Rahm is done. Thank God.

[kpete]

Rahm's Parting Shot at Obama Insiders
by Cenk Uygur

Sun Feb 21, 2010 at 10:15:54 AM PST

It looks Rahm Emanuel is done. Dana Milbank transcribed an article written by Rahm Emanuel today in The Washington Post. Never has an article been more clearly written to support a political benefactor.

Why Obama needs Rahm at the top
By Dana Milbank
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Let us now praise Rahm Emanuel.
No, seriously.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/19/AR2010021904298.html?hpid%3Dopinionsbox1&sub=AR

As I was reading the article lavishing praise on Rahm Emanuel and throwing dirt on everyone else inside the White House, I kept thinking two things. First, how many leaks has Rahm given Milbank over the years? How much do they love each other? Milbank gets a cherished inside source so he can seem like he's got the scoop on what's happening in DC and Rahm gets a hatchet man that'll write whatever he tells him to, I mean whatever he leaks to him as "important inside information."

My second thought was, "Wow, what a hatchet job on Jarrett, Gibbs and Axelrod!" Since Rahm is obviously feeding this to Milbank, that is very revealing. You don't throw these kinds of bombs unless you've already lost. This is an act of desperation. It's bound to make mortal enemies of these people inside Obama's inner circle. You can't really work with these people anymore. That means you're already finished there.

This is basically Rahm saying on his way out, I was right all along and these guys were wrong. Maybe it's a last minute attempt at a Hail Mary to swing the decision in his favor if he can start a conversation in DC about how he had offered better advice than the other three to Obama (by the way, everything he claims to have been right about inside the article was disastrous advice that led Obama further and further away from his voters). But either way, that means he thinks he is very close to being on his way out the door.

............

more:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/2/21/839250/-Rahms-Parting-Shot-at-Obama-Insiders

[stray cat]

1. I'll believe it when I see it

[backtomn]

70. I am with you !!!!!!

Obama throw Rahm out?? I will wait to see it, if you don't mind. Obama has a big Chicago connection with Rahm and is not likely to throw him under the bus. I might support it...and hope for it....but, do I think it will happen soon.....NO. Maybe I am an idiot, but I believe that I am a realist. We will see.

[motorcityliberal]

88. like in sports

You don't toss shit on teammates unless you know your time is running short with that team. Hopefully it's true turning your boss's base against him reason enough for Rahm to lose his job.

[Walk away]

2. Now THAT I'd like to see. n/a

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[backscatter712]

4. I don't see any official signs yet, but Milbank's puff piece speaks volumes.

Obama's clearly unhappy with with Rahm, and Rahm's responding by leaking bullshit to Milbank.

Even if Rahm doesn't depart soon, his influence has clearly diminished, which is a damned good thing.

[laughingliberal]

33. I can only hope. If Obama gets him out of there in time & starts moving towards some of his

Democratic advisers, we might see the midterms saved for the Democrats.

[Cal33]

78. How about some of the other Republicans in Obama's cabinet?

In the Treasury Dep't, for instance? I believe in bi-partisanship too.
But it takes two to tango. And NeoCons don't tango. Obama surely
must have learned the lesson by now!~

[cjbgreen]

80. milkbank + WP = Puff(coporate funding)

Oh, does any one out there remember when The Washington Post employed real journalists and investigative reporters?

[hlthe2b]

5. With all due to Cenk... this is just his assessment...

I think we are getting ahead of ourselves, but it will be interesting to watch what happens... especially after the meeting on the 25th.

[wyldwolf]

6. LOL... Cenk...

[Ozymanithrax]

7. I saw nothing in the article indicating that Rahm is history...

So I dont expect they will need to find someone else to make up a Minyan any time soon.

[FourScore]

10. Me either. n/t

[laughingliberal]

34. That's a shame. Could save the midterms if they get rid of Rahm in time. nt

[Ozymanithrax]

37. Rahm is irrelevant to the midterms. To quote Carville "It's the economy...."

The midterms will be determined by pocketbook issues.

