Emanuel's Ex-Boss: Rahm Is The Perfect SOB For The Job

Rahm Emanuel's boss in the Clinton White House praised his selection as Barack Obama's chief of staff, saying the congressman was enough of a son-of-a-bitch to get things done, keep the White House disciplined, and make tough decisions.

"He was just very well organized," said Leon Panetta, Bill Clinton's former chief of staff and Emanuel's ex-boss. "He knows the White House inside and out and now, obviously knows Capitol Hill. So he has all the qualities you basically need to be a great chief of staff. Part of the job description is you have to be an SOB to be a chief of staff, you have to have somebody who makes the tough decisions... There are decisions the president ought not to make that the chief of staff has to. My sense is Rahm will do that."

Panetta, speaking at a forum at the Brookings Institute, dismissed the notion that Emanuel was too partisan a figure to forge political consensus on policy proposals. But his defense could have the counterproductive effect of stirring the concerns of progressive Democrats who have accused Emanuel of lacking ideal ideological firmness.

"Of course he is going to be partisan on Capitol Hill," said Panetta. "Rahm Emanuel is basically a centrist. He is someone who really does understand where the party needs to be in dealing with the center. And to that extent I think he will be a very good chief of staff for the senator."

Fellow speaker Ken Duberstein, who served as chief of staff for Ronald Reagan, echoed many of Panetta's points. Arguing, again, that Emanuel had passed the SOB threshold, he added that the Congressman was "exceptionally well qualified for the job."

"He will run a White House staff that is very disciplined," said Duberstein, "but his challenge will be with the president's outreach and building coalitions on the Hill, saying no to the president elect's most important constituencies and keeping the White House on a schedule."

Then, stepping a bit on GOP messaging against Emanuel, Duberstein offered the following testimonial: "As partisan as Rahm may have been on the Hill, he is all about governing. And remember, any time Rahm opens up his mouth, know the voice they will be hearing is the voice of the president elect, not Rahm."

Comments

[Abo]

Emanuel has a history of making the wrong decisions and he is blinded by his neoCon hawkishness.
It is NOT the Republicans that this bodes ill for--no, it is the Democratic base that Rahm Emanuel will be locking out.
A very poor start.

[Hatsone]

Rahm reflects a section of our incredibly diverse American population, as does VP Joe Biden. Rahm gets things done and is a GOP ball-crusher and this is a good thing.

[tbone99]

Rahm will advance the DLC's agenda well, as well as Isreal's.

[americles]

tbone, I didn't vote for Obama, but he think he's got the stuff to be one of the best presidents we ever had. His choice of Rahm confirms it. As long as Obama keeps his distance from race-baiters like Jackson and Sharpton, and sticks it to the anti-Semites by rolling with guys like Rahm, he'll do great. He'll get a tremendous number of Republican votes (including mine) in 2012 and add to the coalition that's he's already created.

[americles]

sorry for the typo above: it should read "I think he's got the stuff."

[gakabani]

There will not be any peace in the ME. THAT IS FOR SURE!

[gakabani]

NO POSTING FOR THIS MAN. SO MUCH FOR FREE PRESS.

[DebbieinPhx]

Rahm-bo will be President Obama's ramrod... the guy who makes it happen. And after the sheer unmitigated H3LL the GOP thugs have put us all through for the last *8***LONG years, I am thrilled that Obama has him on the team. He's the enforcer, the go-to-guy...check!!!

[CAVet4Peace]

I would love for the Dems to treat the Rs exactly the same as the Rs treated them as described in this Rolling Stone article entitled the "Worst Congress Ever":

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/12055360/cover_story_time_to_go_inside_the_worst_congress_ever

To move the agenda it should be no holds barred and screw the "high road" crap, I mean signing statements and all!!

Of course the litle ds probably don't have the balls to do that, especially Reid, who will certainly give Joe Sleazerman a pass. But it would be nice.

[gakabani]

What about peace in the ME, will he advocate the peace process? I guess not.

[rzan1]

Why not?

