Obama re-election a tough challenge: Former Chief-of-staff

Hailing President Barack Obama for his “tough” and “right” decisions, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said that 2012 re-election poses a tough challenge. “Well, there’s no doubt there’s a challenge politically, because the economy is not where the American middle class family needs it to be for their bottom line,” Emanuel said on NBC TV Channel’s ‘Meet the Press’ programme aired last Sunday, according to the Chicago Tribune. [caption id="" align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Chicago Mayor, and former chief of staff, Rahm Emannuel predicts the president will have a tough battle next year”][/caption] The programme that was taped here was hosted by David Gregory and was kicked off as part of ‘Chicago Ideas Week’ and features high-profile speakers on topics like innovation, technology, politics and art. “Obama is accountable for that, just as every elected official in public life is, Emanuel said. The mayor noted the President doesn’t create jobs, but creates “conditions for jobs to take hold.” He credited Obama for stabilising the economy and making the “tough decisions, the right decisions” when it came bailing out the auto industry and investing in public works projects. “I often advised the President about doing the quick political thing,” Emanuel said of his time as White House chief of staff. “And he looked at the long term. And he rejected the quick and political because it was in America’s interest. That’s both true about financial reform, health care, the bigger decisions. The Sunday talk show also featured Republican Paul Ryan from Wisconsin and two Illinois Congressmen Democrat Luis Gutierrez of Chicago and Republican Aaron Schock of Peoria. PTI