some of Rahm Emanuel's ideas....be very afraid.

[Mari333]

Rahm's own words:
"We need to use all the roots of American power to make our country safe. (He begins by playing on fear.) America must lead the world's fight against the spread of evil and totalitarianism, but we must stop trying to win that battle on our own. (Messianic imperialism.) We should reform and strengthen multilateral institutions for the twenty-first century, not walk away from them. We need to fortify the military's "thin green line" around the world by adding to the U.S. Special Forces and the Marines, and by expanding the U.S. army by 100,000 more troops. (An even bigger military for the world's most powerful armed forces, a very militaristic view of the way to handle the conflicts among nations. What uses does Emanuel have in mind for those troops?) '

more at link








http://www.counterpunch.org/walsh10242006.html

[Arkana]

1. Rahm's not the President.

[Mari333]

4. heres a little description of the chief of staff...

'The White House Chief of Staff is the highest-ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President. The U.S. President's Chief of Staff is a very powerful position, sometimes dubbed "The Second-Most Powerful Man in Washington'








http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House_Chief_of_Staff

[Virginia Dare]

19. In terms of controlling access to the President, that's true..

but the COS does not make policy.

[loudsue]

36. You mean like Rove didn't make policy?

:freak: Yah, right.

[Arkana]

47. Obama is not Bush. Rove was Bush's brain. Rahm will be an advisor

to Obama.

Fucking christ, you folks will find ANYTHING to piss and moan about, won't you?

[loudsue]

53. "You people"?????

As opposed to your people?

[Arkana]

63. "My people?"

I've been a Democrat since I was old enough to be interested in politics. I was on the Obama bandwagon at the Iowa caucuses.

I've survived eight years of this nightmare just like you, pal. Don't lecture me.

[Overseas]

68. Rahm provides lots of fodder. Even though I agree with you that Obama will be President.

And Rahm will be working for him.

I think he wants Rahm's ability to navigate Washington's corridors of power.

But Rahm has done and said a lot of awful stuff. Especially galling to me have been his reported attempts to move Democrats to the right.

So we can count on lots of HORRIBLE RAHM DID/SAID THIS threads coming up over and over.

[Arkana]

21. The President has other senior aides, and do you honestly think

that Obama is so weak-willed he'll do whatever Emanuel tells him to? Rahm will run a tight ship in the White House and that's what we need.

[LanternWaste]

40. That's precisely what I'm seeing here

"...that Obama is so weak-willed he'll do whatever Emanuel tells him to?"

That's precisely what I'm translating from this thread-- an direct inference of weakness on Obama's part, to the point where it's perceived that he can be "handled" by his staff.

[Why Syzygy]

45. What is your point in this thread?

Are you saying Obama isn't fit to lead?

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. Yep. I am happy for Obama breaking the race barrier, but I still wish we

could have had a progressive candidate run. Maybe the USA will be ready for that in 2016?

[earth mom]

57. I feel exactly the same way and I don't think much is going to change really.

Except that the populace is going to feel "hopeful" instead of "doomed" and/or "screwed over".

[GreenPartyVoter]

62. Probably. But there may be some changes like health coverage. Maybe not

the way we want to see it, but as a start. Life is a series of stepping stones. we can want to reach the other side of the river right now, but sometimes it doesn't work out that way.

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

3. After everything that has happened in the last 2 years

you would think people would start to trust Obama's judgment.

[Mari333]

8. well,he is not a messiah to me, no president is

and I will call him on any choices he makes that I disagree with. The last thing I wanted to see was a warmonger back in the WH.
peace and hugs.

[golddigger]

10. Are you going to be saying the same thing when he picks Colin Powell for a Cabinet position?

[Mari333]

30. yes, oh yes. n/t

[blues90]

60. Toss Powell out of there . n/t

[MisterP]

35. aw, the Loyalists dragged that same line out when he voted for FISA

"It has to be good, because he's somebody other than McCain"

[earth mom]

58. Obama hasn't proven himself yet and based on his choice here, it's obvious he's leaving a lot of us

wondering what the hell he is thinking.

