Author Edward Klein has written an interesting column on Valerie Jarrett, the White House power broker who seems to be able to control access to the President. Klein, who just published a book about the Obama presidency, claims that the power Jarrett holds via her personal friendship with the Obamas is unprecedented in US history.

Klein is wrong about one thing. The amount of influence Jarrett seems to have with both the President and the First Lady is unusual, but it’s not unprecedented. As in so many other things, President Obama is channeling FDR.
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