[rhett o rick]

39. Carville? Oh yeah, now there's someone you can trust. nt

[Ozymanithrax]

62. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

Liberals and progressives don't like RAhm or Carville. Those gentlemen, however, are irrelevant to the majority of voters who will go to the polls in November. They care about the economy and are very aware of where they set in Maslow's heirarchy.

[laughingliberal]

44. Yep. And if Obama will back away from Rahm's corporate butt-kissing and get some populist policies

in place, it will influence the midterms.

[ThomCat]

46. You're absolutely right.

Its not that I think Rahm was dragging Obama to the right. I honestly think Obama was lying to all of us throughout the campaign, masquerading as a populist. I think the corporatist he has been since the day he took office is the real him.

BUT, Rahm has certainly been mercenary about implementing those pro-corporate ideals and policies, and Rahm is famously and publicly hostile to liberals and lefties. So getting rid of him would allow Obama to at least TRY to compromise somewhat with democrats on the left.

Without Rahm he might moderate his policies a bit to help REAL PEOPLE a bit more and corporations a bit less. Maybe 10%/90% instead of the current 5%/95% we're getting under Rahm's directions.

[laughingliberal]

47. That's pretty much how I see it.

The gesture of sacking Rahm, in and of itself, would be taken as a signal Obama is moving towards some populist policy and could help get some of our Dems back in. It may not result in a lot of shifting of policy but some movement would help.

[ChiciB1]

51. Getting Rid Of RAH-UUUMM Could Also Send A Message To "The Base" That

perhaps Obama can feel and see our FRUSTRATION! MSM will still spin EVERYTHING to suit themselves, however for those of us who are feeling so left out, it could bring some back into the fold!

TRUST is now the 800 lb. Gorilla in the room, and THE GORILLA is winning!

[Nothing Without Hope]

69. I agree with you. All along, Obama's votes, when they really counted, were for

the corporatists. He's a wonderful speaker and knows what buttons to push for "the common man," but he's never convinced me he's a genuine populist - when the chips are down, how's he going to jump? Not to our side, I'm afraid. Rahm reinforces and enables all this and more.

[rhett o rick]

74. Agree. nt

[Mithreal]

45. -1

[Mojambo]

8. It would be the best news in months.

Although sure to ruffle some DLC types round these parts.

Here's hoping it's in the offing.

[laughingliberal]

35. Crossing fingers! I have noticed a little more populist, left leaning rhetoric from the WH, lately

and have not heard from the angry dwarf in a while. But we just don't know, yet.

[Enrique]

9. it's just a guess

I don't see how Cenk can be so confident in his wild-ass guess. Could turn out to be true, but it would just be a lucky wild-ass guess.

[leeroysphitz]

25. Cenk isn't exactly "scooping" anybody here. People have been saying this since Brown/Coakley. n/t

[yurbud]

11. I give this a rec on hope that he will join the unemployed.

[tularetom]

12. Don't post stuff like this unless you mean it

I almost stroked out with joy when I read the title.

Turns out it's just speculation based on a pile of horseshit written by Dana Milbank.

I'm gettin old. Don't know how many more of these emotional peaks and valleys I can handle.

[eleny]

21. Yeah, same here. Reminds me of the Bush years

The "neverminds" can really take a toll.

But I'm an optimist and will give this thread a Rec. :D

[la la]

13. i quit paying attention

to Dana Milbank when the kerfluffle with KO happened. I knew there was a reason for Keith to discontinue Milbank's appearances on his show--i guess this is one of the reasons.

[tabbycat31]

14. I'll believe it when I see it

[Snotcicles]

15. Cenk Uygur will throw an astute curve at ya once in awhile.nt

[Snow Bird]

16. Sure thing, and KKKarl Rove will be indicted in 24 business hours.

The President needs a "guy" to do the dirty work. Rahm seems to be Obama's "guy"

[onehandle]

17. This has been posted several times and is pure fantasy. nt

[Davis_X_Machina]

18. When he goes....

...and there's no detectable change in anything, what will the official DU response be?

