Daniel Burnham was the architect and urban planner who supervised the design and building of the Chicago World's Fair of 1893. That grand and graceful exposition set the tone for future fairs and for today's Chicago. Burnham was the architect of Chicago's lakefront parks, which stretch for miles along Lake Michigan, a public treasure imitated but not yet duplicated. His buildings and parkways continue to rank among the favorites with practicing architects and urban planners. They are enjoyed by millions every day, from Manila to New York.

Daily, thousands pass through Washington's elegant and functional Union Station, most never realizing that it was once simply Burnham's dream. Dreamer and relentless planner, Burnham may remind us of another Chicagoan: President-Elect Barack Obama.

Obama has big plans and we are realizing that he has been working on them for years. Everything seems thoroughly thought out. But he will confront crises, as the charges against Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich demonstrate. Obama and Blagojevich share political friends and financial contributors. Most observers believe that Obama will be able to escape the corruption of Chicago politics. But other rising stars have not. Sooner or later, they have been mired in the muck. The few who have escaped the taint have had more than just big dreams and ambitious programs. They have had discipline and the force of will to get things done. Does Obama? We may soon know as he confronts the economic crisis as well as the distracting Blagojevich political crisis. We can learn how he goes about things by looking at his planning in one policy area: Healthcare reform gives an indication of his style.

Rumor then, fact now

The rumor first surfaced during the weeks leading up to the Iowa caucuses: Former Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle could become healthcare reform czar in an Obama administration. Some reporters following the Obama campaign repeated it, then dropped it. It seemed implausible. Daschle was not known for his interest in healthcare reform, although he had written and spoken about the issue with increasing frequently. Beside, most reporters viewed an Obama presidency as very unlikely. They were more interested in Hillary Clinton's views on reform of the healthcare system.

In March, the rumor surfaced again and some reporters compared the Obama healthcare plan to Daschle's writings and statements on healthcare. They found similarities. Obama, in fact, had praised Daschle's ideas. Few wrote about it. All seemed to miss the fact that Daschle is a master at getting bills passed, no matter what the bills are about. He smiles as he cracks ribs with a "friendly" embrace.

Next, in April or May, I picked up a rumor that Rahm Emanuel, the fourth-ranking House Democrat and veteran of the Clinton White House, would get serious consideration for chief of staff in an Obama administration. Like Obama, Emanuel is a Chicagoan. Unlike Obama, Emanuel is a tough political and legislative infighter. He is the kind of guy to have on your side in a brawl. He know which arms need twisting and relishes applying the twists.

Emanuel and people close to him were typically closed-mouthed. I asked friends close to Speaker Pelosi about the Daschle and Emanuel rumors. They seemed surprised at my question and had no helpful information. A source close to Senate Democratic Leader Reid discounted the rumors: "Obama won't pick political nitty-gritty types. He'll go for policy types."

Hoyer and Durbin: Get-things-done politicians

So I asked people close to Steny Hoyer, the second-ranking House Democrat and one of the best politicians and legislation-movers in the House. They conveyed a different impression altogether: Emanuel was likely to be on a "short list" for the chief of staff job and Daschle might get a cabinet post with healthcare reform as part of the deal. They explained that Obama would advance an ambitious legislative program, starting quickly and keeping the pressure on Congress to pass implementing legislation. Obama wanted to be president to accomplish things. Both Presidents Bush gave the impression that becoming president was their main goal. Once elected, they had limited legislative ambitions and events overtook them. Arguably, the last president who wanted the office to get things done was Reagan.

What were the Hoyer people sensing? Hoyer was not an early Obama supporter. He was an uncommitted super-delegate from Maryland, hardly close to Obama. But he saw which way the winds were blowing. We may be able to learn a great deal about how Obama thinks and works by following this one issue - healthcare - and the rumors, statements and appointments surrounding it.