Rouse Prepares White House for Big Losses

It’s probably not the way you’d want to start out at a new job. In his first week as White House chief of staff, Pete Rouse has spent much of his time strategizing how the Obama administration will deal with the huge gains expected by Republicans in next month’s elections, Politico reports.

To be sure, President Obama is unlikely to make major personnel moves, insiders say. “Nothing has changed,” says a person familiar with Obama’s thinking. “It’s not that he’s uncomfortable with outside people, it’s that he wants the people he’s most comfortable with right next to him.”

Still, some shifts are inevitable thanks to the departure of Emanuel and the expected exits of Senior Adviser David Axelrod and Emanuel deputy Jim Messina. The status of Obama’s 2008 campaign manager David Plouffe will likely be elevated, as will that of White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.