Washington, Nov. 10: U. S. President –elect Barack Obama''s designated chief of staff Rahm Emanuel has rejected suggestions from the Republican camp that his tough, partisan approach might run at odds with the Obama administration.

Stating that it is up to Obama to set a bipartisan "tone," the Illinois Representative told ABC News'' This Week, that partisan charges against him were rubbish that governance under Obama would be carried out in a bipartisan manner.

"The challenges are big enough that there''s going to be an ability for people of both parties, as well as independents, to contribute ideas to help meet the challenges on health care, energy, tax reform, education," Fox News quoted Emmanuel, as saying.

"That is the tone. That is the policy. And that is exactly how we''re going to go forward," he added.

Emanuel was a political and policy aide in Bill Clinton''s White House. Leaving that, he turned to investment banking, then won a Chicago-area House seat six years ago. In Congress, he moved quickly into the leadership.

As chairman of the Democratic campaign committee in 2006, he played an instrumental role in restoring his party to power after 12 years in the minority.

Valerie Jarrett, co-chair of Obama''s transition team, also defended Emanuel from charges that he will act as a "hyper-partisan" chief of staff.

"Tone starts at the top, and I think that President-elect Obama has made it clear that he wants an administration that is--that reaches out, that''s bipartisan, that works in a collegial way," Jarrett said Sunday on NBC''s Meet the Press.

"There''s no one who can hit the ground running faster than Rahm Emanuel. He embraces President-elect Obama''s philosophy. He''s going to do an outstanding job," she said. (ANI)