Report: Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel to quit White House

[madmom]

Source: By Haaretz Service

Washington insiders say top adviser has reached reached an understanding with the president that he will serve only half the full four-year term.


Raham Emanuel, chief of staff to Barack Obama, is expected to quit his job later this year in growing frustration at the U.S. president's "idealist" policies, a British newspaper reported on Monday.....

...."The consensus is he'll go," a leading Democratic consultant in Washington told the paper."I would bet he will go after the mid-terms."

Read more: http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/report-obama-chief-of-staff-rahm-emanuel-to-quit-white-house-1.297393

---

Don't know this source, so don't know how reputable it is.

[begin_within]

1. LET the door hit you in the ass on the way out, Rahm.

[TrollBuster9090]

48. I'm sure if it did, it would involve the following byzantine political deal

Rahm lets Olympia Snowe hit him in the ass with the door in exchange for her not voting to block the healthcare mandate in committee, even though she intends to vote against it on the floor.

Olympia Snowe gets to videotape the door spanking episode, and give it to Lindsey Graham, so he can fulfill his slash porn fantasies.

In exchange for the porn video, Graham agrees to vote for Kerry's climate change bill.

In exchange for Graham not blocking his climate change bill, Kerry votes to nominate Joe Leiberman to chair the armed services committee.

In exchange for being put on a committee instead of being kicked out into the street, Leiberman agrees to nominate Joe Sestak to be Secretary of the Navy.

In exchange for the Sec. Navy job, Sestak agrees not to run against Arlen Specter.

In exchange for Nixing Sestak, Specter agrees to nominate a pharma company in Connecticut for a big contract.

Leiberman then agrees to block the contract until the company agrees to pay a huge kickback to Olympia Snowe's campaign in Maine..

blah
blah
blah....

[begin_within]

143. They should hire you!

[asdjrocky]

158. That is some funny stuff. Thanks.

Too bad parts of it could be true.

[axollot]

176. Sounds like D.C. to me - with one exception...

no one discusses Graham's sexuality in exchange for ______.
Bribes n Blackmail = 98% of D.C. it would seem.

Cheers
Sandy

Thanks for the great laugh too!! :crazy:

[lovuian]

156. Alleluia!!!

He was so Israeli!

[slay]

184. Hell yeah - best news I've heard all day

Rahm is a dick and has always been a huge problem for Obama in regards to progressive goals and legislation. F-U Rahm good riddance!

[Barack_America]

2. Haaretz is generally a trustworthy source...

...though I want nothing more than to believe this.

Edited to remove "not" from title.

[MadBadger]

3. British Newspapers however generally arent

[dipsydoodle]

79. You buy all them do you ?

:sarcasm:

[Name removed]

61. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[dipsydoodle]

78. Yup - good news source Haaretz

:thumbsup:

[oberliner]

88. The source is actually The Telegraph

This article, like the one in the NY Daily News and ones elsewhere, is just reporting on the original report from The Telegraph, a RW UK news source.

[oberliner]

90. The original article is from The Telegraph, a RW UK news source

This article (and others like it) is just reporting on what The Telegraph reported.

[vanbean]

125. "Idealist" policies? Well, that says it all, doesn't it?

[Barack_America]

149. Yes, it does.

Like I admitted, I really WANT to believe this.

[and-justice-for-all]

146. You should edit the title again to put the 'not' back in...

Haaretz is no different from the IBN.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

4. no smoke without fire?

[mod mom]

89. the fire is his mishandling of healthcare reform, the initial response to the BP/Halliburton

disaster and to the general perception that rahm stands for greed, corruption, favoring corporations and aiding the fat cats on wall street.

Our own personal karl rove.

[dhpgetsit]

116. Rahm wants to kick some ass and

Obama keeps reining him in for the sake of "bipartisanship".

[AnArmyVeteran]

120. Didn't Rahm call the left 'insane' and condemn us for wanting a public option?

I believe Rahm Emanuel has been a negative force. I believe Obama should get rid of most of his advisors who have apparently advised him to cave into the right wing with every big piece of legislation. I was an Obama delegate and I am sick of the way he keeps giving in to the right wing even when he MUST know he's not going to get any support from them. Obama said nothing for months and let even the illiterate and ignorant tea baggers seize the national dialogue on health care reform. Rahm is totally incompetent for not getting Obama to counter all the insane claims from the right. But instead of doing anything they just sat on their hands for months not doing anything and allowing stupid tea baggers to outsmart them. It was like Karl Rove was advising Obama and Obama was taking his advice. I don't know where candidate-Obama went but if he wants to be elected to a second term he had better start leading and not taking any more shit from the right wing. I didn't work tirelessly for a year to elect Bush-lite.

[defendandprotect]

160. Evidently, Rahm actually called us . . .

"F---ing Retards!" --

And, if you read the article I posted below, evidently Rahm wanted even LESS than

Obama was pushing for on health care!!! Even less!!

It's here in an article by Alex Spillius which Common Dreams carried on this subject ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4435199&mesg_id=4435703

[jwirr]

196. And he is upset about President Obama's idealist ideas. That about

says it all. We elected him for his idealist ideas.

[sce56]

221. You hit it dead on the nail "Bush Lite" +100 n/t

[Mimosa]

229. ^ woohoo ITA with AnArmyVeteran ^

I wish Rahm would go now. I wish he could be gone retroactively. ;)

[mod mom]

128. Yeah, rahm wants to kick some ass to benefit the banking industry.

[pattmarty]

5. I don't think it's going to change much if he goes.

[SammyWinstonJack]

43. +1. nt

[Hawkowl]

52. Oh I do

Since Obama lacks any coherent political/economic policy or theory, I assume he will adopt whatever his next chief of staff thinks.

[pattmarty]

85. Well we won't know untill he goes, but I don't think a chief of staff..........

.............for ANY President is going to make a huge difference. My opinion is in Rahm he had a person to mainly deal with the Congress. Like Rove people see him as a scapegoat, but I still don't think it will make any difference. Everyone should now know that Obama is Obama and that ain't gonna change.

