Rattner: Rahm " a force to be reckoned with who disparaged unions -- once quipping "Fuck the UAW"

[mod mom]

Steven Rattner's 'Overhaul' Pulls No Punches On Obama Administration's Auto Rescue But Minimizes His Own Troubles (EXCLUSIVE)
First Posted: 09- 2-10 06:01 AM | Updated: 09- 2-10 07:53 AM

In "Overhaul", his upcoming chronicle of his reign as "car czar," Steven Rattner offers an insider's account of the Obama administration's rescue of the auto industry. And he pulls no punches when it comes to describing the foibles of such heavyweights as Rahm Emanuel, Tim Geithner, Larry Summers and Sheila Bair.

Though the 58-year-old financier lasted only six months, with his sudden resignation sparking speculation that a pay-for-play scandal at his old private equity firm was becoming an unhealthy distraction, Rattner has plenty of tales to tell.

And Rattner's account is sure to attract interest within the Beltway, as one of the first books penned by an Obama administration insider.

Rattner depicts White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel as a force to be reckoned with who disparaged unions -- once quipping "Fuck the UAW" -- and who effectively supervised Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner during his first rocky months on the job by dictating his public appearances and staff picks.

He also depicts infighting between economic advisers Larry Summers and Austan Goolsbee and describes FDIC Chair Sheila Bair as a stubborn obstacle to the work of the auto rescue team. And Rattner paints colorful portraits of auto executives such as Fiat Chairman Sergio Marchionne, who once barked to Chrysler executives, "Do you think I am fucking stupid?"

-snip
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/02/steven-rattners-overhaul-_n_703070.html

So rahm not only hates progressives but also unions and yet he calls himself a Democrat? It D's like Rahm that has pushed me to volunteer with organizations other that the Democratic Party this election cycle! He can kiss my progressive ass!

[xchrom]

1. we are in the center of the neo-liberal storm and reaping the effects.

rahm is a symptom -- like bush or cheney -- not the problem.

[mod mom]

3. Neo libs & neo cons are both working at destroying this country

aiding the rich and powerful while trying to break the backs of the middle class.

[xchrom]

4. we agree. nt

[Poboy]

2. K&R

[depakid]

5. If things continue along this trend...

Rahm will be the architect of not one but BOTH of the modern Democratic party's biggest electoral disasters.

Now *that* would be a heck of job.

[mod mom]

8. ah but he's making his DLC buddies like Koch Industries fabulously rich:

http://www.americablog.com/2010/08/koch-industries-gave-funding-to-dlc-and.html

It IS a heck of a job to them :mad:

[DrDan]

6. maybe this is part of the reason the Teamsters came out in support of Crist

[LWolf]

7. Who didn't see

the neoliberal disaster this administration is perpetrating coming when Rahm was appointed?

I could say the same for Duncan.

[mod mom]

9. I didn't...

Just like Hillary's appointment, I HOPED it was to diffuse the DLC power structure in that they would have to adopt his policies. Damn was I wrong!

[robcon]

10. Rahm's quote has no context.

I've said 'fuck the Democratic leadership' when they screw up.

No evidence that Rahm hates unions.

[mod mom]

11. It's a review of a book and here is the quote from the article:

"Rattner depicts White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel as a force to be reckoned with who disparaged unions -- once quipping "Fuck the UAW" -- and who effectively supervised Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner during his first rocky months on the job by dictating his public appearances and staff picks."

[Swede]

23. Still no context.

When where and why did he say that?

[w4rma]

12. Rahm's actions have always proved that he has no use for labor or unions. He's a weasel. (nt)

[bvar22]

13. The DLC Wing of the Democratic Party has always hated Organized LABOR.

The DLC New Team

(Screen Capped from the DLC Website)


"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans. I want us to compete for that great mass of voters that want a party that will stand up for working Americans, family farmers, and people who haven't felt the benefits of the economic upturn."---Paul Wellstone

[Kalyke]

14. Rahm will think, "Fuck the UAW" when he looses his job in 2012

out of lack of union enthusiasm for his boss.

