Valerie Jarrett Gets a Look

The NY Times' magazine lead-in makes her sound sinister: The Ultimate Obama Insider: Jarrett in her office at the White House, where her influence leaves few fingerprints. It goes on for 9 pages, but gives us a few good stories. She said to The One, Pink Ice or bust. This is a good point:

Jarrett functions as Obama’s de facto conduit to the business community. Among the president’s economic team, only Jarrett, the former president of a Chicago real estate development firm, has actually run a multimillion-dollar business.

But illustrates the frightening limitations of Obama and his team. More:

For his senatorial campaign, she made key introductions to the donor community, which helped the underfinanced candidate achieve legitimacy among a field of well-financed competitors. (At the same time, Jarrett did not dissuade Obama from involvement with the developer and influence peddler Tony Rezko, whom she regarded as “a snake,” according to a friend.)

How convenient.

Some gossip on the Rahm/Valerie power struggle. (Apparently the NY Times thinks Barack is a harmonic convergence of the two.) And she still doesn't get invited to Axelrod's weekly meetings at his house. Her White House colleagues view her as a dilettante, but apparently she was helping run the headless Treasury Dept. when Tiny Tim was initially floundering. For that we are in debt, uh in her debt. It's all worked out so well.

UPDATE: New post, Valerie Jarrett, Slumlord

Related posts: The Damage Obama has Done, West Wing's Wealthy Chicagoans, Follow the Money Hits O?, News to Obama, Valerie Lies.