Politics - I don't know why, but they seem to have a tendency to separate us, to keep us from one another, while nature is always and ever making efforts to bring us together. ~Sean O'Casey
Thursday, January 27, 2011
it's been even longer since i returned to my chronicles of political betrayal this time. i know, i know, no one gives a damn what i have to say anyway, but i guess i could attempt something productive on the internet again.
it's not that i have any sense that this blog was read by movers or shakers (though shakers do have a history of believing in peaceful behavior) but it did give me an outlet for frustration at the headlines of the day at a time when those headlines were exhausting. looking at the postings and the compilation, i am rather proud of the of the years that i regularly posted.
to be honest, blogging became exhausting. it is much easier to just point and click on facebook or twitter. it is immediate gratification. it does not, however, allow you to have a narrative. this blog had a narrative.
i am not sure i can pick up the story because the characters have changed and the news is now very digital. when i first started this compilation, the drudge report had just begun to be player for media attention. now things are much, much different.
just a note to myself. i should start paying attention and mapping out the news to make sense of it again. maybe tomorrow.
omg, i am back again. it has been awhile, hasn't it? but then look at the last article that i posted and i guess it hasn't been all that long after all.
Speaking publicly for the first time since he disparaged the "professional left," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said he stands by his comments, has no plans to resign and that he fully expects progressive voters to go to the polls in 2010.
"I don't plan on leaving and there is no truth to the rumor that I've added an inflatable exit to my office," the press secretary said during Wednesday's briefing, referencing the recent incident in which a Jet Blue flight attendant bolted his plane in frustration.
Taking the podium after a day off to tend to a sore throat, Gibbs said he has not reached out to any Democrats to discuss his remarks, in which he chastised liberals for wanting to "eliminate the Pentagon" and pursue Canadian-style health care reform. Nor, he added, has he talked to the president about the matter.
Does he stand by the comments? "Yes," he replied.
It was suggested that the remarks may have been part of a cynical strategy to depict the White House as not beholden to the progressive base. But the press secretary insisted that there was nothing underhanded in his interview with The Hill. He had said what he said in a bout of frustration.
"There are many time when I read the transcripts... that I could have said things slightly differently. I watch lot of cable TV and you don't have to watch long to get frustrated by some of what's said."
Obviously his statement was off script the other day, but now it has been approved by the President. Look, they can be upset at progressives for wanting more of the change that he promised instead of some half baked DLC legislative victories they've accomplished, but this type attack is off the wall. Maybe we should cut up a video ala Breitbart ourselves and post it which says that Gibbs hates "the left and all he really ever wanted to be was a Republican but couldn't get the job he wanted from Newt Gingrich." Would that be enough for him to get fired?
I doubt that would matter though because Gibbs has the idiot known as Ruth Marcus on his side.
Originally published 11:23 a.m., May 28, 2010
Updated 02:43 p.m., May 28, 2010
WASHINGTON (AP) — Forced to disclose backstage political bargaining, President Barack Obama's embarrassed White House acknowledged on Friday it had enlisted Bill Clinton to try to ease Rep. Joe Sestak out of Pennsylvania's Senate primary with a job offer.
Nothing wrong with that, the White House said. Oh yes there was, Republicans countered. The administration admission — it said Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel had asked the former president to call Sestak — left many questions unanswered, and it seemed unlikely the issue had been put to rest. For Obama, the revelations called into question his repeated promises to run an open government that was above back room deals. And for Sestak, they raised questions why he ever brought up the offer — a 60-second conversation, he said Friday — in the first place.
"I wasn't interested, and that was the bottom line," Sestak said on the steps of the Capitol.
Seeking to quiet the clamor over a possible political trade, the White House released a report describing the offer that was intended to clear a path for Sen. Arlen Specter to win the Democratic nomination. Sestak stayed in the race and eventually defeated Specter to become the Democratic nominee, ending Specter's 30-year Senate tenure.
After a week of silence, Sestak answered reporters' questions on last summer's offer.
