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November 6, 2008

Obama Taps Rep. Emanuel as White House Chief of Staff
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Here in the United States, President-elect Obama stayed mostly out of
public view Wednesday, one day after his historic election. In his first
major staffing move, Obama has offered Democratic Congress member Rahm
Emanuel of Chicago the position of White House Chief of Staff. Emanuel
served as an aide under the Clinton administration and has been a key
Democratic Party leader in Congress. On foreign policy, Emanuel is
thought to represent the right wing of the Democratic Party. He has
vocally backed Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza and its
2006 attack on Lebanon. Obama’s transition team has begun to prepare for
taking office. The group is headed by John Podesta, President Clinton’s
former chief of staff and the president of the Center for American
Progress.