[The Magistrate]

5. He Will Be An Excellent Chief Of Staff For President Obama, Ma'am

Citing 'counterpuch' for comment on a leading Democrat is akin to citing Ku Klux recruiting materials for comment on Dr. King....

[librechik]

13. I agree--and the opposition thinks of him as rabidly partisan, thus inappropriate

If true, I like that very much! (although given his DLC background, and blind support of Israel I fear the Right has nothing to worry about with Rahm.)

He'll do fine.

[Virginia Dare]

28. I agree if it pisses off the GOP, it's a great choice...n/t

[Cronopio]

46. Nader as President would have pissed off the right wing. Would that have been a great choice?

[Mari333]

15. okay then here is a direct link to the quote from his book

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1586484125/counterpunchmaga
I respectfully still think it was a poor choice.
peace and hugs.

[The Magistrate]

The Statement, Ma'am, Seems A Reasonable Enough Political Item To Me

Rep. Emmanuel is President Obama's choice for chief of staff in his White House. He is a leading DEmocrat, and one of the best knife artistes in the capital.

It is an excellent choice: about the only better billet for the man would be Speaker of the House.

[dflprincess]

64. Emmanuel as Speaker of the House?

Pelosi isn't a big enough sell out for you?

[fed_up_mother]

6. None of that bothers me as long as we have REAL allies to do anything we need to do

We need real allies as a check against our imperalistic tendencies, imo. I am "pro-military" in that I believe in the proper use of the military. It's been used to much for imperialistic purposes, and not really for making anyone safer. :(

[Kittycat]

7. FEAR FEAR FEAR. Are we the GOP or Democrats?

Seriously, come the fuck on.

[onehandle]

9. Obama is a moderate.

You will see more Clinton than Kucinich in him. Much more.

[gypsylud]

20. but, but, McCain said he was a socialist....nt

[Deep13]

11. O's keeping Emanuel on a short leash...

...and keeping him out of Pelosi's way.

Goddamn, who's the president anyway? Emanuel or Obama?

[Individualist]

12. Rahm is DLC

They love war and corporations, just like their neocon pals.

[earth mom]

59. Yep, which begs the question, what exactly is gonna "change" in Washington DC? nt

[frickaline]

14. wow. Can we even give the guy a second in office before trashing him?

I would have thought you were talking about someone NOT from our party.

[Mari333]

17. I am glad Obama is POTUS, but I think this choice is awful

peace and hugs. I hope he proves me wrong.

[Greyhound]

25. She was. n/t

[Pastiche423]

34. Why should we when we already know that rahn is

in the republiCON wing of the Democratic party? He is for the corporations, not for the people. He's had plenty of years to earn his DLC :puke: creds.

I will never forget what that Clinton backed ashhole said about Howard Dean during the election of the DNC chairmanship.

This is not a good thing.

[Greyhound]

16. As somebody else pointed out on another thread, at least it gets him out of the House.

I felt like I just heard a hurricane was heading toward my honeymoon resort during the reception, when I read this last night.

The implications of this first announcement are disturbing indeed. More war, more bankruptcy, more corporate rule, all of which preclude any help for the rest of us.

[bigtree]

18. he was addressing our national security. He should acknowledge that there are threats.

He takes the exact right stance in calling for a multinational approach to confronting challenges to our national security. What he wants to confront isn't his to decide, ultimately. That's for our very capable president. He's outlined his agenda in his campaign.

President-Elect Barack Obama has also called for an increase in the size of our military.

Rahm Emanuel will be effective in garnering support from the 'moderates' in Congress who will be a bridge over the gap in the balance of power in the Senate and whatever shortcoming the House may have in operating without a firm majority.

[Mari333]

27. and I completely disagree with Obama wanting to increase the military

or send troops anywhere. To slash the defense budget to nothing would make me very happy.
Peace and hugs. I hope he proves me wrong about my concerns.

[bigtree]

29. I disagree as well

we need to reduce our commitments and change our military priorities (as in Iraq and in the defense of Kabul).

[Why Syzygy]

49. That is a silly thing you keep saying ..

He isn't going to "prove you wrong", when you already disagree with him. We get it you disagree. But lots of us aren't going to sit idle while every step he takes is judged from a RW perspective at DU!

