FDL: Rahm to Leave White House By End of Week; Gutierrez Attacks Him on Immigration

[pampango]

http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2010/09/27/rahm-to-leave-white-house-by-end-of-week-gutierrez-attacks-him-on-immigration/

Rahm Emanuel apparently got the hint: Although no final decision has been made because of family considerations, ABC News has learned that White House officials are preparing for Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel to announce on Friday — as Congress adjourns for recess — that he is leaving his post to explore a run for mayor of Chicago.

But how can we miss you when you won’t leave, Rahm? Sources close to Emanuel cautioned that he has yet to pull that last trigger on the decision.

In one of the sweetest and most divine ironies of my life, Rep. Luis Guitierrez was out there attacking Rahm on immigration today. Rahm well deserves it – he was the mastermind behind the SAVE Act that caused a rebellion of the Hispanic caucus on the floor of the House. We actually advertised against Rahm in Hispanic newspapers in his district in 2006.

And speaking of timing — the Blagojavich retrial starts in January of 2011. It will be in full swing in February when the election happens, and no doubt Rahm’s involvement with Blago would be mentioned once or twice by opponents.

[xchrom]

1. Buh-bye now. Nt

[Cirque du So-What]

2. He will be missed

but not by me.

[Warpy]

3. Of all the people in this administration I wanted gone,

he topped the list, ahead of Geithner, Summers, Rubin, and all the other Wall Street thieves.

The White House Chief of Staff is the gatekeeper, the one who decides who gets in to see the president, and Emanuel made damned sure that no one but the people he approved of ever got in. His message became the White House message, and that has been the tragedy of this administration.

Let's hope the next gatekeeper is less of an ideologue or less competent at filtering out opposing viewpoints or a combination of both.