Friday, January 25, 2013

Obama Names New Chief of Staff, Reminisces About Bike Rides

Posted By on Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 11:00 AM

President Obama named Denis McDonough new chief of staff today. Here's a little more information about McDonough, courtesy of The Washington Post:

McDonough, 43, has spent the past two years as the No. 2 official in the National Security Council, helping guide some of the administration’s most high-profile decisions, including the military drawdowns in Iraq and Afghanistan, the response to earthquakes in Haiti and Japan and the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, last September.

The president said McDonough has been a leader in the National Security Council and always holds himself accountable. Obama also touched on how supportive McDonough is of military troops.

“He’s visited our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan repeatedly,” Obama said on CNN. “That’s the kind of focus, but also the kind of heart that I want in the white house”

Obama addressed McDonough's family in his speech telling them he would be spending more time away from home than he did before due to his new position. But the president was sure to remind the family that he only does it because he cares about them and about making the world a better place.

During his sappy speech honoring McDonough, Obama joked about the new chief of staff not being allowed to ride his bike to work.

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