Emanuel accepts White House chief of staff job

A Democratic aide on Thursday afternoon confirmed that House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel of Illinois has accepted the job of White House chief of staff for President-elect Obama.

The choice, which creates a vacancy for Caucus chairman, was greeted warily by House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio.

"This is an ironic choice for a president-elect who has promised to change Washington, make politics more civil, and govern from the center," said Boehner.

Emanuel is considered a strong partisan who, as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, led Democrats back to the majority two years ago.