He said he cut Clinton short after hearing only a few words about a possible post on a presidential board and said the former president immediately dropped the subject during a phone call.
"There was nothing wrong that was done," Sestak said.
White House Counsel Robert Bauer rendered his own verdict in a two-page report that said there was no improper conduct in the offer. No one in the administration discussed the offer with Sestak, Bauer said. The report did not say what, if any, contacts or promises the White House had with Specter on the matter. It also did not reveal whether Obama was aware of Clinton's role.
The report didn't impress Republicans.
Rep. Darrell Issa, the top Republican on the House oversight committee who unsuccessfully had sought a Department of Justice investigation, said Obama had become a part of the Washington culture he decried.
"It's pretty clear from the White House statement that they intended to get him out of the race by offering him a position, and that's illegal and it's unethical," Issa said just moments after Sestak spoke.
Said Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele: "The memo frankly raises more questions: What was Bill Clinton authorized to offer? Did President Obama sign off on this conversation before it took place?"
"Now more than ever it is clear that this White House is not capable of policing itself and needs to open itself to an independent investigation."
Sestak, who had said a job was offered but had provided no details, acknowledged Friday that he had had the conversation with Clinton. He said the former president told him he should stay in the U.S. House and perhaps join a presidential board, either involving intelligence or defense matters to use his background as a Navy officer.
Specter declined to comment. Clinton, campaigning in Little Rock, Ark., for Sen. Blanche Lincoln's re-election bid, ignored reporters' shouted questions.
The report said White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel enlisted Clinton's help as a go-between with Sestak. Clinton agreed to raise the offer of a seat on a presidential advisory board or another executive board if Sestak dropped his bid, "which would avoid a divisive Senate primary," the report said.
Under the proposed arrangement, Sestak would have been able to remain in the House while serving on a board. It was not clear why the White House — which has the power to offer Cabinet posts and sought-after embassy jobs — believed Sestak would be interested in just an advisory position.
Sestak defeated the five-term Specter, who had switched from Republican to Democrat last year at the White House's urging, in the May 18 Democratic primary.
Emanuel and Sestak both worked in the White House when Clinton was president in the 1990s, and both remain close with their former boss. Sestak was a supporter of Clinton's wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, in her 2008 presidential bid.
Bauer, in the White House report, argued that previous Democratic and Republican administrations, "motivated by the same goals, discussed alternative paths to service for qualified individuals also considering campaigns for public office." The report said such actions aren't illegal nor unethical.
For weeks, the White House had insisted officials did not behave inappropriately but had declined to elaborate. But after Sestak won the nomination, Republicans renewed their questions of the administration and White House lawyers prepared to release a report they had been compiling for months.
At a White House news conference on Thursday, Obama told reporters a full accounting would be forthcoming.
"I can assure the public that nothing improper took place," he said.
The accounting came Friday, as the public turned its attention to the Memorial Day weekend instead of politics. Both parties often release unfavorable information during times when many Americans are focused elsewhere.
Two top Democrats — party chief Tim Kaine and Dick Durbin of Illinois, the party's second-ranking leader in the Senate — said during the week that the White House and Sestak needed to address the questions. So, too, did Sestak's Republican challenger in Pennsylvania, former Rep. Pat Toomey.
___
Associated Press writers Charles Babington in Washington and Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock contributed to this report.
This is Emanuel’s return trip to the White House14. In between, the man known as “Rahmbo” amassed a reputation as a shrewd party operative, millionaire investment banker and congressional leader.
A skilled campaigner and fundraiser, Emanuel was one of the architects behind the Democrats’ 2006 House takeover. After being elected to represent Illinois15’ 5th district in 2002, he quickly became a top player on Capitol Hill, joining the House Ways and Means Committee in his second term and rising to chair the House Democratic Caucus in his third.
