The president’s senior adviser and confidante on immigration, working with Republicans and whether she’s the Democratic Dick Cheney.



Does it ever surprise you that people describe your influence at the White House in terms similar to those once used to describe Vice President Dick Cheney’s? Oh! Please don’t say that. Stop right there. The president listens to people who have interesting things to say — that could be the most junior person on the staff or it could be a senior adviser or it could be a person who whispers something to him across a rope line.

In his new book, David Axelrod asserts that Rahm Emanuel, when he was chief of staff, was openly uncomfortable with your relationship with the first family. In a town where access is so important, initially it probably made people a little uncomfortable. I think that has faded. I just want to do my job, and part of my job for the president is to be his friend.

You’ve been with President Obama from the very start of his political career. Are you going to stick around 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to the bitter end? Oh, my goodness, I intend to stay until the lights go off. Why would I miss a single second of this?