The Right Man in the Right Place at the Right Time? .....

It's been suggested that U.S. Representative Rahm Emanuel has just the personality to make him a valuable asset as White House Chief-of-Staff ... that's a compliment ... I guess.

"The Chicago congressman and chairman of the House Democratic Caucus has been described in the past as a profane, hyperactive attack dog," Time Magazine's M.J. Stephey and Kate Pickert write in this "2 Minute Bio" of Emmanuel. "There are few people in Washington D.C. who could make for such a formidable gatekeeper to the Oval Office. Plus, with the 44th President having just four years of experience in Congress, Emanuel's lengthy political background and knowledge of individual lawmakers — not to mention his fund-raising prowess — are perfect for the job."

He may just become one of the more interesting characters to occupy this all-important post ... especially as our new president deals with the national/world economic situation. Among the snippets I learned from the Time bio ...

• Before working in the Clinton White House, Emanuel worked for Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. He was first elected to Congress in 2002, and is the fourth-highest ranking House Democrat.

• In between his stints in Washington, Emanuel got rich working as an investment banker. He once sat on the board of Freddie Mac and recuses himself from any Congressional votes on the mortgage giant.

• A devout Jew, Emanuel was so intent on negotiating the passage of Congress's $700 billion-bailout bill that he got a special waiver from his rabbi to work through Rosh Hashanah.

• He studied ballet in high school and was offered a scholarship to the Joffrey Ballet, but went to Sarah Lawrence College instead, where he earned a bachelor's degree. He has a master's degree in speech from Northwestern University. He's also a tri-athlete.

• Has been known to send out cheesecakes from Eli's Bakery in Chicago to campaign donors and the many Democratic candidates he has recruited over the years. Once, when a pollster made him angry, (and this is one of my favorite snippets) Emanuel sent him a dead fish.

Time will tell whether Emanuel has what it takes to help make the Obama administration a successful and effective one. I hope he does ... our country couldn't stand the alternative, no matter who was in charge.