[Edweird]

19. Or it could be the exact opposite. He's 10 feet tall and bulletproof and can say what ever he wants.

Maybe he knows that his seat at the table is secure and he's throwing hi weight around.

[FrenchieCat]

20. I can't believe how speculation is written as news around here.....

Pure speculation of one's opinion written as fact a la Drudge.

DU posters should really refrain from pushing rumors against Democrats in this forum, especially with headlines that speak as facts what are opinion based on pure speculation without nary a sources. If this is what we have become, than this place is no better than the other rumor mills on the Internet that repeat things in hoping that will make it come true. I find that disgraceful! makes us no better than freepers.

[kiva]

31. Absolutly. Like when the Fort Hood shooting happened,

someone was busy speculating that it was a conservative conspiracy since it happened exactly one year after Obama won the election. Except, of course, it wasn't and it hadn't. Yep, I just hate it when people speculate without facts.

[QC]

59. OUCH!

[EFerrari]

38. That's right. Rahm is a Democrat.

lol

[rhett o rick]

40. Isnt everyone a Democrat today. I mean Arlen Specter is a Democrat. The tent got too damn big. nt

[EFerrari]

41. That's right. Arlen Specter is a Democrat.

:rofl:

[mmonk]

48. +1

[rhett o rick]

50. I know, it ruins the meaning. nt

[yurbud]

22. My thank you email to Milbank:

Thank you for your enlightening article on Rahm Emanuel.

In listing his advice, you made me more certain than ever that he belongs nowhere near the White House.

In particular, his push for bipartisanship over Democratic policies destroys the ability of voters to actually choose the direction the country will go in.

When we chose Obama, despite what he said during the campaign, we hoped the only bipartisan branch he would offer the Republicans would be "Join us or become irrelevant."

The voters repudiated GOP priorities. We are still waiting for Obama to do the same. Putting a boot in Rahm Emanuel's ass would be a good first step.

[BlueMTexpat]

57. I love it!!!

:applause:

Rahm & Dana ... two POS in a pod, IMO.

[yurbud]

76. one dump pinched into two loafs

[xchrom]

23. There's not a hairs breadth of difference between Obama and Rahm.

EVEN IF this were true -- very little would be different.

[whathehell]

24. And you base this opinion on what ??

[peacebird]

26. perhaps because Obama IS President and one presumes Rahm would do his bidding?

Just a guess....

a snarky guess, but a guess nonetheless...

[whathehell]

56. You're "presuming" too much, I think....Obama was very inexperienced in Washington

Rahm was not...I think he depended on Rahm's advice and now think (hope, actually) that he sees how Rahm has not less than helpful.

[Name removed]

67. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[whathehell]

68. If you want call Obama a Corporate Whore, I'd suggest you start your own thread with that title

and see how that works for you.

A. I didn't say he had "no experience"...I said he didn't have enough.

B. I don't need to "face" anything....He often disappoints me, but I don't HATE him as you seem to and I wouldn't go so far as to debase him as a "right wing corporate whore"...I'll leave that dubious honor to you.:eyes:

[xchrom]

29. Obama picked Rahm -- he and Rahm are from

Chicago politics.
They Know each Other -- so my question to you is this --
you expect Obama to govern different from a DCCC centrist -- how and why?

[whathehell]

54. My negative feelings about Rahm are not that he's a DCCC Centrist

I think he's to the Right of that...Frankly, I've wondered if he's not a stealth republican...It's been said by Chicago DUers that he gets Republicans to run as Democrats...Not "converts" them...Just gets them to "play" at being Democrats.

I don't equate Obama with Rahm...Frankly, I think Obama is "learning on the job"...I've sometimes wondered whether in fact he WAS, as his critics said during the campaign, too inexperienced to be president.

