Daley brings business (as usual) and political smarts to job

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON – With decades of political and business experience, newly named White House chief of staff William Daley is solidly positioned to help President Barack Obama navigate the troubled waters of divided government and prepare for the 2012 presidential race.

A Democratic centrist, Daley can serve as a liaison to business in a White House that has faced criticism from some as being anti-business. A former commerce secretary and banking powerhouse, he can also give Obama real-world advice on economic matters. No stranger to sharp-elbow politics, Daley can be a trusted campaign adviser.

"Bill Daley is entirely comfortable in the world of business as in the world of politics," said William Galston, a longtime associate of Daley's who was a White House domestic adviser in the Clinton administration.

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Some on the left consider Daley too close to Wall Street. JPMorgan Chase, after all, accepted $25 billion in federal bank bailout money, if reluctantly. In the early 1990s, Daley helped Clinton pass the North America Free Trade Agreement, still blamed by many union workers and liberals for helping to move jobs overseas.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110107/ap_on_re_us/us_daley_s_world

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