Bolten Tries to Right the Ship

Bolten can be tough. And some staff members fear that the family friendliness of the West Wing may disappear under this bachelor workaholic. This is a White House where rush hour is 6:30 a.m., but evenings and weekends are usually spent at home. Bolten routinely works until 10:30 p.m. and is often seen around the complex on the weekend in jeans, tennies and a favorite red plaid shirt. Some senior and mid-level staff members are uncertain about signing on for a new regime that could have the intensity of a campaign. Bolten will "expect everyone to be on the job in a new and invigorated way," according to a colleague. "That's the benefit, but the rank and file can expect things to be more rigorous." Associates say he wants clearer lines of authority and delineation of duties.

The day Bolten was promoted, he began making the first of many calls to lawmakers of both parties, including one that pleasantly surprised Representative Jack Kingston of Georgia, vice chairman of the House Republican conference. "I'm not a big fish," Kingston admitted, "and he said, 'We're interested in what you're hearing out there and what you guys on the Hill have to say. We want your input.'" Now the challenge for the new chief, and his boss, is what to do with it.