[Hawkowl]

163. COS is the gatekeeper

A COS can make a huge difference. Traditionally he schedules the presidents time and appointments. He can prevent a cabinet member from getting a meeting with the president or allow only those who adhere to a particular school of thought to monopolize the president's time. (I'm thinking of the remarkable similarity between ALL the members of his economic team).

In other words, the COS can be the filter in which the president views the world.

I think presidents with a stronger personality will not be influenced by COS's as much. Weaker, or perhaps better phrased, less ideologically detailed presidents, will be much more greatly influenced by their COS.

[northernlights]

185. bingo

the gatepeople is, arguable, the most powerful person in the white house. Like an executive secretary. Nobody sees the president unless the gatekeeper lets him or her through the gate.

[lark]

191. chief of staff made a huge difference for Clinton

He really never got his sea-legs until Podesta came in. Different issues, but maybe Obama would more progressive without DLC Rahm around? Also could be wishful thinking?

[Eric Condon]

216. Actually, if The West Wing is any indication, the COS is probably the most powerful person in the WH

Rahm is absolutely the linchpin for all the contempt for the Left emanating from the WH in this administration.

[dhpgetsit]

226. Obama has always been more of a diplomat than a trailblazer.

He seeks consensus and compromises. He's never going to be a leading progressive.

[Demeter]

72. We Gotta Have Hope

It was all we had going into this.

[pattmarty]

86. And look what it got us. I have now run out of "hope". I am now 63 yo..........

.......and nearing the end of my life. I have a small pension and took my SS early so I will get by at least economically, but for my kids, who have no higher education or skills, they are fucked. If I were younger and had either a higher education or a "stake" I would move to another country, Spain comes to mind, and be done with the USA.

[Fire1]

217. Retired folks move to other countries all the time. As long as

you're self sustaining there's no reason why you couldn't have dual citizenship.

[dotymed]

107. We can only hope that it will

change dramatically (progressively), IF Rahm does leave. The mid-terms would would look brighter for Democrats (real ones), if Rahm left now.

[defendandprotect]

123. TPB may sic an even bigger right wing dog on Obama ... let's see what happens...

[DutchLiberal]

208. Bingo.

Obama will continue to govern like Bush, no matter who's the chief of staff.

[pattmarty]

210. I wouldn't go that far, but he is who he is. We know by now what he....

....is going to be like for the rest of his 1st term and if he gets a second, that too. We needed an FDR and we got a black Bill Clinton. He's better than Bush, but I could be high AND drunk throughout my whole presidency and be better than Bush.

[DutchLiberal]

212. Obama continues Bush policies...

Not reinstating habeas corpus; 'prolonged detention'; holding the power to appoint anybody an 'enemy combatant' without any legal rights and have him/her killed (including US citizens); extraordinary rendition; aiding the Honduras dictatorial government, etc.

[pattmarty]

223. Yep. We may have a "two party" system here, but unfortunately...............

............the parties are "bad & worse". We now have a "bad" President in power as opposed to Bush who was "worse".

[DutchLiberal]

224. You cannot say that under the new rules of the DU Gestapo... er... moderators.

[napi21]

6. Well, that sure should make a lot of DUers happy! I'm not sure how

I feel about it. I still think Obama needs someone like the bulldog that Raham is. bama is just a very nice guy. He doesn't like confrontatio. He doesn't express outward anger, and probably doesn't swear much. Washington is a very cutthroat place, and he needs a real fighter as his right hand. Someone like Biden. I think Joe has helped a lot, but Raham seems to be too much of a corpratist to be the real help he needs in a COS.

[glitch]

15. He needs Mike Papantonio.

A progressive bulldog.

[napi21]

16. I doubt Pap would want that job. nt

[glitch]

18. Yeah, I know. But he would kick the right ass. nt

[SkyDaddy7]

69. I like Pap but...

It so easy to say things on the radio but to actually be able to get things done in DC is a completely different story!

[Scuba]

66. +1

[freebrew]

124. He needs Howard Dean.

Should have been there all along. Dean is the hope part of the Dem party.

[glitch]

139. We need Howard Dean! Belated welcome to DU, btw. :) nt

[davidwparker]

161. +1

... and he will be my write-in vote for president in 2012 if there are no primary challengers to O in 2012.

[jaded_old_cynic]

172. What you said.

:thumbsup:

[AlbertCat]

179. Rachel Maddow for COS!!!!!

[mdmc]

197. paging the good doctor!

[ihavenobias]

203. Howard Dean vs. Rahm Emanuel

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cenk-uygur/howard-dean-vs-rahm-emanu_b_303915.html

[fadedrose]

227. He's the ONLY Dem I contribute to now...

especially since Lanny Davis on Ed Schultz' program a few weeks ago said that progressives are ruining everything....

I don't remember voting for Lanny Davis...or any of the old administration people...

[defendandprotect]

127. Here's Mike Papantonio according to Wiki .... want to add anything?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Papantonio

I love the Ring of Fire show but generally miss it --

Love Bobby Kennedy, Jr., as well!

Dean would also do it for me!



Let's hope that Obama is now becoming more aware of who he can't rely on --

whomever was whispering in his ear that he could trust BP, oil industry --

"Rigs these days don't spill" and "The Gulf will bounce back" I hope weren't

legit Obamaisms -- but ???????

The Democrats continue to be very weak in the face of the organized crime that

is corporate-government today -- MIC, etal. The corruption put in place by

Bush/Cheney is so intensified throughout government that I think it can't be

underestimated. Obama has to change more personnel in the agencies --

[glitch]

137. Dean, Kennedy, Papantonio in the administration would make a huge difference in direction.

I'd love to see it.

[davidwparker]

162. +1

[TrollBuster9090]

37. If he needs a bulldog, how about one that doesn't attack his master's

supporters?

