Maybe we're wrong about Rahm Emanuel

[realitythink]

I've never been a big fan, thought he was to much of a centrist DLC type. But after seeing the reaction from the right wingers, especially Joe Scarborough, maybe I am wrong. The contempt for Rahm on the face of Joe says a lot, he not only looked like he hates his guts but that he's also afraid of him. I say we wait and see he may just shut these fuckers up for a few years.

[wryter2000]

1. I guess I'm not all that clear on what the chief of staff does

It doesn't seem to me that the position has much to do with setting policy. If that's true and he's a capable guy, I'm fine with the appointment. In fact, if his departure weakens the DLC, I'm all for that.

[JohnnyBoots]

15. He doesn't set policy, but he is the President's policy enforcer.

[theboss]

17. He runs the White House essentially

The president sets the agenda. He pushes the agenda.

Emanuel will be brilliant at this, I think. If any Dem tries turn Obama into Jimmy Carter, he is more than capable of cutting their nuts off.

[wryter2000]

18. That's kind of what I thought

Thanks :hi:

[progressoid]

2. I hope so.

He's a tough guy and we want him on our side. I just hope he doesn't get too carried away with his new power and responsibilites.

[snappyturtle]

3. Rahm cut his teeth with the Daley machine in Chicago.....I saw Joe this

morning and agree he's afraid of Emanuel....he should be! I'd like him to be Speaker of the House...except for his DLC tendencies but he would be a lot better than Pelosi....matters would be addressed.

[asthmaticeog]

4. RWers refer to centrists as "liberals" ALL THE FUCKING TIME.

It's like gaming the refs. If they can get people to believe that centrist positions are radical, they can then sell right wing extremism as "mainstream." Wake the fuck up, stop letting the right guide what you think of politicians, the right LIES.

[Leopolds Ghost]

9. Exactly. It is gaming the ref. All we can hope is Rahm doesn't want the job.

Just because a man is a "loyal partisan brass-knuckled asshole" as Scarborough asserts everyone knows him as, doesn't mean he isn't a neoliberal. In fact, he is a loyal, partisan, brass-knuckled neoliberal. Just like Daley and Clinton and Jesse Jackson, Jr.

[asthmaticeog]

16. Actually, I think it's a good thing he's getting this job.

A) It gets him out of congress into a position that has way less to do with policy.

B) Illinois' DEM Gov. Blagojevich will be appointing his successor to Congress.

C) Successor will almost surely be more liberal than Emanuel, since MOST DEMS ARE more liberal than Emanuel.

D) We have an Obama loyalist bulldog as chief of staff, and a new Dem voice in Congress.

How's this bad? I'll wait and see who gets appointed before I go griping about this.

[bigtree]

25. the 95-98% that Rahm voted with the Democratic party is a cover

tricky bastard!

[old mark]

5. Many of us worked hard to get Obama elected. I think we should

now work hard to restrain out criticism of his every move and let him do the fucking job we elected him to do.
Criticize the GOP, or Fox News, or CNN, or whoever - let Obama be President - I am sure he has given it a bit of thought.

mark

[Pastiche423]

21. You may be a dittohead, but I'm not

and never will be.

[bagrman]

6. He's an ex Clinton aid so the experience is good to have, but

is it true that he has a dual citizenship. And the bigger questions is why do so many of the people in the Presidental cabinets have dual citizenship.


Latr

[WillieW]

8. I heard that Rove has dual citizenship with Germany.

I also heard that his family lives in Germany and is in the construction business and that they where involved in building the dead camps in Germany.

[Leopolds Ghost]

10. They are all permanent gov't types. Multinational execs, or future multinational execs n/t

[NYCGirl]

11. No. That's a LIE spread by his opponent in the 2002 primary.

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

His strongest opponent of the seven other candidates in the 2002 Democratic primary — the real contest in this heavily Democratic district — was former Illinois State Representative Nancy Kaszak, who had unsuccessfully opposed Blagojevich in the 1996 primary. The most controversial moment of the primary election came when Edward Moskal, president of the Polish American Congress, a political action committee endorsing Kaszak, called Emanuel a "millionaire carpetbagger who knows nothing" about "our heritage." Moskal also falsely charged that Emanuel had dual citizenship with Israel and had served in the Israeli Army.<18>

[bagrman]

20. I found where you pulled the Wiki quote but you left out the last sentence which

Kind of leaves the water muddy.

snip

Rahm was a civilian volunteer in the Israel Defense Forces during the 1991 Gulf War and is a citizen due to his father's (dual) Israeli-U.S. citizenship. <12><13>


:shrug:

[NYCGirl]

23. His FATHER'S dual citizenship..

[bagrman]

24. So then he does have dual citizenship, that's kind of how it reads.(due to his fathers)

[SlowDownFast]

19. No, he does not have duel citizenship.

However, Emanuel was a civilian volunteer in the Israel Defense Forces during the 1991 Gulf War, serving in one of Israel's northern bases, rust-proofing brakes.

[realitythink]

7. His brother is a high powered agent in Hollywood

The character Ari Gold on Entourage is based on him. He has a reputation for severe ruthlessness. Maybe it runs in the family.

[leftofthedial]

12. Maybe we're wrong about Dick Cheney

[Orsino]

13. Well, I for one will be glad to have him under close supervision.

Working for a real leader, he may shine.

[spanone]

14. if scarface hates him, i have to like him

[moondust]

22. He's a good choice for this job.

I cannot think of anybody better suited to keeping order and getting things done in such a historic Presidency. I don't much care for the DLC either.