Last Call

White House chief of staff Bill Daley is out, proving that as bad as Rahm supposedly was, this job will chew up and spit out anyone.

White House Chief of Staff William Daley will step down from his post at the end of the month, President Obama announced Monday.

Daley will be replaced by Jack Lew, head of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). 

Announcing the staff change, Obama thanked Daley for his service and said he didn't accept his resignation right away.

"In fact, I asked him to take a couple of days to make sure that he was sure about this. But in the end, the pull of the hometown we both love, a city that has been synonymous with the Daley family for generations, was too great," Obama said while standing in the State Dining Room beside Daley and Lew.

"Bill told me that he wanted to spend more time with his family, especially his grandchildren, and he felt it was the right decision," Obama said.

The departure comes two months after the White House announced that Pete Rouse, the president’s senior adviser, would be taking over the daily operational duties.

It was pretty clear that Daley was on the way out with Rouse getting the actual job of running the West Wing back in November.  We'll see how long Jack Lew lasts.  My guess is should the President be-relected, Lew will probably make way for a new face in January 2013.

Lew meanwhile will be invaluable for his budget expertise.  He'll be needed when the Republicans try to shut down the place before the election.  Perhaps with Lew's emphasis, the President will seek to cut through the GOP's ledger domain legerdemain and tell it straight on the road.

That's a good idea having a budget wonk at the helm when the number one issue for voters is jobs and the economy.