[Marr]

32. On the fact that Obama hired Rahm Emanual, and Obama is the president.

I swear to god, I don't understand how anyone can believe that Obama is both a smart politician, and a dunce who's led about by his underlings.

[whathehell]

55. Obama may be a smart politician...but he also came to the presidency

woefully inexperienced in terms of Washington and national politics...He didn't even finish his one term in the Senate.

I voted for him in the primaries (only because Edwards dropped out)...but I've always thought he should have waited...As for Rahm...I think (hope) he now sees that Rahm is not serving him well.

[WeDidIt]

27. by Cenk Uygur

That's all I needed to see in order to stop reading.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

52. You should read farther...

Just to get a better idea of just how wrong he is. His theory is that Millbank is nothing more than a funnel for Rahm to speak directly to the nation via the Washington Post (so much wrong with that theory I just won't even go into it) and that the article must be Rahm burning every political bridge in Washington just as a final F-You to the Obama Administration (again, just a bewildering thing to believe).

Since this is Cenk Uyger writing in the Huffington Post (both of whom are famous for being behind the curve), my guess is that Obama is going to run off a string of victories and Rahm will be looking like a genius come August.

[WeDidIt]

53. I gave up reading his bullshit long ago

He's as batty as a birther these days.

[Coyote_Bandit]

28. I'm decidedly unimpressed

with Rahm. And his boss. Faux progressives at best.

[KittyWampus]

30. Why do so many allow their chains to be jerked?

[laughingliberal]

36. There's hope. Even the idiot, Bush, finally got rid of Rumsfeld. nt

[EFerrari]

42. You are a terror.

:rofl:

[Frank Booth]

43. This Daily Kos analysis is hogwash.

Rahm didn't write the Milbank piece, and Milbank didn't write it based on inside info passed to him by Rahm.

Everything in the Milbank article has already been reported, most of it many months ago. Milbank just cherry-picked some random reports in a failed attempt to argue that Rahm is irreplaceable. The Milbank piece sucks and the Cenk piece is just as bad. Both deserve to be ignored.

[ChiciB1]

49. Well, Since MOST Issues Have Gone Awry... Let the Cynic In Me Once Again

rise to the surface! I'm truly sorry for having so little "faith" in the OVERWHELMING chaos I'm seeing in D.C.! Not to mention the basic capitulation of so MANY Congress Critters willing to REALLY put the agenda of "we the people" first! From the TOP down, D.C. can't seem to get "mobilized" together IN ANY WAY to do the people's work!

While listening to the conversation on C-span this AM about Bi-Partisanship working, MOST callers, Left, Right, Moderate, Independent and any other group in between, simply echo the sentiment that people who tune into what is going on, are very exasperated!

RAH-UUUMMM does Need to go, and perhaps a round up of several more "key" players who are gumming up the gears of what Obama ACTUALLY campaigned on. From the get-go, I groaned when I heard what role RAH-UUUMMM was going to be given! Then there's the issue of his TWO brothers Ari & Zeke whom I've found that many people weren't even aware of.

I'm going to go out on a limb a bit too, which perhaps is something just completely off base, but it HAS made me wonder about from time to time. It's the issue of JOE LIE-BERMAN and HOW & WHY he's been able to continue to "get his way" without any repercussion or dressing down from the WH! I've scratched my head many times and felt my anger rising more times than not when I've seen the "twit" in action. I'm NOT Anti-Semitic in any way, even though I've wondered about some of the actions taken by Israel. I live in a community with a LARGE Jewish population and know some VERY fine people who agree with me about what is going on in Israel.

Kind of rambled my way off the main topic, still I have been one who felt RAH-UUUMMM was a very poor choice, and now a year has passed and it's STILL GRID-LOCK!! And "we the people" are LOSING the game, BIG TIME!

