Emanuel Leaving White House; Chicago Mayor Run No Cakewalk
Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff who surprised many back in April when he said it was "no secret" he would like to be mayor of Chicago, will announce Friday (tomorrow) he is stepping down and will return to the Windy City — and is likely to pursue the mayoralty that Richard Daley is leaving after 21 years.
The news has been confirmed by NPR's David Schaper. President Obama is expected to make remarks about Emanuel at 11:05 a.m. Friday.
Emanuel has been a larger-than-life presence in the administration, with nearly every major decision made at the White House needing a sign-off from him, everything from Afghanistan to health care. He is expected to be replaced as chief of staff by Pete Rouse, who is Emanuel's deputy and who served as Obama's CoS during his brief time in the Senate. Many reports say Rouse may be only a temporary replacement, but that may not necessarily be the case.
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