Comments on: Obama Offers Rahm Chief-of-Staff Position

By: keillrandor

keillrandor — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 22:36:21 +0000

Rahm Emanuel
Has been asked by Obama
To be Chief-of-staff

By: Tom in The Swamp

Tom in The Swamp — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:39:26 +0000

Exactly right, jackaroyd. Rahm will now be charged with executing the President's policy, not with making it. His skills will be used for the general good, and he'll stop making policy decisions himself, which usually turn out to have been wrong.

It's a win-win for progressives -- my only concern is, who will replace him in the House, both in his seat and in the leadership?

By: nibblybits

nibblybits — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:33:39 +0000

@Kathy, I hear what you're saying but another reputable journalist (I wish I could remember) remarked about the leak coming from Rahm's people as well. Who knows what his agenda is in doing so.
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Rahm was only of the people who mocked Howard Dean's 50 state strategy. Maybe that shouldn't disqualify him, but it's just another strike against him IMO.

By: jayackroyd

jayackroyd — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:21:48 +0000

CoS is a hardball position. Rahm plays hardball. And it would get him out of the House leadership, which is necessary, as his wing has been ushered out.

By: jarais

jarais — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:42:01 +0000

Let's not forget about what really matters: Sasha Obama gets a puppy.

By: Art Pepper

Art Pepper — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:09:08 +0000

"a slap in the face of Republicans"
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I thought that slap came from the voters yesterday.
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The GOP tactic now is to argue that the Dems must not govern in a "partisan" way; ie, must continue to cave to GOP demands.
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Because yesterday was such a stunning repudiation of Democratic policies. /snark

By: FlownOver

FlownOver — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 15:15:06 +0000

Moaning Joe has already launched the attack machine – says Emanuel is irredeemably partisan, and that this choice is a slap in the face of Republicans. Looks like the honeymoon lasted about eight hours.

Meanwhile, Mika just looks foolish with her Palin-wannabe updo. Please, Lord, let that be a passing folly.

By: kathy

kathy — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:55:15 +0000

I really like Emanuel and hopes he takes the job - although I'd rather see him as speaker. I've heard him described as the smartest person in the house. Are we really going to have intellectual giants running the place? That will be novel - or at least it hasn't happened for a decade, and seems like ancient history.

By: kathy

kathy — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:52:14 +0000

nibbly - I think this was probably an intentional leak. He's been reported to have been "agonizing" about the offer, and as Howard Fineman said last night "I know Rahm Emanuel; he doesn't agonize about anything." So I'm thinking this was a plausible scenario for putting his name out there for vetting, and if the response was too negative Rahm would have turned it down after careful consideration.

By: ivb3016

ivb3016 — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:41:53 +0000

I have not been as impressed with Rahm's judgement in congress as I was when he worked for Bill Clinton so this is probably a better place for him. I wonder if he will work well with Obama because after seeing him in the party leadership position, I feel there is a bit of sleaze at his core and that doesn't seem congruent with Obama.
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JNS, I thought you did some really excellent articles that were not related to the campaign. I hope now that it is over you will be able to get back to subjects you cover better. I thought you could have told the story about Jesse Jackson without taking that snipe at Bill Clinton, since that is a story that was blown out of all factual proportion by the press. I wrote enough about it in the primary and am not going to do it again. If you care, you can search it out in the Daily Howler because Somerby debunked it.
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Anyway, thanks for your work.