Obama Camp Likes Emanuel for Chief of Staff

Barack Obama's campaign has approached Illinois Rep. Rahm Emanuel about serving as White House chief of staff, say anonymous Democratic sources. An aide to the congressman says he "has not been contacted to take a job in an administration that does not yet exist. Everyone is focused on Election Day, as they should be."

Emanuel is a veteran of President Clinton's White House and has made a rapid ascent of the House leadership ladder since his election to Congress. He was chairman of the Democratic campaign committee two years ago when the party won a majority for the first time in more than a decade. Both Obama and McCain have authorized their staffs to begin transition operations in recent weeks, but no formal job offers have been made. (More Election 2008 stories.)