A few more Obama staff announcements came over the weekend, and they further build out his administration's deep relationship with the Congress. First, Obama's Senate chief of staff, Pete Rouse, came on as a senior adviser. Before signing on with Obama in 2004, Rouse served as Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle's chief of staff, and was known around the chamber as the 101st Senator. More on him here. The transition office also announced that Jim Messina and Mona Sutphen would serve as deputy chiefs of staff in the administration. Messina was formerly Max Baucus's chief of staff, ensuring that Baucus will have a direct line into the highest echelons of the Obama administration. Sutphen is a slightly odder case -- she's a former foreign service office who has been a manager at Sandy Berger's consultancy and recently co-authored The Next American Century: How the U.S. Can Thrive as Other Powers Rise
. And Phil Schirilo, Henry Waxman's chief of staff, was named as director of legislative affairs, giving the Obama administration some House expertise (their staff is pretty Senate heavy as of now). This is not an administration that will lack the cell phone numbers of key congressional players. . And Phil Schirilo, Henry Waxman's chief of staff, was named as director of legislative affairs, giving the Obama administration some House expertise (their staff is pretty Senate heavy as of now). This is not an administration that will lack the cell phone numbers of key congressional players.
