He’s been described as both a “bulldozer” and a “puppy dog,” and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is working Capitol Hill like never before. Emanuel has been the voice of the White House in many meetings with lawmakers, as he tries to rally votes in President Obama’s push for health care reform. John Podesta, Chief of Staff for former President Bill Clinton, understands why Obama tapped Emanuel to work the Hill. “He saw him operate in Congress, and I think that was the whole reason for bringing him back to the White House,” says Podesta.
Others think the aggressive role isn’t the right one for a chief of staff and that Emanuel has gotten too involved in the “sausage-making” process. Brad Blakeman, who served on former President George W. Bush’s staff, says, “Emanuel has taken it upon himself to be the legislative affairs guy for the president instead of the chief of staff.” Blakeman says the frontline job of negotiating for votes on the Hill isn’t usually something the chief of staff takes on, but that it’s gotten “personal” for Emanuel. In concentrating all his efforts on a single topic, Blakeman believes Emanuel will eventually wind up damaging the President’s overall agenda. According to Blakeman, “Rahm seems to have pigeon-holed the president into health care, which has hurt him on every other issue he has sought to take up this past year.”
As for what it’s like inside those meetings with Emanuel at the helm – it all depends on “which Rahm” shows up, according to Lanny Davis, who worked with Emanuel in the Clinton administration. Though Davis and Emanuel clashed during the Clinton years, Davis calls Emanuel a “man of integrity” who is “loyal” and “authentic.” Davis describes watching Emanuel lead a meeting as something like watching a movie, very entertaining with many characters. “He’s tough, but a great schmoozer,” and Davis says that’s exactly the combination President Obama needs as he works to pass massive health care reform. Podesta is among those who believe Emanuel’s efforts will pay off, “I think that Rahm’s proven himself to be someone who is quite good at steering legislation through the Hill.”
It’s no surprise that Republicans aren’t among Emanuel’s fan base, but in recent weeks and months he’s been taking heat from the left as well. As bloggers and pundits on the left talk about whether Emanuel is to blame for the president’s inability to get significant portions of his agenda passed, Davis says they’re aiming at the wrong target. “It’s the oldest game in Washington when you’re afraid to attack the president, blame it all on the chief of staff,” Davis says, but he doesn’t expect Emanuel to publicly fire back. With so much work left to do on health care, Davis doubts Emanuel has the time or inclination to answer his critics.