Joe the Intern Killer Scarborough gets his undies in a bunch over Rahm Emanuel

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Scarborough: Obama tapping Emanuel would be telling GOP to 'drop dead'
David Edwards and Muriel Kane
Published: Wednesday November 5, 2008

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Scarborough_Rahm_Emanuel_like_choosing_Tom_1105.html



The news that president-elect Barack Obama has offered the position of White House chief of staff to Congressman Rahm Emanuel has generally drawn praise as a canny political move.

However, former Rep. Joe Scarborough disagrees strongly, calling Emanuel "a harsh partisan" and saying on Wednesday that if he accepts the post it would be a "horrible symbol" for Republicans.

Scarborough got into a dust-up over Emanuel with the guests on his MSNBC program, beginning when Time editor Mark Haperin suggested that Obama will be "in a very strong position" when it comes to dealing with Congress because Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid are "nice people ... but they're not the strongest figures in the world."

"Obama understands legislatures," Halperin explainued, "and he's not going to make the mistakes the way Bill Clinton did. ... The danger you're talking about -- going too left, letting Congress run roughshod over him -- I do not think's going to happen. ... He's now ... offered the chief of staff job to your friend Rahm Emanuel -- I think a very shrewd move."

According to Chris Cillizza at the Washington Post, before being elected to Congress, "Emanuel built a reputation as one of the savviest political minds in the party and also one of the most confrontational and sharp elbowed. His tactics and approach earned him the name 'Rahmbo.' ... In pursuing Emanuel, Obama is also sending a message to Capitol Hill that he recognizes the need to work with them by selecting one of their own but that he also will not be afraid to play tough."

Scarborough, however, apparently did not see the choice of Emanuel as a signal to Congressional Democrats that Obama intends to work with them while keeping the upper hand but rather as a slap in the face to Republicans hoping for a bipartisan approach.

"I don't think that's a shrewd move," Scarborough complained. "I respect Rahm politically ... that is a very bad sign for a united America because Rahm Emanuel is all brass knuckles. ... Barack Obama, if he selects him, has just sent a message to Republicans, 'Drop dead.'"

"It is a horrible, horrible symbol ... to people that believe that Barack Obama's going to reach out to the center and to Republicans," continued Scarborough. He insisted that "they needed a Tom Daschle" -- referring to the mild-mannered former Senate Majority Leader who was an early Obama supporter.

It was not clear whether Scarborough was sincere in his objections to Emanuel or simply attempting to sow discord as he brushed aside his guests' objections that Emanuel is a "centrist" and a member of the Democratic Leadership Council.

Former Tennesee Rep. Harold Ford asserted, "Rahm would give him, give the president a credibility with Democrats. He could stand up to them on things that he's going to have to stand up to them on. ... Look at the candidates that Rahm recruited to win in '06. These were moderate, conservative Democrats. ... You want in a chief of staff somebody who can help push your agenda through."

"That's crap," retorted Scarborough. "Rahm Emanuel is a harsh partisan. ... This is a very clear signal to Republicans, 'Duck, because change means we're just changing administrations.' ... For people that don't know Rahm Emanuel, this would be the equivalent of a Republican putting Tom DeLay in ... as chief of staff."

"Tom DeLay was not personal friends with a single Democrat in the caucus," Halperin countered. "Not one. And Rahm has got close friendships with lots of Republicans -- and that's one way stuff gets done in Washington."

"I'm trying to come to terms with the new America," Scarborough concluded sourly. "Yes We Can -- beat the hell out of Republicans."

This video is from MSNBC's News Live, broadcast November 5, 2008: http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Scarborough_Rahm_Emanuel_like_choosing_Tom_1105.html

[Coexist]

1. I'm no Rahm fan, but if no-lips hates him,

that makes me happy.

[Kahuna]

2. Boy, did he. He was absolutely quaking with fear...

:applause:

[MadMaddie]

3. Say it ain't so Joe!! You don't like brass knuckles politics

yet you supported it for the last 8 years....no one is listening anymore!

[Olney Blue]

4. Joe is going to be in a crappy mood for a few years.

[TheKentuckian]

5. Morning Joke

likes to pretend that the Republicans can even see the center from their houses.

If you can even pretend that Emanuel is some kind of ideological leftist, then you've already fallen off the edges of your flat earth.

[bluedawg12]

6. why intern killer? Just wondering what balloon head did? n/t

[Amerigo Vespucci]

9. Lori Klausutis

On Imus' Show, Joe Scarborough Laughed about Dead Staffer
07-Jun-03
Joe Scarborough

http://archive.democrats.com/preview.cfm?term=Joe%20Scarborough

From the Daily Dystopian blog: "Conservative MSNBC news host Joe Scarborough was a guest on MSNBC's Imus show last Thursday, May 29. In complementing Scarborough on his sense of humor, Imus said, 'Don't be afraid to be funny, because you are funny. I asked you why you aren't in Congress. You said that you had sex with the intern and then you had to kill her.' To which Scarborough laughed, 'Yeah, ha, ha ha, well, what are you gonna do?'" As the Political Amazon (politicalamazon.com) wrote us, Lori "Klausutis is the Scarborough intern who was found dead in Scarborough's Fort Walton Beach office on July 21, 2001. At the same time that cable news shows on Fox and MSNBC were hounding Democratic Rep. Gary Condit over the disappearance of Chandra Levy... Scarborough appears to have been granted a free pass... Regardless of whether Scarborough actually murdered Lori Klaustis, his casual joking about her death is inexcusable."

[bluedawg12]

11. Eeeew...that's ugly. Thanks for the heads up. Ugh n/t

[firedupdem]

7. Good! Glad he hates the idea! He can drop dead too! n/t

[jazzjunkysue]

8. Joe's going to be PMS for a while, say, about 8-16 years.

But he'll get over it.

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. Big difference, Joe. Tom is a CRIMINAL.

[wyldwolf]

12. Rahm vs. Bush

On a wretchedly hot August day outside the Caterpillar tractor plant in Montgomery, Ill., President Bush and the state's congressional delegation gather for the signing of the massive transportation bill. This is 2005, the calm before the Katrina storm, and a rigorous mountain-biking schedule has the President in top shape.

In off-camera chitchat with the shirt-sleeved lawmakers, Bush takes note of Democratic Congressman Rahm Emanuel's deep tan, prompting the 46-year-old Emanuel to boast about the miles of swimming and biking in his triathlon training schedule. Testosterone oozes into the humid air space between the two men. Bush invites Emanuel down to Texas to do some real biking. "So I said, 'I'll make you a deal, Mr. President. I'll bike if you swim.' Now he didn't exactly say swimming was a wussy sport, but you could tell.... So I said, 'Mr. President, Laura can put your water wings next to the lake. You can have your water wings.' "

At that point you might think this graduate of the Evanston School of Ballet-a man whose office features sunset photos and who has the mellow chords of David Gray playing on his iPod-would leave well enough alone. But Emanuel is hard-wired to go for the jugular: Politics Chicago-style are part of his DNA. So he sharpens his drill bit on the leader of the free world. "I said to him, 'You're not one of those tribathletes, are you, Mr. President? You know-steam, sauna, shower?'

"And Bush goes, 'That's g-o-o-d.' "

[Liberal Veteran]

13. The fact is, the right has gotten so used to Democrats capitulating to them...

....they just want to do anything to retain some power.

[Thrill]

14. Rahm doesn't take their BS. They wanted a wimp like Daschle

You know Rahm is a good pick when the Repukes are crying about it already. Rove was crapping his pants about it too