By RICHARD COHEN
Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., officially announced his resignation from Congress today to become President-elect Obama's chief of staff, seeming to close the door on any chance of making a quick return to his old job, in case he has second thoughts.
Emanuel's office made the announcement in an e-mail that included the text of an automated call to his constituents on Chicago's North Side, and in a letter, dated Jan. 2, to embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D).
In his message to constituents, Emanuel said that in the interim, "both the Washington DC and Chicago offices will be open, and staff will be available to assist you with any casework issues." The statement also provided a telephone number in Chicago for constituents to contact with questions or concerns about legislation or dealings with federal agencies. Under House rules, the Clerk of the House routinely takes control of a House office once there is a vacancy.
The letter to Blagojevich routinely reviewed Emanuel's three terms in Congress and referred to his hopes for his new job: "As I go to work every day in the incoming Obama Administration, I will keep in mind the stories of the working families and senior citizens who I met during the past six years in grocery stores, schools and churches across the Fifth District." The letter appeared to make no reference to the governor's current legal problems, nor to Emanuel's much-discussed recent conversations with him.
Although Obama resigned from the Senate in mid-November, other members of his administration have retained their seats in Congress. Vice President-elect Joe Biden is expected to resign his Senate seat prior to the Jan. 20 inauguration, and Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner has appointed his temporary successor, Ted Kaufman. Other announced members of Obama's Cabinet from Capitol Hill are not expected to resign until the Senate confirms them to their new office. They are: Secretary of State-designate Hillary Rodham Clinton, Interior Secretary-designate Ken Salazar, and Labor Secretary-designate Hilda Solis.
As incoming chief of staff, Emanuel does not face Senate confirmation. And he has been working actively in his new job since Obama officially named him on Nov. 7. The announcement makes it unlikely that Emanuel will be sworn in as a member of the 111th Congress, which formally convenes next week. But by ambiguously describing the future operation of his congressional office, and by not explicitly stating that he will not join the 111th Congress, Emanuel may have left himself some wiggle room.
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