Briefing: Obama's West Wing

1 The Boss
President Obama has woven three different camps into his inner circle: old hands from his Chicago days, legislative pros with ties to Tom Daschle, and veterans of Bill Clinton's White House. His first-floor seating arrangement includes elements of all three.

2 The Brain
David Axelrod, who ran the president's campaign, sits even closer to Obama than Rove did to Bush; he is the only senior adviser with his own door to Obama's office. "It conveys that Axelrod is involved not only in communicating the president's positions but in formulating them," says a top veteran of the Obama campaign.

3 The Invisible Man
Pete Rouse, another senior adviser, never appears in the media. An ex-chief of staff to Tom Daschle, he maintains deep, bipartisan connections on Capitol Hill. "Rouse's the one who brought 'no drama' to Obama," says a top Democratic strategist. "His enforcement makes it work."

4 The Glue
As chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel unites Obama's team: He's Axelrod's best friend, a Capitol hill pro and the only top adviser who served in the Clinton White House. Obama gives him first and last word at staff meetings and entrusted him to shepherd the stimulus package.

5 The Ear
Vice President Joe Biden, who occupies Cheney's old office, has a weekly lunch with Obama. "I want to be the last guy in the room on every important decision," he says. But insiders say his clout may be undercut by special envoys abroad and issue "czars" at home.