pick from an incoming commander in chief who had promised to reach across party lines. House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, described it as an "ironic choice for a president-elect who has promised to change Washington, make politics more civil and govern from the center."

Emanuel accepted Obama's offer with a gesture of bipartisanship, addressing part of his statement to Republicans he often battles.

"We often disagree, but I respect their motives," Emanuel said. "Now is a time for unity, and Mr. President-elect, I will do everything in my power to help you stitch together the frayed fabric of our politics, and help summon Americans of both parties to unite in common purpose."

Axelrod, who served as chief strategist for the Obama campaign, is expected to take on the role of senior adviser inside the West Wing; he is one of the few aides not already anchored in Washington. Gibbs is expected to become the White House press secretary.

In Chicago on Thursday, Obama began to take on the routine of a president-elect, returning calls to nine foreign leaders and meeting with top defense, national security and intelligence advisers. He also received his first intelligence briefing since winning election Tuesday night in a meeting with Adm. Mike McConnell, director of national intelligence, and Michael Morrell, head of the CIA's intelligence...