|
 Obama told the New York Times in an interview that the impending
departure of Pete Rouse, who had worked for him since Obama was an
Illinois senator, "will be a tough loss."
"I trust him completely," Obama told the Times. "He is a model of
discretion and he has no ego, and he's as wise as they come. So I
think it's fair to say that for the remainder of my term in office
he will continue to be somebody who I talk to a lot and rely on
heavily."
Obama's poll numbers have reached their lowest-ever depths in recent
weeks because of a rocky start to enrollment for the health care
insurance program in his Affordable Care Act, commonly known as
Obamacare.
In recent days, Obama has beefed up his team with two new but
familiar faces known for strong ties on Capitol Hill.
Former legislative director Phil Schiliro will return for a
short-term appointment to help smooth out the Obamacare mishap.
Schiliro, 57, was a longtime aide to California Democratic
Congressman Henry Waxman and also worked for former Democratic
Senate leader Tom Daschle.
The White House also recruited John Podesta, 64, for a one-year
assignment with a particular focus on climate and energy issues.
Podesta was chief of staff for former Democratic President Bill
Clinton and has more recently run the left-leaning think-tank called
the Center for American Progress. He also worked for Daschle on
Capitol Hill.
Podesta is set to "bring a fresh perspective and a fresh set of eyes
to some of the challenges that we've been dealing with here for the
last several years," said Josh Earnest, a White House spokesman, in
a briefing with reporters on Wednesday. Earnest told reporters
that year-end departures from the White House are "traditional" for
staff in high-stress positions and should not be viewed as "a
commendation or a condemnation" for their work.
[to top of second column] |
"That is part of a natural transition that you see on an annual
basis at the White House, and I would anticipate that you'd see some
more of that this year, too," he said.
Rouse, known for shunning the spotlight while skillfully working
behind-the-scenes, first worked for Obama as his Senate chief of
staff after Obama's election as a senator in 2004.
A graduate of the London School of Economics, Rouse had worked in
the Senate since 1971, including 19 years with Daschle.
Rouse and Podesta were part of a team that helped fill Obama's key
staff roles when he first took office in 2009.
Rouse became Obama's interim chief of staff after Rahm Emanuel left
to run for mayor of Chicago in 2010. When the West Wing ran into
difficulties in 2011 under its next chief of staff, Bill Daley,
Rouse stepped up to play a bigger role.
Obama told the New York Times that he was not going to let Rouse
take leave completely, noting he plans "assignments here and there"
for Rouse.
"Certainly I will continue to rely on him for the good counsel and
advice that I really can't get from any other people in this town,"
Obama said.
(Reporting by Roberta Rampton; editing by Lisa Shumaker)
[© 2013 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2013 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
