Obama needlepoint at obamaartreport.comRahm Emanuel, chief of staff, is returning republicans' calls. Gasp. Isn't that the way it should be?
WSJ: Two weeks after his selection as President-elect Barack Obama's White House chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel met with Senate Republican leaders, gave out his cellphone number and personal email address -- and promised to return any communication within 24 hours.Following up:
Testing the pledge, Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl called him within days to talk about a few potential Cabinet nominees. Within 10 minutes, the two were talking. "They are getting off to a good start in terms of reaching out," said Sen. Kyl, an Arizona Republican.
That conversation -- and dozens more since Mr. Obama's election -- are part of an extensive effort Mr. Obama has launched to woo Republicans. He hopes the effort will both ease the way for an aggressive, decidedly liberal policy blitz after he takes office, and establish terrain for a good working relationship in areas where the parties can find common ground. First up will be a half-trillion-dollar stimulus plan he hopes will win Republican votes.
"We are showing we're not just going to lip synch this," Mr. Emanuel said in an interview this week.
Monday, Mr. Obama called Rep. Peter Hoekstra, the conservative ranking Republican on the House intelligence committee, to express his hope that the pair could work together on intelligence matters. A day later, the Michigan Republican called Mr. Emanuel to follow up, and he, too, got a call back within 10 minutes.
Mr. Hoekstra knows Mr. Emanuel from the locker room at the House gym, where the pair often shaved side by side. The pair had a half-hour conversation last month, and the lawmaker told Mr. Emanuel is was the longest talk he has had with a senior White House official in eight years.
