Changes

[[Rahm Emanuel]], a former Congressman, has the central role of chief of staff; [[Robert Gibbs]] is press secretary; Gregory Craig is White House counsel; old Chicago hands [[Valerie Jarrett]] and David Axelrod are key policy and political advisors. Each is paid an annual $172,000.

[[Rahm Emanuel]], a former Congressman, has the central role of chief of staff; [[Robert Gibbs]] is press secretary; Gregory Craig is White House counsel; old Chicago hands [[Valerie Jarrett]] and David Axelrod are key policy and political advisors. Each is paid an annual $172,000.

In private White House strategy sessions Dana Milbank of the ''[[Washington Post]]'' reports Emanuel bitterly opposed the effort to close the Guantanamo Bay prison within a year, arguing that it wasn't politically feasible. Obama overruled Emanuel. Emanuel fought against the plan to send [[Khalid Sheik Mohammed]] to New York for a trial. Emanuel lost. On health care Emanuel argued for a smaller bill with popular items that could win [[Republican]] support and opposed the public option as a needless distraction. Obama disregarded that strategy and sided with Congressional liberals who hoped to ram a larger, less popular bill through Congress with Democratic votes only. Milbank write,

In private White House strategy sessions Dana Milbank of the ''[[Washington Post]]'' reports Emanuel bitterly opposed the effort to close the Guantanamo Bay prison within a year, arguing that it wasn't politically feasible. Obama overruled Emanuel. Emanuel fought against the plan to send [[Khalid Sheik Mohammed]] to New York for a trial. Emanuel lost. On health care Emanuel argued for a smaller bill with popular items that could win [[Republican]] support and opposed the public option as a needless distraction. Obama disregarded that strategy and sided with Congressional liberals who hoped to ram a larger, less popular bill through Congress with Democratic votes only. Milbank writes,

{{Cquote|Obama's first year fell apart in large part because he didn't follow his chief of staff's advice on crucial matters...Obama's problem is that his other confidants -- particularly Valerie Jarrett and Robert Gibbs, and, to a lesser extent, David Axelrod -- are part of the Cult of Obama. In love with the president, they believe he is a transformational figure who needn't dirty his hands in politics.[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/19/AR2010021904298_pf.html]}}

{{Cquote|Obama's first year fell apart in large part because he didn't follow his chief of staff's advice on crucial matters...Obama's problem is that his other confidants -- particularly Valerie Jarrett and Robert Gibbs, and, to a lesser extent, David Axelrod -- are part of the Cult of Obama. In love with the president, they believe he is a transformational figure who needn't dirty his hands in politics.[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/19/AR2010021904298_pf.html]}}