How about replacing Rahm with Howard Dean? Dean is a bulldog, but at least he's a bulldog who has some good ideas, instead of an obsession with making backroom deals to buy votes and secure campaign funds?

I'll give Rahm credit for coming up with the idea to cut a back room deal with the pharma companies to play them off against the HMOs. It was daring. It was clever. And it didn't work. Nevertheless, even though it didn't work, it destroyed Obama's reputation as an honest, transparent guy. It wasn't worth it. Neither, in my opinion, were most of Rahm's brilliant ideas.

[BlueMTexpat]

39. I must have been channeling your thoughts. See below!

LOL

[TrollBuster9090]

44. Heh, no I think we're all just seeing the obvious. :)

/

[TheEuclideanOne]

54. I totally agree

In reading through the comments, I am a bit suprised. I was expecting almost all them to be comments showing how happy it is that Rahm is gone and indicatio that the administration would be much better off without him. I am seeing alot of comments that show people do not think it would make a difference. I strongly disgree with that.

Rahm behaves like a Republican. He has strong ideas and knows how to get them through. Unfortunately, as with the example that you cited (which is perfect) they are in clear contrast of what the president ran on. I agree that Howard Dean would be great and it would be a nice reward for the vision that he has, accomplishing things like a 50 state strategy that got Obama elected in the first place. Another person that would be great, but only if we could clone him, would be Alan Grayson. If it did not mean losing him as a Congressman, I would love to see him in this role or any role in which he has closer input to the President.

[bahrbearian]

65. I'm sure Dean is very aware of this white house and would not want to be used again.

[SusanaMontana41]

67. +1

I hope the story is true. Never have trusted Rahm. He's too quick to compromise Democratic principles. All that compromisin' got us exactly ... what? Good bills that got watered down to almost nothing just to woo GOP members of Congress who were going to oppose them anyway.

Would love to have Dr. Dean re-assume the role of party chairman. IMO, he didn't get enough credit for the victories in '06 and '08. Tim Kaine is milquetoast. Dean NEVER would have allowed Scott Brown to out-campaign Coakley.

[wordpix]

75. Howard Dean, yes!

[Enthusiast]

84. +1 nt

[defendandprotect]

126. Rahm is a DLC-corporate bull dog . . . not what the nation needs and hope

this signals that Obama is waking up to that or freeing himself from it --

We won't really know til we see who replaces him --

[socialist_n_TN]

141. Obama needs a LEFTIST bulldog

Would Howard Dean be interested in the job and have the skill set?

[socialist_n_TN]

142. Wow! I posted this w/o reading the rest of the thread

Seems like a LOT of people had this idea.

[Capn Sunshine]

186. Just so you know, Howard is far from a leftist

hes a consensus oriented centrist like Obama. He's very practical. His views on the party and the electorate are often misconstrued as leftist sentiments.

But he'd be GREAT in that job.

[DutchLiberal]

209. Obama is as much a corporatist as ' Rahm' and ' Joe' are...

I don't see the difference.

[Arkana]

7. It's Haaretz.

Still, if this happens, it'll make a lot of DU happy.

[Barack_America]

17. It's not JPost.

Just sayin'

[Art_from_Ark]

70. I don't know how trustworthy this article is

considering they couldn't even spell Rahm Emanuel's name right.

But if it's true, I won't be shedding any tears over his departure.

[donquijoterocket]

189. credibility

I saw this report discussed this morning during my daily blog ritual run-here http://www.balloon-juice.com/2010/06/21/anatomy-of-a-circle-jerk/ My personal recommendations for what's basically a thankless job would be either Howard Dean or Dennis Kucinich, although I expect that in operation both would draw their share of sniping from the lefter of the Democratic party and I'm not sure either would want the position.

[oberliner]

91. The source is The Telegraph

Ha'aretz is just reporting on their reporting.

[sendero]

8. Third thread on the subject..

.... well we can hope so although the damage has been done.

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. " Idealist" policies?

Do we dare hope.
And any idea of who would be a good replacement
vs
a bad replacement?

[DFLforever]

11. I would call peace in the Mideast an idealistic goal

and I suspect Haaretz is speaking in terms of foreign policy.

[DutchLiberal]

211. As opposed to peace in Latin-America...

Something Obama doesn't have any interest in.

[PassingFair]

23. Dean.

Dean would kick ass.

I'm partial, of course, because he's THAT GOOD.

[BlueMTexpat]

38. That would be MY fondest dream!

If only ...
Having Rahm go, however he goes, whether he leaves of his own accord or because Obama wants him to, would be a VERY good start.
Howard Dean is every bit the bulldog that Rahm is. But Howard is from the Democratic wing of the Democratic party.
Therein lies ALL the difference!

[dmr]

47. That's what the president needs,- a kick ass Democrat like Dean

I'd like to see a lot more left in our president.
:hi:

[TrollBuster9090]

50. Dean's better than good. He should be the VP!

Here's my ideal cabinet shuffle.

Put Hilary Clinton in as AG, Joe Biden as Secretary of State, and then Howard Dean as VP. The Obama Administration would never look back.

[defendandprotect]

122. Would love Dean --

[mdmc]

198. pic!

[RedCloud]

109. If by appealing to the right predominantly is "idealist", then yes

[Viva_La_Revolution]

10. good news!

:bounce:

[disndat]

98. Ditto! nt.

[Kip Humphrey]

12. Hope returns. Maybe Obama will be able to return to the vision that got him elected!

[salguine]

21. i wouldn't bet on it. Everything he's done so far indicates that

he's stuck in a pattern of thinking that does not include vision, decisiveness or boldness, to say nothing of progressive, or even liberal, tendencies.

Of course, I would LIKE to think he would choose as Rahm's replacement someone with solid progressive credentials, but if he selects anyone other than another DLC corporate stooge, I'll eat my hat.

