NBC political analyst Chuck Todd offered the Quote of the Day in the first few minutes of Today on Thursday, comparing incoming White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel to the legendary American generals Patton and MacArthur [audio excerpt here]:
President Clinton chose a childhood friend to be his chief-of-staff, Mack McLarty. What did that mean? That chief-of-staff never knew how to tell the President no. Never was a sort of behind-the-scenes guy. In Rahm Emanuel Obama knows he's getting Douglas MacArthur, or General Patton. A guy who's a field general, who will keep all of the, keep everything running on time, the trains running on time and will go after Congress.
Is this really the best analogy for a guy described by press admirers as the "wiry-thin, foul-mouthed ballet dancer"? Like Obama, Emanuel has no military service on his resume, starting his career in Illinois "public interest group" politics.
NBC also handled the less-serious question of what role Oprah Winfrey will be offered in the new administration:
VIEIRA: Okay and finally what role will Oprah play in the administration?
TODD: We'll see. Maybe she, maybe they'll make her White House Press Secretary or maybe the person who gives away all the largesse.
VIEIRA: Yeah.
TODD: You know she can announce all the cars or, or something like that. But we do know press secretary, a familiar face to the "Today" show folks, Robert Gibbs is probably going to be the guy behind the podium that will become the familiar face of the administration.
VIEIRA: Robert Gibbs, okay look for him.
