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LI pols weigh in on Obama's choice of Rahm Emanuel

BY JULIANN VACHON | juliann.vachon@newsday.com

11:38 PM EST, November 6, 2008

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Obama's pick: Rahm Emanuel

Previous: Josh Bolten

With stints in the Clinton administration and the House, Rahm Emanuel is seen by many insiders as uniquely qualified to serve as Barack Obama's chief of staff. Read more about Emanuel. (Tribune photo by Phil Velasquez)

WASHINGTON - As word spread Wednesday that Rahm Emanuel would become White House chief of staff, Emanuel chatted at one point with a friend who thinks the choice is good news for Long Island - Rep. Steve Israel.

"This is a guy who has a mastery of policy and specifically a passion for middle-class economic issues," said Israel (D- Huntington), who chairs a House working group on middle-income Americans that Emanuel created.

-Click here to see 27 photos of Rahm Emanuel and his family through the years

Emanuel's move also sets off a chain reaction of Democratic leadership changes that could be good for Israel, too.

Israel's name is being floated in Democratic circles as a possible head of the party's House campaign committee - the same high-profile post that helped propel Emanuel's career in 2006 when he and New York Sen. Charles Schumer led their party's successful efforts to retake control of Congress.

Israel yesterday was coy about the possibility, saying he hasn't spoken to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi or other key leaders about the post - and hasn't decided whether he would take it if offered. Other House members also are being mentioned for the job, including two from Florida.

Israel worked for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee this year helping to recruit candidates for Northeast House seats - a job Emanuel encouraged him to take.

Israel got to know Emanuel when the Illinois representative came to Congress in 2003. Israel said the two talk frequently, share an affinity for Jewish cuisine and even watched the first presidential debate together this year.

But more importantly, he said, they share similar values and legislative priorities that Emanuel will take to the White House. The middle-class working-group's wish-list includes tax credits for college tuition, health insurance and child care.

Rep. Tim Bishop (D- Southampton) also said Emanuel will help President-elect Barack Obama "govern from the middle" and provide a link between Obama and Congress.

The Island's lone Republican lawmaker, Rep. Peter King of Seaford, said he was surprised Obama's first appointment was someone with such a partisan reputation. "This does not fit into the mold of a nonpartisan era that Barack Obama's talking about," King said.

However, King said he has worked closely with the "very smart, very able" Emanuel in the past and feels he will bring a sensitivity to the White House regarding issues facing Long Island. Emanuel represented a suburban area on the outskirts of Chicago, similar to Long Island's relationship with New York City, King said.

Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Roslyn Heights) believes one of Emanuel's strengths in the House was helping Democrats fashion an appealing message - something he believes he can help Obama do at the White House.

But Emanuel's most important job will be as Obama's gatekeeper. "You don't get the president on the phone unless the chief of staff puts you on the phone," Ackerman said.

-Click here to see 27 photos of Rahm Emanuel and his family through the years