With nary a public peep, the new Ebola czar, Ron Klain, was on the job Wednesday meeting with President Obama and senior White House officials, but issuing no public statement.

Having work as a political operative and chief of staff, Klain's appointment has proved somewhat controversial. Obama said he was needed to coordinate the overall response to the deadly disease, so Klain was a good choice given his previous stints including chief of staff to Vice President Joe Biden and Al Gore.

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Klain met with Obama for about an hour at the White House. Following the sit-down session, Obama held a brief press availability during which Klain remained silent. He nodded in agreement as Obama spoke about the federal response to Ebola and new policies implemented to fight the disease.

The president said nurses Nina Pham and Amber Vinson were doing better and he was "cautiously more optimistic" about halting the disease given the all-clear signal given people who came into contact with the late Thomas Eric Duncan.

Obama said the Ebola scare had a silver lining because it reminded people the importance of having a robust public health system.

Klain met with other senior Obama advisors and White House teams during the day while new air travel rules went into effect. West African travelers from Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone now must enter the U.S. through one of five designated airports equipped for special screenings and Ebola checks.

The new Ebola czar will make his moves behind the scenes, according to sources. Centers for Disease Control chief Tim Frieden and Anthony Fauci, the Infectious Disease Director, will continue to hold official public briefings.

Klain was working out of a West Wing office so he could have quick access to senior White House officials including National Security Adviser Susan Rice and Lisa Monaco, White House Homeland Security Advisor.

TagsEbola Virus, ron klain, Ebola czar, President Obama, Disease, Response