[Fearless]

27. +1

[Bert]

45. Everything he has done so far

is to live in the delusion that he will get any votes from conservatives, yet he continually tries to appease this bunch who wont even admit he is an american citizen, meanwhile his pit bull calls progressives retards I believe. I can only guess that Rahm wanted Obama to be Clinton II.

[wordpix]

193. I agree & while O is cleaning house, he should sweep out Keep-the-Bushites Salazar at Interior

And replace him with an environmentalist with excellent credentials.
THAT would be change I can believe in.

[glitch]

13. AFTER Social Security is "fixed" wait for it....nt

[OhioChick]

14. Good riddance....

Wonder who the replacement will be?

[Grassy Knoll]

19. NO SOURCE.........

This is as bad as " some people say "
or " fox news is reporting "
or " the consensus is " or " I would bet "
what a lame and misleading story.

[bluestateguy]

20. Haaretz is an iffy source

And this piece is chock full of anonymous sources.

He'll leave before the end of the year? After the midterms? Oooooh! Gee, what a scoop. That's a whole 5-6 months away. And these foreign journalists probably don't even know that 2 years is the average shelf life of a White House chief of staff.

[BlueMTexpat]

42. Why is Haaretz an "iffy" source?

Because it leans left? Hmmm
IMO, it's gotten quite a lot spot on. I've been a reader for as long as its on-line version has been available.

[msanthrope]

114. Because it is quoting Britian's winger rag--the Telegraph...n/t

[oberliner]

92. Ha'aretz isn't the source - The Telegraph is

The article is about a report in a British newspaper - The Telegraph.

[GreenTea]

22. Best news I've heard in a while - The corporate DLC asshole Emanuel's influence on the whole

administration soon will be at a minimum.....Great news, although I can't say I didn't believe it was inevitable and bound to happen - many chief of staff's as well as press secretaries seem to receive much justified blame and then simply tire or get burned out or both....just watching that incredibly huge gigantic ego on Emanuel, knowing that if he didn't get his way on everything he wanted in the way that he wanted the direction of the administration to go...and if he got any blame for his direction and ideas what so ever that Ralm would be gone, history....and yes, now as expected, Emanuel is going, going, gone.....YEAH!!

[awoke_in_2003]

24. fuck him. nt

[PassingFair]

25. Can't happen soon enough.

For me.

[Bette Noir]

26. Dear God, let this be true!

[Hulk]

28. We can only hope!

I'm not so sure he will be missed? Do they ALL have to be sneaky, underhanded snakes in the grass?

[kestrel91316]

29. Hope it's true. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

[Amonester]

30. If the Democrats lose both majorities in the House and Senate in Nov.

I will gladly blame him personally.

I wish he would just leave today.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

31. As I recall, Rahm was Barack's first appointee

and I remember back then the sinking feeling I got in my gut. Hope this is true - Barack can do better!

[MilesColtrane]

32. Average term of service of a WH chief of staff is 2.5 years.

Here's hoping Wormtongue Rahm takes the under.

[breadandwine]

55. Rahm(en noodle) is a wimp but I have my doubts that he's leaving.

And it is useless for him to leave after the midterms since he should leave before them. But there is a saying that a fish rots from the head first. Obama has also been a wimp. Nobody is kicking GOP ass and it's pathetic. It's all suck-up, suck-up, suck-up.

There is no leadership at the top. That's why Obama picked Rahm in the first place.

If Obama doesn't want to be president he should let some other Democrat do it.

[No Elephants]

81. That would be Rahm N. Noodle, aka "Noodle."

[defendandprotect]

132. A few come to mind . . . Whitehouse/Grayson/Franken . . .

We need a true humanist in the White House --

Think you're mentioning the midterms is interesting --

Rahm may be wanting to avoid getting blamed for any losses?

Though, IMO, he's guaranteed them with his advice to Obama!

Think this oil go-round had to have done it -- Obama looked like it was all happening

on another planet somewhere for almost a month!

Health care is a true fiasco -- MEDICARE FOR ALL is what we should have had --

IMO, Rahm did his DLC job in protecting health care industry and it's a major loss for

all Americans.

[PSzymeczek]

222. I read somewhere

today that Peter Orszag is the one leaving.

[boppers]

33. It's Sunday, right!

What would a Sunday be without another "Rahm leaves" thread?

[Hydra]

34. Dare we hope?

And dare we hope this indicates a change of direction coming?

Cynic in me says no way in Hell...but the chips are down. If President Obama doesn't make a total do-over starting now, I think we're staring at another Republican takeover of Congress(and we all know how much fun that was last time).

[TrollBuster9090]

35. I call B.S. on this story. It's just a trial balloon.

They just floated this rumor to see which direction Obama's ratings go on the RUMOR that Rahm will leave. If they stay the same, he'll probably stay.

And this made me laugh:
"in growing frustration at the U.S. president's "idealist" policies,"

The reason most people dislike Rahm is because of his UTTER LACK of idealist policies, and his sacrifice of any form of idealism to standard beltway politics, vote counting, and backroom deal making. Sure the right wing nuts will say Obama is an idealogue no matter what he does, so we shouldn't care that they think there is "frustration at the U.S. president's idealist policies." The Beck/Limbaugh/Fox crowd think Obama is being too idealistic just by BREATHING (literally...and they wish he'd stop). If anything we've had the worst of both worlds. The engineered perception that Obama is acting idealistically when he's not, and thus the blaming of failed standard politics on idealism.

[breadandwine]

58. TrollBuster9090, you could be right.

Machiavelli said that things should be blamed on subordinates. It could be this is all a scheme. Make it look like there is a schism between Obama and Rahm. Every time people are pissed off, blame it on Rahm. But continue the DLC policies while blaming them on Rahm, so the base is kept thinking it's not Obama's fault, just Rahm's. A fish rots at the head first and Obama picked Rahm. I have yet to see how their views really diverge. They are both DLC wimps.

