Emanuel Accepts Obama's Job offer.

Emanuel Accepts

Newly installed White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel and President-elect Barack Obama. Photo by Charles Rex Arbogast of the Associated Press

Illinois Rep. Rahm Emanuel has, as expected, accepted the job as chief of staff to President-elect Barack Obama, according to informed Democratic sources.

Emanuel's hiring ensures that the candidate who ran against the Beltway will have a seasoned Washington hand as his top staffer.

Emanuel was elected to Congress in 2002 to a strongly Democratic Chicago-area seat once held by legendary Ways and Means Chairman Dan Rostenkowski. He rapidly rose through the ranks of the Democratic Caucus -- serving as the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2006 and then as the Caucus Chairman over the last two years.

But, Emanuel's experience prior to coming to Congress as an elected official may be more instructive when seeking to understand what sort of chief of staff he will be.

During the 1988 election cycle, Emanuel served as national field director at the DCCC under then Chairman Beryl Anthony (Ark.) and then spent the better part of the 1990s affiliated in one way or another with the campaign and then presidency of Bill Clinton. Emanuel oversaw fundraising during the presidential campaign of Clinton and served as political director in the White House.

Over those fifteen years as a staffer, Emanuel earned a take-no-prisoners reputation and a nickname -- "Rahmbo" -- to go with it.

House Minority Leader John Boehner (Ohio) seized on Emanuel's partisan reputation to condemn the choice.

"This is an ironic choice for a President-elect who has promised to change Washington, make politics more civil, and govern from the center," said Boehner in a statement.

But, Emanuel allies argue that the image of the Illinois Congressman as a partisan brawler is more myth than reality.

Emanuel regularly speaks with current White House chief of staff Josh Bolton and has even attended a baseball game with the Republican. He counts Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), one of John McCain's closest allies, and retiring Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.) as friends. And, Emanuel's allies point to SCHIP legislation and a G.I. Bill of Rights as examples of where he worked across the aisle to secure support.

Our sense on Emanuel is that he is the ultimate political pragmatist. He understands that Obama was elected in part (a major part) due to his promise to change the way politics is conducted in Washington. Does that mean Emanuel's tough minded approach to the intersection of politics and policy change? Absolutely not. But it does mean that Emanuel will understand that reaching across the aisle for Republican support is absolutely essential to Obama's political brand and will look for opportunities to do so.