Obama's Chief of Staff: The Man from J.P. Morgan

With Daley in charge, who needs Republicans?

Bill Daley, the brother of the former Chicago mayor and JPMorgan Chase executive, joined Obama's inner circle back in January in an effort to ease tensions with Wall St. leaders peeved at Obama for what they saw as his anti-business policies and rhetoric -- namely, health care reform, financial reform, and his utterance, once, of the term "fat cats.” In exchange, Chicago former CoS Rahm Emanuel as its mayor and schools boss. He's also a huge Democratic party rainmaker with elections on the horizon.

Democrats have taken issue with Daley for cozying up to Republicans and conceding too much, too soon, in negotiations with them. He routinely reminds GOP leaders how his business background colors his politics, trying to get across the message that he's not so different from them. "He constantly feels the need to tell [House Speaker John] Boehner and [Majority Leader Eric] Cantor that he agrees with us on regulations," said one House Republican aide. "It's almost an obsession." -- Huffington Post

Daley, it turns out, was a driving force behind Obama’s decision not to roll out new draft ozone standards. The move outraged environmental groups but Republicans hailed it as a step in the right direction, saying it freed up businesses to create jobs by freeing them from cumbersome regulations.

Now some Dems are pining for the aggressive, foul-mouthed Emanuel. I agree. Send Rahm back to D.C.. Get him away from our schools.