[SlingBlade]

58. This IS so much like him, BUT ....

I'll believe it when I see it and remember, Rham is just ONE, there are many others
who have dedicated their lives to stomping out a progressive path for America and
unfortunately they are in the inner sanctums of Obamas White House.

In short and once again, This is "Change", I don't believe in

[NoodleyAppendage]

60. From your lips to God's ears, I fondly hope. Rahm is a puss- filled boil on the party.

I can't wait to see his scumbag ass thrown out of real power. Give his job to Dean as the coup de grace

[muffin1]

65. I heartily second your suggestion!

:bounce:

[kjackson227]

61. I don't have a problem with Emanuel staying on and voicing his opinions...

and views, as long as President Obama considers OTHERS opinions and views as well (which apparently he is doing according to the article). Emanuel may have the experience and can manipulate Congress (which is an asset), but I think Emanuel tore his pants with liberals when he went against our wishes for sweeping HCR. I disagree that HCR has "failed", but instead it has "STALLED" because the President has somewhat gone silent with the fight for health care, and because of the Blue Dogs blocking the bill. One of the reasons Obama was elected was because of the promise of change in health care, and not just "patch it" like Emanuel and the Blue Dogs wanted. Emanuel may have been right about the other issues, but he's still dead wrong about HCR.

[Barack_America]

63. Even if it's not true, I sure as hell don't mind Cenk floating this out there.

If you can believe it, you can be it.

Here's hoping.

[tavalon]

64. I hope, hope, hope.

[newtothegame]

66. Wow what a misleading headline. n/t

[Toasterlad]

72. Truly.

[emsimon33]

71. This man has done more damage to Obama than all the Republicans put together

Dismantling the 50-state strategy left Obama without the organized base that he needs. Demonizing the base further alienated Obama from those who elected him.

[krawhitham]

73. A lot less will get done with Rahm gone

[Krashkopf]

90. Hopefully there will be . . .

a lot less sucking up to the DLC and the "moderate" wing of the republican party and a lot less distain for "the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party."

[Javaman]

75. Meh, I have a feeling that rahms imminent departure is grossly exaggerated. nt

[wisteria]

77. This is the same story line posted yesterday. Why repeat it? n/t

[cjbgreen]

79. Rahm is done

Oh in our wildest dreams, let this be true. Rahm is the hope basher! I did not cast my vote for Obama, to get 8 years of Bill Clinton's policies. Rahm is the worst and undermines everything Obama represents.

[Kalun D]

81. Denial

People are still in denial that Obama is not who he said he was.

Rahm is Obama's hand picked right hand man, he was not forced on Obama.

How about some numbers. Obama helped push through the banker "bailout" which is really just a giveaway to the crooks that intentionally caused the banking crisis in the first place. $700 BILLION for the crooked criminal bankers. And now there's a bailout for the mortgage holders of $1.5 BILLION. So the criminals get $700 BILLION and their victims get $1.5 BILLION. Thank you president Obama.

And looking closely at the $700 BILLION, Goldman Sachs got billions of that, and they only had to pay Obama $996,000 in campaign contributions, his 2nd largest contributor, heck of a deal.

[branders seine]

82. it is easy to tell this article is loaded with crap.

The assertion that *any* health care solution, no matter whose version of "popular," would have received republican support is ludicrous. Perhaps "Rahmbo" is the source of the "bipartisanship" nonsense that ruined Obama's first year.

[Geek_Girl]

83. I hope so

nt

[earth mom]

84. I want Rahm gone but I'm not holding my breath. nt

[hay rick]

85. File this under "Too Good to be True." nt

[Political Heretic]

86. This is a lot of wishful thinking projection.

Can't wait to be wrong! :)

[RB TexLa]

87. I smell a "He'll be fired in 48 hours" comming.

:rofl:

[Krashkopf]

89. Let it be TRUE . . . oh, please, let it be TRUE . . .

came the prayer from UNDER THE BUS!