[TrollBuster9090]

63. Personally, I think that was Obama's original plan, but the tail ended up

wagging the dog after a few months. Obama's original plan was to come up with the broad ideas, and have Rahm work out the details with Congress, and every idea that flopped would be duct-taped to Rahm, so that he could conveniently be thrown overboard at some point, leaving Obama intact. And I think Rahm knew this, and volunteered for the job.

But as soon as things started to go wrong, Obama made the classical mistake that all new politicians make when their shine starts to wear off. They panic, lose faith in their own ideas and common sense, and start turning things over for the guy with the reputation of being able to get things done. Rahm was the one with all the 'old friends' and all the favors that could be called in etc. Obama started out with the right idea about healthcare reform, saying he supported single payer, but knowing it couldn't be done overnight, advocated the public option as a way of getting to single payer by example. Something he's on record as supporting. But he underestimated the strength of a well monied opposition, and as soon as things started to go sour, he panicked and turned to the guy who knew how to pull it out of the fire by making back room deals.

It was a Faustian bargain, and pretty soon the method of expedience that was used to solve a crisis (Rahm's deal-making method) soon became the method of day to day operations. And that's when Obama's ratings started diving into the toilet. As soon as he was perceived to be just another beltway politician. WORSE, a regular beltway politician who FOOLED everybody into thinking he was something different.

[defendandprotect]

133. hmmm....

IMO, I think the deal was if Obama got the backing, he'd have to take Obama and

the full line up of corporates he put in place?

There has to have been some kind of unpleasantness going on between Obama and Rahm

with this oil stuff hitting -- and Obama looking nearly as incompetent as Bush --

Plus Obama running around saying stuff like:

"Oil rigs these days don't spill" and his latest "The Gulf will bounce back" -- !!!

Sure hope that was some corporate BS and not what Obama really believes!

[nadinbrzezinski]

174. Here this is no trial balloon

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2010/06/20/2010-06-20_rahm_emanuel_obamas_chief_of_staff_to_quit_white_house_in_six_to_eight_months_re.html

[Hippo_Tron]

36. What a bunch of bullshit

Yea I would also bet he would go after the mid-terms as well because the average Chief of Staff tenure is about two years. But because I'm not a "leading Democratic consultant" the newspapers don't print my opinions as though they were inside information. Their source doesn't know anything that anybody who follows politics doesn't already know.

[TrollBuster9090]

49. I'm sure if you could supply

your own topless hootchie-cootchie girl to put on page 3, the British newspapers would be glad to print your opinions.

[wial]

40. I wonder, given who Rahm's father is,

and if real at all, if this is really over Israel.

[defendandprotect]

134. Who is Rahm's father . . . ????

[Althaia]

150. his dad is from Israel, and has a suspicious background

http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2008/11/13/rahm-emanuels-father-problem/

and that probably shaped Obama's response to Israel's illegal attack on the humanitarian flotilla.

[defendandprotect]

157. Thank you . . . .

was aware there were some brothers floating around, as well --

but even more disappointing seeing these views from the father.

[SILVER__FOX52]

41. Good Riddence !!!

This guy has been trying to manipulate the President from the very beginning. Fuck him, he needs to go.

[No Elephants]

87. You have to be a very lame employer(let alone Potus) if you let your employees manipulate you.

I don't think Obama is lame.

[gleaner]

46. We had this as a rumor a few months back ....

but it didn't happen. I sure hope it is true this time. He has caused us all a world of pain and a lot of respect. My message to him. Just go now. Don't wait.

[WhoIsNumberNone]

51. Maybe this administration can be salvaged after all...

But I'll wait until I see who's going to replace him before I open the champagne. What if it's Lieberman? What if Obama pulls a "bipartisanship" in yet another futile attempt to appease the right wing and brings in Sarah Palin? The devil we know sucks, but the devil we don't know could potentially be even worse.

[pundaint]

53. he should go now, there might be time to do some good this year

[Major Hogwash]

56. I don't think he will leave. He's too much of an egomaniac to ever walk away.

If you have ever read any of the conversations that he had with other political people, Rahm is never wrong.
Never.
Not even when he is standing in the middle of the railroad tracks telling you that the train is not coming today, even when you can see the train coming down the tracks a mile away.

Do you know what happens to people who stand in the middle of the road?
They get run over.

And that's what has been happening to us for the last 18 months.
By standing in the middle of the road, Democrats from the left and Republicans from the right, and Tea Party members from Mars have rode over Obama's "I want to make everyone happy by being a middle-of-the-road type of guy."

It didn't work for Carter, it won't work for Obama.
Here's some advice for the President --
Go left, young man.

Horace Greeley knew where the future of this country was when he gave similar advice, and there is only one way to go from here.

[loudsue]

99. He wants to be mayor of Chicago. He needs to ready his campaign.

If he's leaving Obama's administration, it's only to have his own.

Obama will pick another DLC/NDN person; it's too dangerous to do otherwise.

[defendandprotect]

129. Feel the same way about him . . . think he was thinking of running for Senate, tho, wasn't he?

[rpannier]

57. Idealist policies

Sounds like garbage

If he goes, who will people be blaming then?

[knixphan]

59. Pleasepleasepleaseplease!!!!!

Do it, Rahm.

[Chisox08]

60. Na na na na na

na na na na na

Hey hey goodbye.

I hope that Jackass leave before the end of the year and take Daley's puppet Arnie Duncan with him.

[keopeli]

62. Words, words, words. When he's gone, let me know.

I've heard this song before. Obama has kept all of Bush's Justice officials across America. He has let centrist, spiteful, hateful Rahm run roughshod over his base.

Answer this: when was the last time we heard Rahm or the WH say something as ugly and spiteful and negative as Rahm's "They just flushed 10 million dollars down the toilet" about the Republicans? The fact is they don't. They politely criticize Republicans and say that they should be more bi-partisan. But toward progressives, they are nasty and dismissive, lying and deceptive.

