U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel will bring a tough-minded and pragmatic approach to the White House when he becomes President-elect Barack Obama's chief of staff, according to people who know the Chicago, Illinois, native. Rep. Rahm Emanuel has experience in the White House, on Wall Street and on Capitol Hill. Emanuel, a former top aide to President Clinton, has accepted the position in the new administration, Obama confirmed in a statement Thursday. I announce this appointment first because the chief of staff is central to the ability of a president and administration to accomplish an agenda, Obama said. And no one I know is better at getting things done than Rahm Emanuel. In the job, Emanuel would oversee the White House staff. The chief of staff is usually involved in all the major decisions that the president makes and is responsible for making sure the administration carries out the president's wishes. Watch Emanuel call himself fortunate The chief of staff also often is involved in negotiations with congressional leaders when major legislation is under consideration. Jim Manley, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, called Emanuel: An excellent choice. Rahm knows the Hill. And he knows the White House. He is a brilliant strategic thinker and someone who knows how to get things done, Manley said. Manley also rejected the idea that Emanuel is a true