But his first year in the White House was rocky. Faced with an ambitious agenda and a struggling economy, Emanuel was criticized by progressives for compromising too many of their principles on things like health-care reform, and some liberals even called for his ouster. Wallsten, Peter, Wall Street Journal, "Chief of Staff Draws Fire From Left as Obama Falters16," Jan. 26, 2010(1)Wallsten, Peter, Wall Street Journal, "Chief of Staff Draws Fire From Left as Obama Falters16," Jan. 26, 2010
But Emanuel is a surviver, and he will likely maintain his perch atop the Washington food chain as long as he wants it.Milbank, Dana, The Washington Post, "Why Obama Needs Rahm at the Top17," Feb. 21, 2010 (2)Milbank, Dana, The Washington Post, "Why Obama Needs Rahm at the Top17," Feb. 21, 2010 The enactment of historic health-care reform, which he pushed relentlessly, certainly won't hurt.
At a Glance
Current Position:Chief of Staff18 for President Barack Obama19 (since January 2009) Career History: U.S. Representative (2003 to 2008); Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair (2005 to 2007); Investment banker at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein (1999 to 2002); Aide to President Bill Clinton (1993 to 1999) Birthday: Nov. 29, 1959 Hometown: Chicago, Ill. Alma Mater: Sarah Lawrence College, B.A. (liberal arts), 1981; Northwestern University, M.A. (speech and communication), 1985 Spouse: Amy Religion: Jewish DC Office: N/A
The son of an Israeli immigrant, Emanuel grew up north of Chicago, and began his career at Illinois Public Action, a consumer rights group. He got an early start in politics when ex-Rep. Tony Coelho (D-Calif.) recruited him to join the DCCC in the 1980s, and he went on to work for Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley (D).
Clinton White House
In 1991, after volunteering on an Israeli army supply base during the Persian Gulf War, he joined Bill Clinton21’s campaign for president, and worked vigorously as a fundraiser.Loson, Laura M., “White House externs; Two turns of the revolving door,”22The New York Times, Feb. 3, 1999(3)Loson, Laura M., “White House externs; Two turns of the revolving door,”22The New York Times, Feb. 3, 1999 When Clinton won, Emanuel became a top aide in his White House23, working on welfare reform, gun control and children’s’ health care, an issue he would embrace in Congress24 as well.Pierre, Robert E., “From Front Line to Front Stoop; Clinton Ex-Aide Pounds Pavement in Bid for House Seat,” The Washington Post, March 22, 2002(4)Pierre, Robert E., “From Front Line to Front Stoop; Clinton Ex-Aide Pounds Pavement in Bid for House Seat,” The Washington Post, March 22, 2002
As White House political director, his aggressive tactics rubbed some people the wrong way and he was demoted to manager of special legislative efforts. He once sent a rotting fish to a pollster he didn’t like (Alan Secrest), and he was known for yelling at Democrats he thought were disloyal to the party.Loson, Laura M., “White House externs; Two turns of the revolving door,”25The New York Times, Feb. 3, 1999(5)Loson, Laura M., “White House externs; Two turns of the revolving door,”25The New York Times, Feb. 3, 1999
Despite his tactics, he worked his way back up the Clinton ladder to become a senior adviser again when George Stephanopoulos left the administration in 1996. Emanuel left in 1999 and worked as an investment banker for a couple years, making millions. Roll Call estimated his wealth at $5.02 million, making him the 50th richest member of Congress."Roll Call’s 50 Richest," Roll Call, Sept. 22, 2008(6)"Roll Call’s 50 Richest," Roll Call, Sept. 22, 2008 Among other skills, he is a classically- trained ballet dancer.