Why does no one believe that we will see DADT repealed? Why should we? After all the talk of a Public Option, they never once intended to enact it.

When banking reform comes down to the wire, the WH steps in to water it down. ?!?!?!?!

Here's a word for you - HOPE.

Here's another word for you - DONATIONS.

They're all words. This WH thinks they have a handle on words. Well, they're in for a big shock the next time the American people (i.e. Progressives) have a chance to speak.

So, let me know when Rahm's office is vacant and the sign on the door is changed. Until then, you can file "Rahm is leaving" with "Change we can believe in"

Seeing IS believing.

[demhistorian]

64. Sorry to rain on the parade here

1. the story is based largely on the Torygraph, er, Telegraph from the UK.
2. Given the fact above, I can safely say Emanuel's comments from 'This Week' have the right wing buzzing like his "retard" comment had the left wing buzzing (when there were also rumors of his demise floated.)
3. Chiefs of staff often exit. It's a revolving door position. Predicting isn't a sign of political insight.

[goclark]

195. I recall seeing an interview last year I think where he said

he didn't plan to stay the four years.

As I recall, he said something about he didn't like being in DC so much. :shrug:

[Nostradammit]

68. Hoo Frickin' Ray!!!

Let this signify the death of the DLC in U.S. politics.

I know it won't happen immediately but it's a start.

[Demeter]

71. I'll Spring for the Champagne!

“Free at last; free at last; thank God Almighty we are free at last.” MLK

[Q3JR4]

73. BO: Hey midterms are coming, how's the base?

JB: They hate you. Better fire who's seen as "too conservative", so they'll suck it up and vote for the party.
BO: Who should it be?
JB: Base hates Emmanuel.
BO: He wants to quit anyway, COS's only last 2.5 years. I'll have the DLC find him a new job.
JB: This gonna change anything?
BO: Not on your life, but we could keep control of congress.
JB: Genius.
....


Q3JR4.

[JTFrog]

76. Dude, you should get those voices inside your head checked out.

The small vocal minority here is definitely not "the base".

[suzie]

115. +1

[defendandprotect]

136. A four month move to the liberal/progressive side .... ???

[Oerdin]

74. GOOD!

One less corporatist to undermine a real progressive agenda. Don't let the door hit you on the way out, bitch!

[Dinger]

77. Hmmmm, I Like It, But We'll See What Happens. duncan Needs To Go Next (nt)

[defendandprotect]

138. The whole right wing/Repug philosophy of attacking public education has to go ---

and anyone like Arne Duncan who supports such destructive policy --

[closeupready]

80. Good.

K&R

[dbonds]

82. Great news to wake up to.

[cbdo2007]

83. Good! Happy to see him go.

[pgodbold]

93. F-a-a-a-b-ulous! n/t

[bread_and_roses]

94. The great mystery here is

what "idealist" policies would those be? And what of Raham's strategy has been rejected? Surely if he and the POTUS are at odds on desired outcomes, it wouldn't have taken all this time to figure that out?

I'd be thrilled as anyone to see him out, but of what cause or what that might portend I haven't a clue. Having given up on "hope" from the day he was named, I'll just wait around and see what happens.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

95. I can't say, he will be missed.. He was out to screw us on health care from day one. .

[defendandprotect]

140. Rahm certainly succeeded with moving . . .

government more to the right -- destroying our best chance yet for

MEDICARE FOR ALL --

And on that one, Rep. John Conyers commented: "The only one Obama listens to

is Rahm Emmanuel!"

[LiberalFighter]

96. Quitting over growing frustration at the President's "idealist" policies?

I thought chief of staff's agenda was suppose to be the same as the President's. Not the other way around. And the chief of staff's primary function is as gatekeeper.

[disndat]

105. If true, RE served to placate the

right wing of the Party. It makes sense from that perspective. Now Obama is free to follow his real goals, or maybe the BP disaster helped move his agenda forward, if there is anything left to salvage. We can only dream.

[usregimechange]

97. K&R!

[Mr. Sparkle]

100. The source is a right wing newspaper in the UK .

If Rahm was to leave at the end of the Presidents second term, they would still claim they were right, eventually.

[on point]

101. The sooner the better. Dump the DLC

[Lost4words]

102. Don't tease me Bro' nt

[democrank]

103. K & R

Rejoice!!

[yurbud]

104. please by true (and the idealist part too)

[onehandle]

106. A right-wing rag whispers this and other rags (and DU) fall for it.

Yawn.

[activa8tr]

108. I sometimes wonder if Rahm or anyone around him in the W H read the DU

boards, ever!

That would be a kick, wouldn't it? I'd LOVE it if they did.

[orbitalman]

110. He Needs to GO NOW, B4 He Can Do Any More Damage. nt

[LynneSin]

111. I see this news is breaking the hearts of DUers

:sarcasm:

[msanthrope]

112. Why are we quoting the Torygraph???? A winger publication? n/t

[joeybee12]

113. Not...gonna...happen...n/t

[meow mix]

117. cue the tears, blanche-dems

piece of shit, good riddance

[JaneFordA]

118. I have the sneaking suspicion

that someone in the White House is beginning to get clued in on just how pissed off the lefties around here are (and how MANY of us there are); booting Rahm and tilting leftish might satisfy some but not me. I'm going to "primary" Obama if it means adding my own name to the ballot as a write-in.

[florida08]

119. That would be a positive

Fake News is reporting the White House response is "ludicrous." But don't they always say that then it happens.

The Telegraph, however, quoted a Democratic source as saying: "I would bet he will go after the midterms. Nobody thinks it's working, but they can't get rid of him -- that would look awful. He needs the right sort of job to go to, but the consensus is he'll go."

Congress veteran Emanuel, 50, is known as an abrasive pragmatist who has clashed with the optimistic inner circle around Obama.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/06/21/report-rahm-emanuel-quit-obama-idealism/

Progressives are quite tired of his castigating them every chance he gets.

