Yglesias mentions talk of Daschle as a possible Obama chief of staff. It's an intriguing idea. Yes, Daschle had a mixed record as Senate Democratic leader, failing to stop the Bush income tax cut and backing the 2002 Iraq war resolution. But a chief of staff doesn't make policy. And Daschle always an effective organizer and manager whose gentle, low-key style probably plays better in a behind-the-scenes role anyway. Certainly he would be a real asset to Obama's Capitol Hill outreach efforts.
An added bonus is that Daschle himself has served as a staffer--he was a senior aide to South Dakota Senator Jim Abourezk.
One downside: Daschle's wife is a longtime aviation industry lobbyist, and Daschle has his own ties to the world of DC influence-peddling that Obama wants to banish from his White House (although I'm not sure Daschle has ever been an registered lobbyist).
--Michael Crowley