2002 House Election
Emanuel returned to politics in 2002, easily winning the Illinois26 5th district seat vacated by future Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich27 (D-Ill.). His opponent in the primary, state Rep. Nancy Kaszak (D), tried to paint Emanuel as a carpetbagger, but her campaign stumbled in the final weeks. Emanuel’s political clout gave him a huge advantage as well. Already a prolific fundraiser for other candidates with a large rolodex of wealthy Democrats, Emanuel threw a fundraiser at Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s28 (D-N.Y.) house and drew praise from Democratic National Committee Chair Terry McAuliffe29. He was one of the nation’s most prolific congressional fundraisers in his inaugural campaign, raising $1.98 million in the first quarter of 2002. "I wish I had 200 of him running for Congress," McAuliffe said. "He will get in, he will mix it up, he will stand tall for the Democratic Party."Zeleny, Jeff, “Emanuel get boost from ex-boss; Candidate raises funds at Clintons’” Chicago Tribune, June 19, 2002(7)Zeleny, Jeff, “Emanuel get boost from ex-boss; Candidate raises funds at Clintons’” Chicago Tribune, June 19, 2002
Even before he was elected to the House30, Emanuel made it known that he wanted a seat on the influential Ways and Means Committee, a statement that rubbed some the wrong way.Huse, Carl, “Clinton aide heads to House, with waves preceding him,”31The New York Times, Aug. 23, 2002(8)Huse, Carl, “Clinton aide heads to House, with waves preceding him,”31The New York Times, Aug. 23, 2002 He didn’t get the coveted spot in his first term, but he did manage to nab one in his second.
House Democratic Leadership
32In January 2005, Speaker Nancy Pelosi33 (D-Calif.) appointed Emanuel to chair the DCCC, the committee where he got his political start as a staffer. Emanuel thrived in the role, actively recruiting moderate Democrats to challenge Republicans who were struggling politically because of the unpopularity of President George W. Bush34 and the Iraq war. He also fought with party Chairman Howard Dean35 about Dean’s “50-state strategy” that required investing funds even in states where the GOP traditionally ran strong.Bendavid, Naftali, “The House that Rahm built,”36Chicago Tribune, Nov. 12, 2006(9)Bendavid, Naftali, “The House that Rahm built,”36Chicago Tribune, Nov. 12, 2006
Unlike Dean, Emanuel wanted more money dedicated to House candidates and less to the party’s state infrastructure. When he didn’t get as much as he hoped, he encouraged candidates to raise massive sums of money and run ruthless campaigns.Easton, Nina, “Rahm Emanuel, pitbull politician,”37Fortune, Sept. 25, 2006(10)Easton, Nina, “Rahm Emanuel, pitbull politician,”37Fortune, Sept. 25, 2006 His strategy worked, and House Democrats38 picked up 30 seats in the 2006 midterm elections. "You've got to have a thirst for winning," Emanuel said. "You know what our party thinks? 'We're good people with good ideas. That's just enough, isn't it?' Being tough enough, mean enough and vicious enough is just not what they want. ... They just want to be patted on the back for the noble effort. No."Bendavid, Naftali, “The House that Rahm built,”39Chicago Tribune, Nov. 12, 2006(11)Bendavid, Naftali, “The House that Rahm built,”39Chicago Tribune, Nov. 12, 2006
The overwhelming election victory had Emanuel’s stock soaring in November 2006, and he briefly thought about running for House majority whip. But he decided Clyburn’s40 support was too strong, especially in the Congressional Black Caucus. Instead, Emanuel was unanimously elected chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, where he presided over the election of a stream of socially moderate Democrats that has broadened, and challenged, his party.Bresnahan, John, “What does Rahm want?,”41Politico, July 16, 2008 (12)Bresnahan, John, “What does Rahm want?,”41Politico, July 16, 2008 Biographical and career data taken from Almanac of American Politics, 2008 edition(13)Biographical and career data taken from Almanac of American Politics, 2008 edition
Blagojevich Controversy
