Emanuel Will Be Obama's Super Salesman

The prospect of a presidential chief of staff with Rahm Emanuel's elbows-out style is winning praise from Democrats, censure from the GOP. Salon media critic Jack Shafer says his style of working with the press is right out of David Mamet: hyperaggressive salesman who uses "charm, insults, and bluster" to manipulate everyone in sight. How sharp a salesman is he?  Emanuel managed to clear $16 million working for a hedge fund in just 2 1/2 years between Clinton and running for the House, Shafer notes.

In the end Emanuel, made plenty of frenemies in the press corps. "Emanuel games everybody and everything, so the press shouldn't take it personally—and it won't. In fact, as I write, the White House press corps is doing whippits in celebration of his appointment. The Obama campaign famously kept the press at arm's length. Emanuel, on the other hand, can't shut up." (More Rahm Emanuel stories.)