it is a good thing. >> robert reich, the emphasis on big business, how do you see it? >> well, certainly politically it is important for the president, for any president to maintain good relationships with the business community and to avoid being charged as anti-business. but it is very important that the president not be seduced into thinkinging that the interests of big business are the same as the interests of the american economy or for that matter the interest of american workers. big companies like general electric and others have made profits recently, indeed for the last 30 years but more intensively over the last ten years by actually cuttinging their payrolls by laying people off, by reducing wages and benefits. that is not going to be helpful to the american workforce. >> mr. makin, how does appointing the c.e.o. of a major company address the kind of concerns that the relationship had in the past. >> well, i think clearly the president did have an image problem with the business community. and i think many business leaders met with with the president and f

robert reich who was the labor secretary in clinton's term. they are all supportive of daley. you haven't had any complaints. i think this is a broadly well received -- >> howard dean was not a light dusting. howard dean was very tough on the white house. it's the whole aura, the who whole atmosphere. >> he likes daley. [ all talking at once ] >> you want to get into this? >> no, i was saying it's welcoming that he's trying to build bridges. there's been too much finger pointing in the last year. so much of what's happening right now in the american public depends on this. having someone who's pragmatic is very important in reaching out and building bridges. >> have we seen any evidence already, a touch of centrism -- >> he said get pelosi and reid out of the way and give me what i want. >> that was daley's idea. >> exit question, political probability scale zero to ten zero meaning zero, ten being metaphysical certitude, rate daley's prospects for transforming obama that a centrist, zero to ten? >> i think daley will take obama where he wants to go, which is to the center. >>

but former labor secretary robert reich says his fellow liberals should not fret. >> don't worry too much. i mean, the chief of staff is a manager of the white house, not a policy maker, not even a policy adviser. >> reporter: and diane, president obama tomorrow will name another member of the clinton alumni association to his white house, when he names gene sperling, director of the national economic council, that's a position that sperling held in the clinton administration. diane? >> jake, wait to ask about another headline. big cuts at the defense department. what are they? >> reporter: that's right. a big announcement from robert gates today. billions of dollars in proposed pentagon cuts including $78 billion in cuts coming from some very controversial sources including shrinking the size of the military's ground troop level. secretary gates will probably have a big night on his hands on capitol hill. diane? >> but it is a sign of these times. thank you, jake tapper. >>> and history was made on the floor of the house today. for the first time in the 221-year history of the house