In the immediate aftermath of the 2008 elections, Emanuel's name surfaced during the investigation of Blagojevich for attempting to sell the Senate42 seat vacated by Obama. Emanuel was allegedly instructed by Obama to approach the governor's aides to talk about candidates Obama supported for the seat. But Emanuel was not accused of discussing a quid pro quo for the seat.Weisman, Jonathan, Bendavid, Naftali and Simpson, Cam, "Emanuel, Blagojevich aides discussed Senate seat,"43 The Wall Street Journal, Dec. 15, 2008(14)Weisman, Jonathan, Bendavid, Naftali and Simpson, Cam, "Emanuel, Blagojevich aides discussed Senate seat,"43 The Wall Street Journal, Dec. 15, 2008
According to the April 2009 indictment of Blagojevich, Emanuel, referred to as 'Congressman A,' was allegedly the target of 2006 extortion by Blagojevich. The indictment said Blagojevich tried to withhold money requested by Emanuel for a school unless Emanuel's brother held a fundraiser for the governor44. The fundraiser never happened, and the indictment doesn't say whether Emanuel ever actually learned about the request.McCormich, John, "'Congressman A': Rahm Emanuel,"45 Chicago Tribune, April 3, 2009(15)McCormich, John, "'Congressman A': Rahm Emanuel,"45 Chicago Tribune, April 3, 2009
The Issues
As White House chief of staff46, Emanuel has followed his pragmatic political instincts, which have often put him at odds with his party's more liberal wing. He got into hot water when he called progressives "[expletive] retarded" for threatening to run ads against centrist Democrats who disagreed with the president's health-care reform push. Wallsten, Peter, Wall Street Journal, "Chief of Staff Draws Fire From Left as Obama Falters47," Jan. 26, 2010 (16)Wallsten, Peter, Wall Street Journal, "Chief of Staff Draws Fire From Left as Obama Falters47," Jan. 26, 2010
While in the House48, the Illinois49 Democrat was a member of the moderate, pro-growth New Democrat Coalition, and in his 2006 book, "The Plan," he outlined his ideas for revising the tax code, including making it easier to understand and lowering rates for the middle class. He told The Washington Post that Americans prefer governing from the center “and not polarization.”Haygood, Wil, “Democratic ‘Golden Boy’ rahm Emanuel, Basking in the glow of victory,”50The Washington Post, Nov. 9, 2006 (17)Haygood, Wil, “Democratic ‘Golden Boy’ rahm Emanuel, Basking in the glow of victory,”50The Washington Post, Nov. 9, 2006
As the DCCC chairman, Emanuel recruited a large number of centrist Democrats to run for traditionally GOP districts. And even though he is pro-abortion rights and pro-gun control, he often recruited candidates who were not, saying he wanted candidates who would win.Bendavid, Naftali, “The House that Rahm built,”51Chicago Tribune, Nov. 12, 2006(18)Bendavid, Naftali, “The House that Rahm built,”51Chicago Tribune, Nov. 12, 2006 52But he has also been a strong Democratic Party loyalist, supporting Speaker Pelosi53 in her “100 hours” agenda at the start of the 110th Congress54.Zahn, Paula, Interview with Rahm Emanuel and Mark Foley55, CNN (19)Zahn, Paula, Interview with Rahm Emanuel and Mark Foley55, CNN
The Economy
A former investment banker who spent time on the board at Freddie Mac, Emanuel was a key figure in negotiating the $700 billion bailout of Wall Street in October 2008. He warned of more turmoil when Bear Sterns went under in March 2008, and worked tirelessly with then-White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten to negotiate the bailout. He held six Democratic Caucus meetings in just a few days to help explain the deal to Democrats, and helped rally support for the deal among both parties.Tankersley, Jim, “Dogged bailout backer; Rahm Emanuel takes lead role for Democrats,”56Chicago Tribune, Oct. 3, 2008 (20)Tankersley, Jim, “Dogged bailout backer; Rahm Emanuel takes lead role for Democrats,”56Chicago Tribune, Oct. 3, 2008 “It was hard for a lot of members to get their arms around the depth and the dimension of this crisis," Rep. Melissa Bean57 (D-Ill.) said. "He was able to put that in perspective for people."
