In what President Obama called the least suspenseful announcement in history because it was so widely reported, that his Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel would be resigning his post as Chief of Staff to run for mayor of Chicago.

President Obama spoke very kind words about his friend, reminding everyone of all the hard work Rahm had done during troubled times.  He even reminisced about the colourful way in which Rahm Emanuel has been known to express himself joking about Rahm being in an accident as a child and losing the use of his middle finger for a time leaving him mute.  In fact, Rahm has been called the prince of profanity by some in the media because of his penchant for F-bombs.

For his part, Rahm Emanuel gave high praise to the President, calling him a strong figure willing to make the tough decisions to move America forward.  However, it was when he began talking about his parents and he choked up over their sacrifices where we saw something of the man behind the tough talking exterior.  We saw a man deeply committed to serving the public good, highlighted by the sacrifices his wife and children have made for him so that he could pursue his goals of a better future for all, and whether or not you agree with his politics is beside the point.

Taking over as interim Chief of Staff is Peter Rouse, who was described as the polar opposite of Emanuel in that he doesn't like talking to the media and he doesn't appear to have the same fondness for vulgarities.

Watch the announcement below: