Rahm Emanuel Versus Progressives?

[Mari333]

Dec 18 2009


Who's afraid of Rahm Emanuel? Remember when the White House chief of staff could do no wrong? Oh, for Pete's sake, Bradley Whitford's Josh Liman on "The West Wing" was based on the former chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Emmanuel's infamously gruff manner was the stuff of fawning profiles and, well, pontifi-cations of beefcake.

The pendulum swings, and the bloom, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, is now off that rose. It was not a good week for Rahm with progressives. The chief of staff, whose toughness is part of what makes him so effective, folded like a deck chair over health care. After the president's disappointing plan to increase the American presence in Afghanistan, this was too much for many progressives.

Howard Dean is quickly becoming the de facto voice of progressives who are disappointed with this administration. This week the former Vermont governor came out against the against the Lieberman-ized health care reform bill. Health care is, for many on the left, the last straw. The philosophical tensions between Rahm and Dean go back several years. "I have a feeling that Rahm Emanuel and Howard Dean have similar personalities," NBC's Chuck Todd explained on C-Span earlier this year, "let's call them alpha males and leave it at that."

















http://airamerica.com/politics/12-18-2009/rahmbo-first-blood/

[Skidmore]

1. I cringed when I heard that Emanuel would be going to the WH.

I really did, but elected to give him a chance. He blew it.

[valerief]

2. "Alpha males", eh, and Chuck Todd is a "dipshit male". nt

[Raster]

3. I'll take Dr. Dean over Emmanuel any day. Rahm does not stand for me.

And I am sick-to-fucking-death of Chicago-style politics. Fuck 'em!

[unabelladonna]

4. rahm doesn't do anything the prez

doesn't want him to do.