White House Chief of Staff William Daley Resigns; Budget Director Jacob Lew Fills Post

White House Chief of Staff William Daley quits; budget chief Jacob Lew fills post - The Washington Post

President Obama with former White House Chief of Staff William Daley

Chicago, Chicago, I love you Chicago, you're only a few states away.

It appears that William M. Daley is homesick for Chicago.  It's understandable since his family has dominated Chicago politics.  Both his father and brother were mayors of Chicago.  White House Chief of Staff William M. Daley resigned Monday, a year after taking the job at the White House.  Last January, Obama tapped Daley to replace former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, who resigned in 2010 to run for mayor of Chicago.  Daley, a former banker who was Commerce Secretary during the Clinton administration, was expected to help the White House to improve its relations with Wall Street as it implemented a series of so-called financial reforms during the wake of the recession. 

Daley never appeared comfortable in the job, drawing major criticism for the wide and protracted legislative battles between the White House and Congress for much of 2011.  He came to the post as Republicans took over the leadership helm in the House of Representatives.  He struggled to develop relations with members of both Houses of Congress, after relinquishing day-to-day operations to senior adviser Pete Rouse in the Fall, with his role being significantly reduced. 

In a brief appearance at the White House on Monday, Obama announced that Daley would be replaced by budget director Jacob J. Lew, which will be effective at the end of the month.  Daley will stay until the end of the month to aid in the transition process.  He will stay through the president's State of the Union Address on January 24 to make the transition process smoother.  To read the full story, click on the above link from the Washington Post.