Daley: Dems 'Have To Look More Conservative'

Newly named White House chief of staff and member of Chicago's legendary political dynasty William Daley, a moderate Clinton administration veteran, is purportedly being brought in by President Barack Obama to mend fences with American business.

But the former commerce secretary once anonymously told the late political reporter extraordinaire and CNN commentator Robert Novak something that might indicate his new job is actually all about appearances.

In his lengthy autobiography, "The Prince of Darkness," Novak revealed the name of the "well-placed Democratic leader" featured in his column who in the aftermath of what Novak called the "unusually predictive" November 1993 off-year elections -- in which Republicans won the New Jersey and Virginia governorships, as well as the New York City mayoralty -- accused both President Bill Clinton and the then-Democratic-controlled Congress of rank political incompetence. It was none other than Bill Daley.

"I'm afraid the Reagan coalition is forming again after we took it apart last year because we don't know what we're doing," Daley told Novak. "Last year" refers to Clinton's defeat of incumbent President George H.W. Bush in 1992.

"Our people in Congress," Daley added, "and, I'm afraid, in the White House, don't have a clue. We have to look more conservative."

Could it be that Daley has been brought into the White House at a low point for Democrats to make Obama "look more conservative"?

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