[defendandprotect]

121. I'll take the "idealist" President Obama -- and pleased to say "goodbye" to Rahm/DLC ....

[AllyCat]

130. Good Riddance!!! Please replace him with someone who is not

a corporate shill.

[Ticonderoga]

131. Thanks, for NOTHING Rahm.

[skyounkin]

135. This news is great-

hopefully it's true.

[YOY]

144. I'll believe it when I see it.

and I want to believe it but I doubt it...and to believe that they would actually bring a non-DLCer in...but I doubt that too.

[defendandprotect]

145. Here's more by Alex Spillius in Washington ....

Common Dreams is also carrying his report . . .

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/7837686/Rahm-Emanuel-expected-to-quit-White-House.html

but looks like even if it is going to happen it will be AFTER the midterms!!!

AND get this . . .

There were sharp differences over health care reform, with Mr Emanuel arguing that public hostility about cost should have forced them into producing a scaled down package. Mr Obama and advisers including David Axelrod, the chief strategist, and Valerie Jarrett, a businesswoman and mentor from Chicago, decided to push through with grander legislation anyway.

Rahm wanted to do even less than they actually did!!!


Also didn't know that Rahm didn't back Obama in the 2008 primary!!

Mr Emanuel has privately expressed a readiness to run for mayor of Chicago, which is also his home town though he was never part of the Obama set and did not endorse the then senator in the Democratic primary in 2008.

That would however depend on Mayor Richard Daley stepping down when he is up for re-election in 2011.

[liberation]

147. Good news, if it is true. Here is to hoping Obama gets a more competent CoS

There was a big deal of momentum broken between the campaign and the start of this administration, and I think a lot of the issues resides on Mr. "everything I touch turns to shit" Emmanuel.

I hope this means Obama has found his stride and is willing to try new approaches and get rid of the dead weight that is hampering his administration.

[Althaia]

148. Cenk Unger guessed that it was Rahm who said unions wasted their money..

...trying to defeat Blanche Lincoln. If he called it right, and Rahm Emanuel IS responsible for that huge mistake - alienating Unions - then maybe Rahm has been asked to step down. It make sense to me, but at this point it's all baseless speculation.

[KansDem]

151. Man, I sure hope it wasn't Palin's "Rahm u lie" Tweet that drove him to this decision!

The mighty Palinator strikes again!

[northoftheborder]

152. Rahm needs to go now.

If indeed this is true, Obama needs to get someone with better antennae for the Dem. base, get him in NOW, to finish out the session, and help in November.

[mdmc]

153. horray for everything

[Beacool]

154. I'm sure that plenty here are already popping bottles of champagne.

:D

[goforit]

155. HIP HIP Hooooooray!!!!!.....So long sucker!!!!

[burning rain]

159. The Torygraph started this, & they are notorious.

When they have a possible interest in making trouble for the more left-leaning party, it pays to take what they print not just with a grain of salt, but the whole damn shaker. Back during the Clinton presidency they printed wild stuff, Ambrose Evans-Pritchard's conspiracy potboilers, and the like, for God's sake.

[defendandprotect]

164. Maybe the liberals planned move to a push-back in the form of

"targeting" of right wing corporate-Democrats which has been wisely advocated by

Michael Moore, William Greider and others -- is making a bit of an impression.

It's the way the right wing got what they wanted --

except, of course, they also used right wing political violence over decades!!

It's the only way the right can rise --

but they did also stick to the usual pattern of "god" politics -- GOP gave start up

funding for Christian Coalition -- Scaife financed Dobson's organization and other

rw wealthy financed Bauer's organization. We created the Taliban/Al Qaeda and worked

to move that violent version of Islam further into ME. We actually created and printed

those notorious textbooks we heard so much about!

Whenever the rightwing wants to move further to the right, they create and pay for a fake

"organization" to do it -- now it's the T-baggers.

You don't see the Democrats doing anything like that -- and they would have had REAL

people who would have come out to rallies for MEDICARE FOR ALL -- and now against the GULF

spill and for nationalizing the oil industry!!

GOP profits from fakery -- Democrats ignore the REAL stuff they could use!!


Sadly, Rahm will be around to continue to influence the midterms!!

[valerief]

165. He'll be missed...like a cold sore. nt

[Vinca]

166. Finally . . . some good news.

[mckara]

167. Don't Let the Door Hit Ya', Where the Dog Should Have Bit Ya'!

Finally, He's Leaving!

[KamaAina]

168. Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey, goodbye!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsaTElBljOE

[wryter2000]

169. Thank God

Please, please, let us get someone good in there. :applause:

[DesertDiamond]

170. Oh Rahm, you will so be missed. This is me crying: S.O.B. S.O.B.

[Raineyb]

171. The damage has already been done. Assuming this source is

decent of course.

Rahm should never have been chosen as chief of staff in the first place.

[nadinbrzezinski]

173. Ha'aretz is reliable and they are quoting

a british paper. My guess would be... either the Observer or the Guardian.

And here is more confirmation

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2010/06/20/2010-06-20_rahm_emanuel_obamas_chief_of_staff_to_quit_white_house_in_six_to_eight_months_re.html

[mochajava666]

175. Obama without Rahm. Good Dr Jekyll without the evil Mr Hyde

I'm not sure that Rahm leaving will mean that Obama will stop capitulating to the conservadems before negotiations even begin, but it's a good start.

Maybe now when Obama is presented with a problem, the realm of possible solutions given to him won't be limited to conservative and far right wing nut-job conservative ideas. I doubt if anything actually progressive will ever come out of the Obama White House, but at least moderate solutions and policies will be considered.

Rahm leaving is the kind of change that gives me the audacity to hope again.

[stray cat]

177. Be careful chasing shiny bright bouncing objects down streets

[JTFrog]

181. +1

[catbyte]

178. That's the best news I've heard all day.

[Hulk]

180. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out!!

