his advice has always been candid. his opinions have always been insightful and his commitment to his job has always been heartfelt born of a passionate desire to move this country forward and lift up the lives of the middle class and people who are struggling to get there. he has been a great friend of mine. and will continue to be a great friend of mine. he has been a selfless public servant. he has been an outstanding chief of staff. i will miss him dearly, as will members of my staff and cabinet with whom he has worked so closely and so well. now, i don t think anybody would disagree that rahm is one of a kind. i am very fortunate to be able to hand the baton to my wise, skillful and long-time counselor pete rouse. pete, who has more than 30 years of experience in public service