Politics / Valerie Jarrett Jarrett Takes White House Job Obama brings on friend, transition co-chair as senior Oval Office adviser By Neal Colgrass, Newser Staff Posted Nov 14, 2008 6:38 PM CST Copied Barack Obama steps off the plane with senior advisor Valerie Jarrett at the airport in Denver, Colo., Monday, Sept. 29, 2008. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Family friend and campaign adviser Valerie Jarrett today agreed to be Barack Obama's senior White House adviser, CBS reports. She will share the job title and probably split duties with David Axelrod, Obama's chief political strategist. Jarrett was already named a co-chair on Obama's transition team. She was rumored as a possible Senate replacement for Obama, but pulled out of the running this week. (More Valerie Jarrett stories.) Report an error