Prez’s chief of staff is out

President Obama’s chief of staff abruptly stepped down yesterday — after just a year on the job — dealing the commander in chief a blow a day before Republicans head to the polls in New Hampshire.

“The fact is, even Obama’s point man to the business community knew (the president’s) policies were too wrought with liberal activism and stifling regulation to create jobs,” Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said of Bill Daley’s resignation. “If nothing else, (the) White House shake-up makes it even more clear —every decision is being made through the lens of re-election.”

Daley said he was stepping down to spend more time with his family and return to his hometown of Chicago. He will be replaced by Office of Management and budget director Jacob Lew, a former aide to late U.S. House Speaker Thomas P. “Tip” O’Neill.

“Bill has been an outstanding chief of staff,” Obama said yesterday. “No one in my administration has had to make more important decisions more quickly than Bill.”

Daley, who chaired Al Gore’s 2000 presidential campaign, will reportedly serve as a national co-chairman of the president’s re-election campaign. A former JP Morgan Chase executive, Daley was brought on to smooth over relations between the White House and businesses, as well as reach across the aisle to Republicans.

Carrie Giddins, a political science professor at American University, said the move smacks of election-year politics.

“Obviously, the president is reading the polls and sees the important thing is to turn the economy around,” Giddins said. “It’s the beginning of the year. If you’re going to make a change, why not make it now? The election is 10 months away.”

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