One of US President Barack Obama's top advisors,Rahm Emanuel,is expected to resign as White House chief of staff on Friday to run for mayor of Chicago. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters that President Obama will make "a personnel announcement" today,but refused to confirm it would relate to Emanuel's expected departure,CNN reported. The move was expected,after Chicago Mayor Richard Daley recently decided not to run for re-election. Emanuel's departure will be an unquestioned loss for Obama who has counted on his intensity,discipline and congressional relationships to keep the White House focused and aggressive. Emanuel is unlikely to immediately announce his mayoral candidacy this weekend. Advisers said he would prefer to put some distance between his White House exit and the time it will take to line up supporters in Chicago before officially announcing his run. A source close to Emanuel recently told CNN that Deputy Chief of Staff Pete Rouse is the favourite to take over as chief of staff on a temporary basis in order to give the president more time to find a long-term replacement. Rouse,64,was Obama's chief of staff when he served in the US Senate. Unlike Emanuel,Rouse rarely talks to the media.
