Rahm Emanuel Challenges CEOs To Back Reform (VIDEO)

Rahm Emanuel made a rare public appearance at a Wall Street Journal CEO conference last night, where he challenged business leaders to join the new administration in working for real health care reform:

President-elect Barack Obama's incoming White House chief of staff challenged chief executives and other business leaders Tuesday night to join the new administration in a push for universal health care, saying incremental increases in coverage won't be acceptable.

"When it gets rough out there, a lot of business leaders get out of the car and say, 'We're OK with minor reform.' I'm challenging you today, we're going to have to do big, serious things," Rahm Emanuel said, speaking to The Wall Street Journal's CEO Council, a conference convened to elicit corporate opinion on the challenges facing the new president.

Since the president-elect named Mr. Emanuel his chief of staff, the famously voluble Chicago congressman has limited his public appearances and strained to stay out of the news. But on Tuesday night, he was combative with a business audience.

...

He stressed that the new administration would "throw long and deep," taking advantage of the economic crisis to push wholesale changes in health care, taxes, financial re-regulation and energy. "The American people in two successive elections have voted for change, and change cannot be allowed to die on the doorsteps of Washington," Mr. Emanuel said.

Watch:

Comments

[curiousasheck]

"Would you shut your (expletive) mouth. God's not going to help you; you need to do something for yourself, you sniveling ..."

Bu bu. . but Rahm! What about our Super Yachts! Our tax cuts! Bonuses! Parachutes?!!!

[myangeldog1]

....and the American people say loud and clear via Rahm Emanuel...­..stick 'em where the sun don't shine!

[myangeldog1]

I reeeaaallly like this guy ! Go get 'em Rahm !!

[research]

This is what I talking about!

This is the power of a Team of Rivals!

[curiousasheck]

I hope he got mean. "You guys eat the purest, cleanest, finest, healthiest, foods on the planet. The rest of our countrymen eat byproducts. You should be ashamed of yourselves!"

[fedupinfla]

So what you want about the guy, but with the way this country has been headed, it's gonna take a guy playing hardball to help push the reforms needed. This is not the time for a pollyanna.

Obama made a wise move picking this guy....

[Americano]

The way this government is run, truly these elected guys and gals, cannot run a major corporation. They would all be fired! Can they make a differance? I do not think they have the due-deligence mindset. They do have the talk! Not the walk!

[Grunty1]

What corporations are being run by people capable of running a major corporation? Most of them are being run by CEOs who have already run at least one other company into the ground and collected a golden parachute for their failure.

[Awakenedcitizen]

why not take all the wall street ceo's who just ran their own companies into the ground and have them head up the government--is that the talent you want?

[kylie]

Did he?

[ElBruce]

Yes, he did.

[ohjoy]

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah
Zip-a-dee-eh
My oh my what a wonderful day
Plenty of sunshine in my way
Zip-a-dee-doo-dah
Zip-a-dee-eh

[mcantwell]

It's so ironic that the Bush Administration has nearly run our Country into the ground, but yet the Repubs are so quick to forget that and keep mentioning the Clinton Administration. That's what I call Selective Memory.

As far as I'm concerned, Bush and Cheney OUT of the Whitehouse is CHANGE.

[HappyIdiot51]

January 20, 2009 cannot come soon enough for me!

[kylie]

And they are working hard to drive the unions out, that was the Bush administration's big goal.
Corporatio­ns(insuran­ce companies, pharmaceutical companies, oil companies)seem to be allowed to reign supreme. So much for wage and benefit protection for working people across this great country!

[HappyIdiot51]

That is exactly what they are doing. The UAW will not go down without a fight I know that for sure.

[canucklivinginUSA]

Amen brother! Preach on

[curiousasheck]

Boy them tax cuts for the rich really created a historic employment boom this past 8 years didn't it?

[HappyIdiot51]

Let's see, how many jobs have been lost in the last eight years? I would say them tax cuts didn't help anybody but them people who got them. The rich just keep on getting richer.

[Grunty1]

I think that was sarcasm, mate.

[Yarrr]

It's funny how the repubs still keep trotting out the trickle down economics. Hey, just because it hasn't worked for 20+ years doesn't mean it can't work. Let's keep plugging along!

[nuclearmonkeys]

Trickle down economics works exactly as advertised. Only problem is that what trickles down isn't money.

[NoBlinky]

Wow. An Agenda. A comprehensive plan. Stated in succinct terms. With no ideological blustering.

Am I dreaming?

[cgoodie]

And in comprehensible sentences!

[Samalabear]

I hope the CEOs of BigPharma there. They are the biggest obstacles to health care reform that must be universal care based on wellness and prevention to bring costs down. BigPharma and a lot of hospitals really don't want this. BigPharmas products won't be "needed" near as much as they are now -- especially their beloved anti-depressants, which are prescribed for everything from A to Z, with many devastating results that end up resulting in more meds. Healthy, fit Americans mean that hospital cardiac, bariatric, and sleep units won't be as necessary.

Even though Ron Paul hasn't talked about universal care, this is his prescription for lowering the costs of health care. It's the common-sense approach.

[rollingdivision]

Name a few of the unquestionably documented instances where a government run program has lowered costs.

[Paralogos]

The French, Canadian, and British health care systems. Each is quite different, but each delivers a greater life expectancy at a lower cost than the US system, by using government leverage.

[Yarrr]

lol, did you have to choose the evilest possible picture of Rahm?

[myangeldog1]

Oh........­....I LIKE it........­.Rahm has got it going on !!

[nuclearmonkeys]

Upon this a question arises: whether it be better to be loved than feared or feared than loved? It may be answered that one should wish to be both, but, because it is difficult to unite them in one person, is much safer to be FEARED than loved, when, of the two, either must be dispensed with.

>:)

[spinns17]

we have the real pit bull .without lipstick.or even maybe a dobe,lol

[Agnim]

That's right, baby, the present circumstances are perfect for the kind of intelligent and visionary American leadership to go long, go deep, go big, and go bold into the 21st Century.

The incompetent and wild bush destruction of America's status quo provides President Obama with the opportunity to do big things with America; because little tiny steps will not do, will not serve the next generation or the present one!

[spinns17]

if obama dosent screw up like clinton,he will go down in history as the best president in america.an­d with guys like this one .i have no doubt at all.

[blueskybigstar]

Some people say not so nice things about him, but I think he is right for the job.

[HappyIdiot51]

That's what I like about him. He's nobody's patsy.

[DoPaisa]

Except Israel's.

[themainpoint]

It all sounds good. Talk is cheap though---surely most Americans have figured that out by now. II will wait to see effective action that benefits the American people before I make any assumptions.

[redsongia]

CEOs should finally be getting scared that if they keep up the policy of providing the bare minimum service to clients in order to "keep costs down" and continue with the boondoggles, the corporate excess on the managment level (the catering, the luxury hotels for every unnecessary overnight stay, the "consultant fees" for tasks the company should be doing themselves), there's going to be no one left to steal from very soon.

[HappyIdiot51]

The income disparity in this country is disgusting. These CEOs should pay dearly for trying to destroy the American economy with their rape and pillaging of this country's wealth by diverting it to themselves.

[lizr]

about blo od y time. Go Rahm and O!

[ErnestineBass]

Yep...for instance, the Detroit CEOs begging money from Congress yesterday flew into Washington on private jets.