William Daley

AP is reporting that President Barack Obama has selected former Commerce Secretary William Daley as his Chief of Staff, replacing Interim Chief of Staff Pete Rouse. The spot had been vacated late last year when former Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel left his position to run for Mayor of Chicago.

While no formal announcement has yet been made, Politico’s Mike Allen reported earlier this morning that an announcement was imminent, citing an anonymous source “This is just about done. Staff is being deferential to Pete, but he is totally on board with this plan and is looking forward to getting his old office back.”

Who is Bill Daley? He has recently been the Midwest chairman of JPMorgan Chase and current Chicago Mayor Richard Daley’s brother. Nick Wing at Huffington Post claims that there has been some questions on the progressive side of the political spectrum on Mr. Daley, writing that Daley “raised some eyebrows this week when prior comments were uncovered suggesting he was an opponent of two landmark Obama administration initiatives — health care reform and consumer protection.”

Not only does Mr. Daley have deep roots in Obama’s home city of Chicago, but he’s thought to have a very strong pro-business point of view, evidenced by his previous role as Commerce Secretary under President Clinton.

William Daley

William Daley to be Obama’s new chief of staff

The Washington Post reported earlier today that President Obama has chosen William Daley to replace interim Chief of Staff Pete Rouse who stepped in after Rahm Emanuel resigned in October. The official announcement is to be made by the president at 2:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon.

A Chicago insider, Daley is the brother of outgoing Chicago mayor Richard Daley. His career in Washington includes a stint as special counselor to President Clinton and later Secretary of Commerce under Clinton. Daley also served as campaign chairman for Al Gore’s presidential campaign in 2000.

His most recent position has been as Midwest Chairman of JP Morgan – a source of contention

For some who think Daley is too cozy with Wall Street. His appointment is viewed by many as an attempt by the White House to cultivate better relations with the business community.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue issued the following statement on the appointment:

“This is a strong appointment. Bill Daley is a man of stature and extraordinary experience in government, business, trade negotiations, and global affairs. He’s an accomplished manager and strong leader. We look forward to working with him to accelerate our recovery, grow the economy, create jobs, and tackle America’s global challenges.”

And as The Daily Caller previously reported, Daley was also an outspoken critic of the health reform bill.

William Daley to be Obama’s new chief of staff