[brodon]

There seems to be one little detail left out of his bio. . .. .

This rascal was on the board of FREDDIE MAC. You remember, that certain lending institution that helped bring on our economic collapse.

This is almost too good to be true.

And the best is yet to come.

[seachild]

i concur with classic_1: if the GOP is upset, then it's a GOOD thing!

Rahhhhhhhhhhhm!

[strifeknot]

Change We Can Make Believe In.

Here's a good piece on Emanuel by Alex Cockburn:
http://counterpunch.com/cockburn11072008.html

[Phreejazz]

almost forgot... it even has a repug saying that the fundamentals of the economy are strong.. rofl

[Phreejazz]

Ummm.... this is almost an EXACT preview of Obama and the 2008 election, down to specific language and talking points. And the last quote by Emanuel is great. Rahm Emanuel gutting a republican on national television in 2006.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHhZa-3hExo

Seriously, anyone else intrigued by how close the language used is to that of this campaign, especially given the last comment by Emanuel?

Either way, I'm impressed by the guy.

[StLouisWoman]

He is the pfunk!!

[Takae]

I thought I have seen it all by this guy over years, but I missed this one. It's awesome. Probably one of his best performances. Thank you for the link.

[obidennvr]

If Obama has "steel in his spine", why does he have to import it?

[CAVet4Peace]

Obama needs to be the good cop, WITH a whole lot of bad cops.

[JerryG1]

The Neocons captured the Republican Party, the use of the U.S. military, and ruined America"s standing abroad and The Republican Party brand.

In large measure, Americans voted to rid itself of the ruinous effect of the Neocons.

The Neocon ideology started in the Democratic Party, and now returns to having serious hooks in it and the Executive Branch, thanks to Obama"s appointment of Rahm Emanuel.

The story is Change? Good judgment, day one? Not so, I"m deeply disappointed to say.

The story is: The Neocons, and Barack Obama and the one-day honeymoon.

[harrymellon]

It is Rahm's father, Dr. Benjamin Emmanual that recently said his son will have influence and not be cleaning the floors of The White House like an Arab!!!!!!!!! This is dangerous racism and Israels influence on Rahm is a bit much. Because he served in Israel's miltary like Chertoff and others he wrote in his book that we need all Americans to go through three months of basic training and then compulsory civil defense duties. Sounds like a draft and even worse a way to force so called patriotism on us by making us feel that we have to be part of the machine to keep us all protected or else...Sounds like the friendly fascism methods akin to the Hitler Youth Program in Nazi Germany. I love Obama but Im questioning him already as we all should.

[Mugzi]

It's possible his father is not as open minded...I would not hold that against him. I trust Obama and his judgement. It's going to be hard, these are hard times...I choose not to invent problems, we have enough!

[tbone99]

rahm went to Isreal to volunteer with the Army there, rather than the American military during the first Iraq war. Still think it's only his father's idea? the guy 's first allegience is obviously Isreal first.

[MissElaineous]

Haven't you heard of Godwin's Law?

[naschkatze]

Isn't it Rahm Emanuel who still reads of the names of those who die in Iraq and Afghanistan in memoriam before the full House? Only an s.o.b. depending on which side you are.

[DebbieinPhx]

Precisely. If you're a charter member of the GOP-rethuglican HATERS-Extraordinaire club, he's the S.O.B. who will be cleaning your clock for the next eight!!

[classc 1]

Umnn...what did the GOP think an Obama administration would look like? Did they think it would be all flowers, puppies and Kumbya sing-alongs? LOL You know that he made the right choice just by how upset the GOP is...LOVE IT!!!

[buckdoctor]

One this for sure: This is looking like the handsomest administration in a LONG time!

[BabsfromKansas]

You got that right :)

[CindyInNC]

*high five* :-D

[rockyb26]

agreed

[filo]

I don't care about it being handsome. I think it is going to be the SMARTEST administration in a long time.

[shockwave11]

I'd like to add smart to the handsomest. Indeed.