Health Care
Emanuel has led the push for President Obama58's landmark health-care reform bill. Progressives criticized him (some even calling for his resignation) for not being bold enough and abandoning their beloved public option, but Emanuel's supporters argued that he was simply being realistic.Wallsten, Peter, Wall Street Journal, "Chief of Staff Draws Fire From Left as Obama Falters59," Jan. 26, 2010 (21)Wallsten, Peter, Wall Street Journal, "Chief of Staff Draws Fire From Left as Obama Falters59," Jan. 26, 2010
After more than a year of legislative wrangling, the House passed the Senate version of health-care reform on March 21, 2010, clearing the way for the Senate to approve a package of amendments insisted on by the lower chamber with a simple majority (using a process known as reconciliation).
The $940 billion bill requires most Americans to carry health insurance and require that insurance companies cover them, regardless of pre-existing conditions. It establishes a national insurance exchange allowing Americans to compare and purchase insurance plans. The bill will be paid for by increasing taxes on well-off Medicare recipients and by taxing premium insurance plans. By the end of the bill’s 10-year roll-out, 32 million uninsured Americans will have health coverage and the deficit will be $138 billion lower, the Congressional Budget Office estimated. Murray, Shailagh and Lori Montgomery, The Washington Post, "House Passes Health-Care Reform Bill without Republican Votes,60" March 22, 2010(22)Murray, Shailagh and Lori Montgomery, The Washington Post, "House Passes Health-Care Reform Bill without Republican Votes,60" March 22, 2010
As a senior aide in the Clinton White House61, Emanuel worked on expanding health insurance to those who didn’t have it, especially children.
He sponsored a bill to extend the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, though Democrats couldn’t gain enough support to override a veto from President Bush62.Babington, Charles, “House votes to expand insurance for kids,”63Associated Press via USA Today, Sept. 26, 2007(23)Babington, Charles, “House votes to expand insurance for kids,”63Associated Press via USA Today, Sept. 26, 2007 As a freshman congressman, he teamed with then-Rep. Cal Dooley (D-Calif.) to introduce a drug benefit plan under Medicare, breaking with his party’s leadership early in his Congressional tenure.Pear, Robert, “Medicare drug benefit plan is proposed by 2 Democrats,”64The New York Times, April 2, 2003(24)Pear, Robert, “Medicare drug benefit plan is proposed by 2 Democrats,”64The New York Times, April 2, 2003 The bill was designed to extend Medicare drug benefits to elderly and low-income people.
The Network
The 2008 Democratic primary tore Emanuel between Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton65 (D-N.Y), whose husband he served as a senior aide, and Sen. Barack Obama66 (D-Ill.) — and Obama’s chief strategist David Axelrod67, one of Emanuel’s closest friends. 68Emanuel did not endorse in the contest until after Obama had claimed a majority of pledged delegates. After years in both the Clinton White House and Chicago politics, Emanuel is also close to the family of Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley.
Other friends include Clinton White House alumnus69 and Obama co-transition chair John Podesta70. On the Hill, he’s close to Rep. Rosa DeLauro71 (D-Conn.); he lived in the basement of the home DeLauro shares with her husband Stan Greenberg, a prominent pollster who worked in the Clinton White House.
Emanuel also has some Republican friends, including Sen. Lindsey Graham72 (R-S.C.), a close ally of Sen. John McCain73 (R-Ariz.), with whom the Democrat negotiated the terms of the 2008 presidential debates. Graham praised Emanuel’s selection as White House chief of staff74.
Meanwhile, one of Emanuel’s brothers, Ezekiel75, is an adviser to the Office of Management and Budget76, and another brother, Ari, is the model for the Hollywood agent Ari Gold on HBO’s Entourage.The National Institutes of Health77 and the Los Angeles Times78(25)The National Institutes of Health77 and the Los Angeles Times78
A remarkable thing is happening to Rahm Emanuel: he is losing his aura of invincibility.
A year ago, Emanuel was the untouchable attack dog for a president on top of the world.
Now, according to some liberal critics, he is “a cowardly, petty, small-minded thug.”
Discontent among liberal progressives against President Obama’s chief of staff has been bubbling for some time. It’s now nearing a boiling point.
