Rahm Emanuel Steps Down as White House Chief of Staff

Chicago - President Barack Obama announced Friday White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is leaving his post, presumably to run for mayor of Chicago.

"Welcome to the least suspenseful announcement of all time," Obama joked to open the press conference. "As almost all of you have reported, my Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel has informed me that he will be leaving his post today to explore other opportunities. This is a bittersweet day at the White House. On the one hand we are all excited as Rahm takes on a new challenge for which he is extraordinarily well qualified. On the other, we are losing a talented leader who we will miss very much."

Nearly all the heaviest hitters in the Obama administration were all present for the announcement. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Attorney General Eric Holder, White House Aides David Axelrod, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Jarrett's Chief of Staff Mike Strautmanis, Michelle Obama's Chief of Staff Susan Sher and Defense Secretary Robert Gates were all there.  White House Aide Valerie Jarrett was not present.

Obama was light-hearted as he announced Emanuel's departure, drawing laughs from the crowd.  He thanked Emanuel for his hard work.

"I want to think you for being the toughest leader any country can ask for in the toughest times any country has ever faced," Emanuel said to Obama.

Speaking before the crowd, Emanuel teared up while praising the president's work, speaking about his parents' influence on him.

"My father and my grandfather came to this country for opportunity. They came here for a better life for their children. My mother marched with Martin Luther King because she believed that none of us is truly free until all of us are. Both my parents raised me to give something back to the country and the community that has given us so much," Emanuel said.

There were some laughs, though, with Emanuel at times winking at his children, who were in the front row with his wife Amy.

"These are great times in Chicago Mr. President. The Chicago Bears are 3 and 0," Emanuel said.

Before the announcement, at a meeting of the White House senior staff, there was a mixture of tears and laughter.

Emanuel told the meeting of the senior staff, "I know I pushed you very hard, but I did it in service to the president, and I believe our whole country is better off for it."

Austan Goolsbee also reportedly stood up and presented the meeting with a dead Asian carp wrapped in the Chicago Tribune as a tribute to Emanuel's Chicago tough-guy image.

"It was in honor of some of Rahm's past antics. It was an Asian carp, which are hard to come by these days, thank god," David Axelrod said.

Obama announced the man who will replace Emanuel as interim chief of staff is his "wise, skilled and long-time counselor" Peter Rouse, a White House senior advisor. He was Obama's chief of staff in the U.S. Senate.

"There's a saying around the White House, let's let Pete fix it. And he does," Obama said. The jokes continued, as Obama drew attention to Emanuel's and Rouse's "two very different styles."

He's a graduate of the London School of Economics and Harvard Kennedy School.

The White House tried to remain quiet about Emanuel's plans leading up to the announcement. At a White House news conference Thursday, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs had said President Obama himself would make a "personnel announcement."

Emanuel will return to Chicago this weekend. Expectations are Emanuel will begin making campaign-style appearances on Monday. He'll start touring city neighborhoods and will soon launch a website with a message to Chicago voters.

It's still unclear when Emanuel will officially announce he's running for mayor.

After the formal announcement, Obama spoke very highly of Emanuel at a meeting with FOX Chicago News Political Editor Mike Flannery without issuing a formal endorsement.

Axelrod praised Emanuel, saying he had experience on all the important issues facing Chicago. He did note that Emanuel is not yet a candidate, saying that is why the White House has stopped short of an endorsement.

"I think the president has made his views on Rahm very clear. He's said several times he thinks he'd be an excellent mayor," Axelrod said.

By the numbers, Emanuel's run for mayor could be a formidable one.

He has $1 million in his campaign war chest, money from donations left over from his days in Congress.

He also won his four elections in Chicago's Fifth District convincingly. The lowest percentage of the vote was a whopping 67 percent.

Rahm Emanuel Steps Down from Post | Originally Reported By: myFOXchicago.com