Good riddance! He's done "some good" for the Democratic Party in elections, even though he is responsible for endorsing some "wolves in lamb's clothing" Democrats; but he serves NO purpose to a liberal agenda. In fact, those "wolves" have come back to haunt us.

[since72]

182. Rahm on the way out!

Great News!!

[havbrush]

183. He needs to go.

Everyone please remember how he pushed and helped all the convervadems get elected in '08 in districts where 'real' Democrats could have won. He also back Blanche Lincoln just recently in the Arkansas dem primary over a candidate that the unions backed and then crowed that the unions had blown 10 million dollars on the campaign. What kind of cr*p is that, picking a fight with the unions? Only a true bluedog would do that. Lincoln promptly sided with the repugs in a vote against other dems. We don't need bluedog, democrats-in-name-only being backed by the chief of staff to the president voting against his policies and forcing bills to be watered down just to get them passed. The people he helped get elected have been harmful to the president's policies. It's time for him to go.

[Seneca]

187. GOOD!

Okay, Mr. President, show us why we voted for you! Let that idealism take root, and damn the right-wing naysayers like Rahm and his ilk. You should have never been so loyal to him. He was a cancer in your White House.

I bet anything they had a major blow-up over Israel and Gaza.

[BrianDude]

188. Will Obama get some guts?

From the news I have heard over the past year, R.E. was part of the De-Testosteronification of the Democratic Party! Time to go on the ATTACK! Play the Class Warfare Card. I am sick of Republicans talking about "Freedom" (That is for our social betters), Death Panels and the new socialist motherland. Any President or party that does not stand up to this DESERVES TO LOOSE!

The GOP plays the race card and the sexual orientation card so why cannot we play the Class Warfare Card?

Oh dear me we don't want to generate any bad karma now do we? Oh all this conflict has me so upset I have to go and meditate. Just got the DNC meditation mantra!

"MEOW" "MEOW" "MEOW"

Oh yes this is "Change We Can Believe In"!

[paulkienitz]

190. could be a case of leak-as-weapon

This is a tactic that's sometimes used when person A in the white house wants to make things uncomfortable for person B, or possibly force them out. Leak an anonymous report that they're going to leave soon.

Unfortunately I don't see Rahm as the type that's likely to be budged by this kind of push.

[DailyGrind51]

192. Great, that's all Chicago needs is another short angry dictator for mayor!

[DebbieCDC]

194. The sooner the better

[democracy _ idyllic]

199. Good riddance

He can't be gone quick enough.

[UrbScotty]

200. PLEASE LET THIS BE TRUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry for the ALL-CAPS, but this is absolutely, positively EXCITING if true!!

[JackRiddler]

201. Dump him now to win in November.

Not just him, of course, but the approach he has championed must go. I don't know if the new rules allow me to call it what he would ("fucking retarded,") so I'll just quote him parenthetically and leave it at that.

[ihavenobias]

202. Assuming this is true, I want to see if anyone expresses sadness over this news.

If so, it will be incredibly telling.

[hay rick]

204. I'm sad

that this didn't happen a year ago.

[robertpaulsen]

205. Raw Story Update: Emanuel traded favors with Blagojevich

Update: Emanuel traded favors with Blagojevich

NBC Chicago reports, "President Barack Obama's chief of staff, then a congressman in Illinois, apparently attempted to trade favors with embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich while he was in office, according to newly disclosed e-mails obtained by The Associated Press."

Emanuel agreed to sign a letter to the Chicago Tribune supporting Blagojevich in the face of a scathing editorial by the newspaper that ridiculed the governor for self-promotion. Within hours, Emanuel's own staff asked for a favor of its own: The release of a delayed $2 million grant to a school in his district.

The 2006 discussion occured with Blagojevich's top aide, Deputy Gov. Bradley Tusk, and doesn't appear to cross legal lines; Emanuel couldn't speed up the distribution of the funds. But it offers a peek at ties between two high-profile Illinois politicians — one now the president's right-hand man, the other facing years in prison if convicted of political corruption.

Discussion of the exchange could come up at Blagojevich's corruption trial, currently under way in Chicago. Blagojevich, who is accused of plotting to profit by selling an appointment to Obama's former Senate seat, also tried later that year to use the school grant in an extortion attempt against Emanuel, according to federal prosecutors.

http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0621/report-obama-chief-staff-emanuel-quit-midterms/

[fascisthunter]

206. wow

[DutchLiberal]

207. Obama's an "idealist"? Then what does THAT makes Rahm?

I mean, to say Obama is an "idealist", is preposterous. Obama is a cynical, calculating politician who has violated all of his campaign promises. And not even *that* is enough for Rahm Emmanuel?

[martymar64]

213. Bye Bye Rahm!

Go be the Mayor of Chicago, it more suits you.

[TxVietVet]

214. Consider the source.

It may be true, it may not.

Does the Israeli paper and government have an axe to grind with Emanuel?

[defendandprotect]

215. Anyone get any more confirmation on this tonight? Missed Olbermann...

[DWilliamsamh]

218. Halle-frickin-lujah!

It is ALL Raham's fault that weasel has has just enough of a DLC hand to tip policy and strategy in the rightward direction for too damn long. His resignation can't come soon enough.

[ProgressIn2008]

219. Interesting. Who will everyone blame now? nt

[Joey Liberal]

220. He needs to go

Nuff Ced.

[Zorra]

225. Aww, that's just too good to be true.

But here's hopin'.

[Exultant Democracy]

228. put Dean in

[burnsei sensei]

230. Maybe he can get a job working for AHIP.

Since he decided to help Ms. Ignagni so much.
I'm sure he'd be quite a lobbyist.
And I'm also sure he would not work for traditional liberal causes.

[JackRiddler]

231. The hilarity is he gets to complain about "idealist" policies on his way out.

[undeterred]

232. He brings out the worst in Obama and I welcome his departure.

[LWolf]

233. Great news, as long as he's not replaced with more of the same. nt

[yurbud]

234. please god, please be true...