[KeepItReal]

17. Or if the GOP gets the House or Senate and starts unleashing special prosecutors.....

...that have more cojones than Patrick Fitzgerald.

They've already said they are gonna do that.

[mod mom]

18. rahm will have his background in investment banking and lucrative lobbyist

offers to fall back on. He'll be rewarded for dismantling any attempts at reform.

[Brickbat]

15. It's always good to know exactly where you stand with these people -- not that they haven't made it

painfully clear over the past 18 months.

[Romulox]

16. Dude would fit right in on DU. nt

[Octafish]

19. Explains a lot.

Why does Rahm hate the Democratic base?

[DrSteveB]

20. Unions are our allies

I have a positive view about unions. Rahm should attack our real enemies, the Republicans.

[Codeine]

21. Hell, most of DU says "Fuck the UAW"

and still makes noises about what good little progressives they are, why should Rahm be any different?

[speppin]

24. Don't count me as doing that. Unions are my bag-as they say.

[MisterP]

22. unfortunately, so long as the Republican Party exists, a good 20% of Dems will totally ignore this

story!

this 20% will wildly denounce Palin, Barton, Gingrich, etc., saying that if we don't vote for the DLC, there'll be amicus curiae briefs for DOMA, enduring war, attacks on Cordoba House, hand-in-glove criminal collaboration with BP, an economy geared to outsourcing, NCLB on steroids, exploitation, and lower wages, TARP, deregulation, tax cuts for the wealthy, abolition of the New Deal, union- and peacenik-bashing, and mandatory subservience to Big Pharma and Big Insurance

this threatening GOP boogeyman is used to cover up the fact that the WH is pushing all these policies. Loyalists will then say that the GOP started all those policies, and that the Leader is doing everything He can to reverse them, and if he's not successful it's not his fault because the Bush legacy is so large. However, these excuses become non sequiturs once one takes note that the WH is actively pushing and praising these enormities (but since when does rudimentary reason work on cult members?).

[mod mom]

25. Unfortunately I don't think the DLC party apparatus even cares if they lose

as long as they retain control of the party. They're willing to alienate progressives and now unions(both who do much of the legwork of GOTV) and put out candidates that represent their vested business interests over the middle class. In my state, the party opted to use a known lie on the eve of the primary against a progressive woman candidate rather than perhaps risk a progressive win over the establishment candidate, a man with little as far as accomplishments. It's like they'd rather lose and get the pro-business policies that help the few on the top with a Republican than share power with progressives.

[amborin]

26. k and r (sorry, I posted this not realizing you had already posted it)

[SugarShack]

27. Well fuck Rahm....

[defendandprotect]

28. Guess Obama didn't know who DLC/Rahm really is . . . ????

Or anything about the Wall Street "team" he put in place?

Or Bernanke and the Fed?

Let's face it folks . . . our problem is with the guy putting these creeps on the team

to begin with!! That's Obama as much as we don't want to recognize it!!

[mmonk]

29. His apologists are here but I agree with you 100%.

And I also support FDL and Jane Hamsher for having the guts to take his ass on. He started all this.

[Arkana]

30. Famously profane Chief of Staff gets frustrated and says something profane.

Film at 11.

Jesus, you guys are thin-skinned.

[Catshrink]

31. I don't give a flying fuck about the word fuck.

I do care about his disparaging unions - it's a slap in the face to those who supported this president. He's systematically pissed on the progressive wing of the party, we're fucking retarded, don't you remember? Add his distain to that of Gibbs calling us the "Professional Left" and you have an administration that is shooting itself in the foot.

They expect us to come back because we don't want to elect "Palin." They might be in for a rude shock.

[Arkana]

34. Famously profane Chief of Staff gets frustrated and says something profane, film at 11.

The guy is known for being foul-mouthed and saying offensive things and yet you guys act like a meteor hit the earth every time it's revealed that he *gasp* said something offensive.

[amborin]

32. Rahm was bashing the UAW, both in word and deed; the context made it worse

[Radical Activist]

33. Oh no not again!