President Barack Obama appeared on "The Today Show" Monday morning, and told Matt Lauer that if Rahm Emanuel does decide to run for Mayor of Chicago, he must do so quickly.
Though the Lauer's interview primarily focused on education in America, (check out the full interview and transcript here) the president was also asked about his chief of staff's future plans.
"I think that Rahm will have to make a decision quickly because running for mayor in Chicago is a serious enterprise," Obama said. "And I know this is something he is thinking about."
Obama said that Emanuel has not told him about his plans yet, but he thinks that he would be "an excellent mayor" if he decided to move forward with the bid.
Last week, several White House sources told various news outlets that Emanuel would be leaving the White House within weeks to start his mayoral campaign. Also, NBC Chicago reported last week that former CTA Board Chairman Terry Peterson reportedly signed on to manage the campaign.
Obama's top advisor David Axelrod was also asked about Emanuel's plans over the weekend. On Sunday, Axelrod appeared on ABC's "This Week with Christianne Amanpour" and also mentioned the sense of urgency.
"So, it stands to reason that he would have to leave earlier if he decides to do it, and that's something he's still working through," Axelrod said. ". . . I think that he loves the city of Chicago. He's always believed that that was the greatest job there is, and so I think he's drawn to it, but he still has family considerations to think about."
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