And the narrative emerging from those who hate Emanuel is far different from the one that has been built up over the last few years about the political knife fighter from Chicago.
“The beltway crowd thinks of him as rough and tumble,” said a well-placed leader in the netroots community.
“Progressives see him as weak-kneed because they don’t think he’s fighting for them on anything really.”
Few in the Obama administration appeared more formidable than Emanuel did a year ago as the new president entered the White House. He was recruited out of his congressional leadership position by Obama, who wanted only Emanuel to run his White House.
He was regarded as a fearsome political force, the enforcer and implementer of the Obama agenda, as “Rahmbo.” Profiles were written conveying that though Emanuel had matured somewhat since his somewhat wilder days in the Clinton White House, he still had the edge that made him so feared by many.
The story of Emanuel in 1992, after Bill Clinton was elected president, driving a steak knife into a table and shouting, “Dead!” over and over as he named off political enemies, was told again and again.
That story is now being reinterpreted by the ascendant liberal grassroots, which has grown disillusioned with the Obama White House.
“You’re not a tough guy if your first thought upon assuming the power of the presidency is to take it and use it to punish your enemies. You’re a cowardly, petty, small-minded thug,” said Jane Hamsher, founder of Firedoglake, a liberal blog that has been one of the most vocal critics of the health-care bill.
“I’m sure Rahm spreads it around to promote the myth of himself as a rebel and a fighter, but most people experience ‘that guy’ as a brown-nose for power willing to bully on behalf of the status quo,” Hamsher said in an e-mail to the Daily Caller.
Progressives blame Emanuel for most of the compromises they most detest: deals with drug and insurance companies on health-care reform, the continuation of many Bush-era counterterrorism measures, pushing many issues most important to the gay rights community to the back burner and working closely with Wall Street to keep large firms from failing.
A senior White House official defended Emanuel in an e-mail: “He has led this administration in accomplishing a series of important progressive achievements that languished for years before President Obama was elected: expanding SCHIP, tobacco regulation, credit card reforms, banning torture, the Ledbetter Equal Pay Act.”
Rep. Chris Van Hollen, the Maryland Democrat who took the reins of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee from Emanuel in 2008, also defended his former House leadership colleague.
“Rahm Emanuel’s blend of policy smarts and political acumen helped Democrats win the House in 2006,” Van Hollen said in a statement. “It is important to have a seasoned hand on deck to assist the President in navigating choppy political waters.”
The White House official added: “Rahm is not an ideologue. He is a pragmatist.”
That is exactly why many on the left don’t like Rahm. They think he does not care much, if at all, for their ideological and policy goals. He is, they say, driven by one thing: power.
“People see Rahm as somebody who just wants to get something done, he’s willing to get something done at any cost,” said a senior Democratic political operative.
And progressives feel that Rahm has disrespected them and taken their support for granted.
“He comes from the Clinton school of fighting, which is scream at liberals, deal with Republicans,” said a netroots think tanker.
Most disconcerting for many on the left is their concern that Emanuel’s behavior may, in fact, be supported by the president they helped elect.
“The tough question for people like us is to what extent is he reflecting the preferences of his boss.”
I was born in Minneapolis the daughter of a union worker and a Catholic, country girl. I married a rock musician (unfashionably) 1n 1978 and have lived in both San Francisco, CA and St. Louis, MO. My childhood was defined by beatings that taught me one salient fact: I am not a dog. I was born into a blue collar home. Now, I am just "blue" in my politics. I have two intelligent children attending university and I am worried for their future, as well as ours. I love America because it is a great country founded on the ideals of common cause and common good. I wonder if we will still be a great country for my grandchildren? Will my children and their children be slaves to war and poverty? Is success collecting a paycheck from one global multi-national corporation and sending that money, via another check, to other multi-national global corporations? Is your only choice, as George Carlin put it, between paper and plastic? Well, maybe it's age rage or maybe it is simply time to pay attention and form your own opinions.
Credit: Melina Mara/TWP 
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