Get new glasses, or just be happy with the sight you have and don't expect everyone to see things your way.

[Psyop Samurai]

54. "judged from a RW perspective"...

:rofl:

[Why Syzygy]

55. Counterpunch.

[TreasonousBastard]

22. I don't like it much either, but...

his job won't be to set policy.

[dysfunctional press]

42. and at least he's out of congress- where he had a vote and a voice.

nt

[peacetalksforall]

23. Two names that scare me the most - Emanuel and Hagel.

Emanuel because he embodies DLC strategies.
Hagel because he is the founder of ES & S - a vote theft machines that Democrats did nothing about.

How can we endorse either?

I thought Emanuel was an excellent politician under Clinton. I didn't lose faith in him until he went into the House and pushed everything DLC. Now I look back on the Clinton years and because of him I see the things that were wrong with Clinton more clearly.

Hagel appears to be more rational then some crazies in his Party - but a thief?

What is he going to do, renounce his role? Does that take back the lives and limbs of all our kids who suffered and are suffering because of his Party? Who massacred Iraqis? Who tortured and tormented them, their families, and many other able bodied men and imprisoned them for most of a decade? Who caused millions of people to become exiles? Who decimated their infrastructure?

He did it. As an enabler. Not just his votes. His machines that stole and are still stealing.

[madfloridian]

24. He told our candidates to "go right" on Iraq and immigration issues.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1646

[Virginia Dare]

26. After 8 years of Bush and Cheney in the West Wing..

I'm supposed to be very afraid of Rahm Emanuel? GMAFB!!!...:rofl:

[HamdenRice]

31. Emanuel would be a terrible chief of staff for other reasons

The main power of the chief of staff is that he/she controls access to the president. That often also means that the CoS controls the way information flows to the president and the way issues and decisions are framed -- options already narrowed by the time they get to the president's office.

It is very easy for the president to find himself inside a bubble, even one who is not an idiot, like Bush, predisposed to being a bubble boy.

A stupid president or figure head president (Reagan comes to mind) needs a highly restrictive, controlling CoS. (Cheney and Cheney's staff effectively took over many of Bush's CoS functions.)

A smart president needs one who may be strong but is unobtrusive on policy. A CoS's policy preferences should be invisible to the president. Unfortunately, Emanuel has very strong policy preferences in international relations and he could impose them through control of access to information and other staff.

Obama does not need an Emanuel type CoS. He needs one who will facilitate, not restrict, the president's access to other staff, the other political centers of power (especially Congress) and the outside world.

[harun]

32. Neo-con light.

[Mojambo]

33. His ideas are largely irrelevant in an administrative position like CoS. n/t

[moodforaday]

39. Not true. He controls access

so can filter out views he thinks undersirable.

[TheWraith]

37. Alright, it's official. Congratulations. You're a paranoid idiot.

You're so perpetually incapable of being happy that you have to read things that aren't there into the words of a guy who's going to be executing Obama's agenda.

[1776Forever]

38. The point I took from this was "the U.S. Army" - what no Blackwater? - YES - I am all for that.

It is time to go back to the regiment and structure of a well run Military! It is something we must have. Like it or not, have you seen China's military lately?

Try this:

March 03, 2008

http://www.bespacific.com/mt/archives/017696.html

* 2008 China Military Power Report

American Forces Press Service: "China not only is a rising international economic power, but also is a rising military power with new and developing capabilities that have global implications, according to the 2008 China Military Power Report released today. The annual report mandated by Congress analyzes China’s military development and strategy and says that the country spent as much as $139 billion, more than three times its announced defense budget, modernizing its military forces last year. That amount dwarfs the military budgets of Russia, Japan and South Korea, and has been the driving force behind the country’s military transformation, fueled by the acquisition of advanced foreign weapons and far-reaching organizational and doctrinal reforms. Combined with what Defense Department officials call a lack of transparency, the military development poses risks to stability by increasing the potential for misunderstanding and miscalculation, the report concludes."

