Normally, I don't traffic much in gossip, but the case of Valerie Jarrett is different. She may well be the most powerful woman in America, and almost certainly is the most powerful member of the Obama administration. The adjective "shadowy" definitely applies to this woman who enjoys her power through her relationship to the President, having never been confirmed by Senate hearings. Her title as "Senior Adviser" to the President barely scratches the surface of her real power.

President Obama has time for his 150 rounds of golf, his extensive television watching, and his expertise on March Madness bracketology because ValJar, by most accounts, is a tireless and fiercely loyal sycophantic gatekeeper, policy adviser, and in essence acting president. She enables Obama to focus on what he does best: fundraising, speechifying, shooting hoops, and partying.

Those who have crossed swords with ValJar, like former Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and former Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, have found themselves out on their asses. She introduced Mr. and Mrs. Obama to each other, and facilitated young lawyer Obama's entry into the Chicago machine power structure. In other words, in many respects she is running the country while Obama handles the public face.

So it is worth noting that Jarrett, who was born in Iran (her father was a physician working there), is now reported to be dating Ahmad Rashad, a former NFL star, and a "Quranist" - that is, a Muslim who follows only the Quran, not the hadith - the stories about Mohammed's life that are also regarded as sacred scripture by nearly all Muslims. Richard Johnson of the New York Post:

Ahmad Rashad, a Pro Bowl wide receiver, has made yet another great catch.

The Minnesota Vikings legend has rebounded from his broken marriage to Sale Johnson - the ex-wife of Jets owner Woody Johnson - and is said to be dating Valerie Jarrett, President Obama's most trusted senior adviser.

Rashad, a sportscaster and a close friend of Michael Jordan's, is keeping the romance on the down low.

"They haven't gone out in public," one source told me. "They are sneaking around." (Rashad's manager did not respond to questions about the relationship, and the White House declined to comment on Jarrett's personal life.)

At a moment when the United States has caved in to Iran's nuclear program, the Farsi-speaking, Muslim-dating Jarrett is the most powerful member of an administration led by an absentee president uninterested in the details of his administration's activities.

But relax, Obama's pants still have a sharp crease in them.