[rudy23]

41. Isn't it nice that we're debating the finer points of a moderate presidency...

instead of batting down the illogic of a fascist presidency.

We all knew Obama was a moderate. All of his speeches, from the primaries through today, have given himself the wiggle room to run a very moderate presidency. Expecting him to represent the DU worldview will only leave us cynical and disappointed. He's made no bones about his bipartisan attitude from day one.

It's certainly still our job to hold his feet to the fire, and I'm happy that we're not wasting any time with that. But isn't it great that that's even an option?!

[Cronopio]

50. That's a good perspective.

But I don't consider Rahm a moderate. He represents the worst corporatist/warhawk tendencies of the DLC. Howard Dean (as an example) would have been a much better choice.

I'm not surprised at the Obama's choice of Rahm, but I was still hoping that we could get better than a redux of the Clintons this time around. Clintonesque triangulation tactics just aren't good enough anymore.

[rudy23]

65. I'm kind of with you.

Rahm has offended me so much, on so many occasions---I have the same low opinion of his ideology.

I'm kind of trying to talk myself into accepting it, b/c I'm too happy to be upset by this choice. So far what's helping me is to remind myself that Rahm is in more of an administrative position than anything. And hey---now Obama doesn't have to do battle with Rahm leading the DLC faction of Congress.

I'm also still trusting that Obama's brand of bipartisanship will be waaaaay closer to what most of us on DU want, than the way a DLC'er would do it as president.

[Cronopio]

66. "Obama doesn't have to do battle with Rahm leading the DLC faction of Congress."

Agreed. This is leverage Obama can use against the DLC and Rahm - play nice or I'll appoint another Chief of Staff.

I'm giving Obama the benefit of the doubt. I think Obama knows enough to not let Rahm be his main source of information, which is why I approve of his choice of Axelrod. Almost totally different styles between them.

[Why Syzygy]

51. Thank you.

The Counterpunch commentary in the article is very cynical. I'm not starting Day One with cynicism.
That's a bad habit I plan to give up! And an ex-cynic is not going to want to be around practicing ones, it seems.

[dysfunctional press]

43. maybe barack is a fan of 'the godfather'...?

"keep your friends close- but your enemies closer."

at least it gets rahm out of congress- where he had a voice and a vote.

[Why Syzygy]

44. This article is unnecessarily contentious and sarcastic.

We're in two wars. We have to have SOMEONE who knows something about war to get the mess cleaned up.

Thanks for posting, though.

[Dover]

52. Votes, I think there is still a great deal we don't know about Obama

because he has such a short political history. And that missing piece was a strategic plus for him
in this campaign.

I like his vibe very much, but confess I'm deeply concerned about who he's choosing to surround himself with and what/who he has endorsed in even this short time. I was, and still am, stunned at his agreement with the bailout and am feeling very concerned about all the talk I've heard from him and Biden about further building up Afghanistan, to name two things. We also don't know (and probably won't for awhile) how much our foreign involvement is still wrapped up in energy (oil/gas) issues. But it sure seems to be following that same old pattern.

Obama will, like all leaders, have to prove himself over time and communicate his agenda if he wants people to line up behind him. We cannot afford to allow ourselves to be sweet-talked out of our freedoms and rights to representation, any more than we can allow ourselves to be bullied out of them. Just a cautionary tale that other countries have lived through...of a country desperate to feel good about itself again being offered that sweetner with one hand, while having that renewed feel-good 'patriotism' exploited by putting a gun in the the other hand.

We need to give Obama some room to establish himself and his priorities, but let's not just surrender ourselves lightly.

[Why Syzygy]

56. During the campaign, he was criticized for saying he will Talk.

I believe he will use diplomacy first. If he lied about that, build a bomb shelter.

I hope he reads this >
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/23612315/how_we_lost_the_war_we_won/print

[Dover]

48. I am concerned about the militarism too...>

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x174979

[Freddie Stubbs]

61. President-elect Obama wants to increase the size of the military also:

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/defense/

Sounds like he picked someone he agrees with on the issues.

[Javaman]

67. whatever, preach your fear some place else like FR, you will do well over there.

me, I live with hope now.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

69. .