Rahm's Resignation Letter Includes Personal Note To Blago

USA Today reports that there's "an interesting line in the letter sent Monday by Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., to Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich" announcing his intention to resign from the House.

"As sons of immigrants to this country, you and I have a deep appreciation for the opportunities America provides to those who are willing to work hard and sacrifice for their children," Emanuel wrote.

The Chicago Tribune describes the letter as "surprisingly personal," considering Emanuel's boss has called for Blagojevich's resignation. The Chicago Sun-Times elaborates on Blagojevich and Emanuel's immigrant roots: "Blagojevich's father came to the United States from Serbia. Emanuel's father is an Israeli immigrant."

According to President-elect Obama's internal investigation of his staff's ties to Gov. Blagojevich, Emanuel spoke to the governor about the open Illinois Senate seat and relayed the names of some preferred candidates. However, there was no "suggestion that the Governor expected a personal benefit in return for making this appointment to the Senate."

Comments

[JoeDoorman]

Emanuel served in the IDF, and supported the Iraq War.
I hope Obama uses him instead of the other way around.

[leah32]

U.S. Atty. Fitzgerald is hardly "distancing himself" from Obama or his staff. He's said from day one that they are not implicated in the investigation, and reiterated that they were not targets nor subjects of the investigation in a private briefing. He asked them to hold their internal report for a week and only allowed it to be released after his staff had interviewed them. He's asked the state Senate not to ask them to testify in impeachment trial. If anything, it looks like he is protecting them from more smear-by-a­ssociation bogus reporting and "gotcha!' style journalism. But don't take my word for it: David Gergen, who has served Presidents from both parties and seen a few investigations in his day, said on CNN the other day that it looked like Fitzgerald was giving their internal report his seal of approval by dictating when it was released.

Rahm's fingerprints are on many of Obama's recent cabinet and staff selections. He's longtime friends with Obama's senior adviser David Axelrod, who was just on the Sunday talk shows supporting their internal report and Rahm in no uncertain terms. He's formally stepping down from his Congressional seat on Friday so he can take the Chief of Staff position. Sorry Rahm haters, but he's in this for the long haul.

[strangerinthenight]

This is not a good sign. Another Chicago Politics. 14 days to inauguration, and already, Fitzpatrick is distancing himself from Emanuel and O.

This note to Blago seems personal. Very personal. there is more to it than Emanuel is saying. I hope there are not dots connected leading to O.

[thepoliticalcat]

You know, it's OK for you to be disappointed that your guy didn't win, but telling lies is not so OK. Fitzgerald has repeatedly said that there is NO link to O or to Em an u el resulting from his investigation. He specifically announced that he asked O not to release information because his investigation is ongoing. Please. It's not difficult to be truthful, especially in teh age of teh Googles.

[strangerinthenight]

Fitz is coming. Fitz is coming to connect the dots. Do you really believe that Libby was was the only one who is guilty ? Regardless, Bush and Cheney were convicted by public opinion.

[rmetz74]

You sound like a New York Post gossip columnist.

Noting that both of their fathers are from other countries is about as personal as small talk between strangers. And what exactly is the "more to it" you're implying? Do you have any specific accusations? Like, based on actual information? Of course not. You're just hiding behind baseless vagueness and hoping something comes along to cling to.

Obviously you hope there are dots connecting Blaggy to Obama. And the reason you have nothing more than grade school rumoring at your disposal is that the actual facts are against you.

[strangerinthenight]

Be scared, very scared. Fitz is coming. Hope Obama is clear for all our sakes.

[Manx]

Intuitively, I don't trust Rahm Emanuel and I think Obama made a mistake in choosing him for such an important position. I hope I'm wrong but my intuition is usually right.

[thepoliticalcat]

You know, if your intuition is that accurate, you need to start playing the ponies regularly. Or, get a job as a weather forecaster. In the event, you don't have to trust OR like the E man u el. He's not in a popularity contest, and you don't get to vote for or against him. As long as he does his job and does it well, he's fine. If he messes up, he's gone. The O man doesn't suffer fools gladly. As to whether he made a right or wrong choice, he has a history of making very sound judgments. Let me just point out that he won a gruelling 2-year long campaign against much older and more experienced and supposedly wiser opponents with hardly a single misstep.

[Manx]

Before the war in Iraq, I sensed that Bush, Cheney and the other neo-cons were lying and I told others, who wouldn't believe me. My intuition served me better than the "informed" and "experienced" judgments of Republicans and Democrats in congress who voted for the war resolution. My intuition has an outstanding record, thank you very much.

To: thepoliticalcat - you say that Obama has a history of very sound judgments. Well, his decision to invite bigot, Rick Warren, to the inauguration isn't a very intelligent one.

[soapington]

I'm a little tired of people trusting to intuition. Do you think Obama's choice of Rahm was based on intuition over informed judgment? I doubt it.

[rmetz74]

I think that when it comes to politics, 'intuition' is almost always bias in disguise.

[jigisup]

Did your intuition prompt you to vote for Bush.

[pupbayer]

Emanuel is just creepy.

[soapington]

Formal courtesy is creepy? In what way, exactly?

[strangerinthenight]

Really, if you even ask that question afterEmanuel's denial about contacts, "the list", the e-mail.

Denial, aren't you ?

[pupbayer]

Creepy is one of those things that is hard to be specific about. I know it when I see it. I see this guy and I see creepy.

[KillgoreTrout43]

What's with this headline? Emmanuel is resigning??? That's what the headline leads one to believe.

[strangerinthenight]

It's where Emanuel is gonna end up doing.

[soapington]

Another curious turn of phrase from the stranger.

[thepoliticalcat]

Let me guess. English, she is teh third language?

[JoeDoorman]

Rahm being nice?
Something is very wrong.
Blagojevich know something about Rahm.
Rahm will eventually be torn in Obama's side.
Barack, dump the over achiever before he brings you to your knees.

[KillgoreTrout43]

"torn in Obama's side?"

[thepoliticalcat]

Hmm, teh trolls are out in force tonight.

[rmetz74]

Man, you guys are just desperate to bring Obama down, aren't you?

Go back to reality television. It' all about schadenfreude. You're not gonna get your fix from Obama anytime soon.

(Let us know if you need someone to tell you what that means.)

[hamchunk]

I know what schadenfreude means!! Its that new flavor of ice cream at the Cold Slab Creamery that has the pretty blueberries in it!! Weeeee!!

[hamchunk]

Man, you guys give these political hacks (both Democrat and Republican) alot more credit than they are worth. His staff, not him, wrote a letter of resignation. They are only people, no more smarter than you or I, just better connected.

[Forest]

I think Rahm Emanuel will be a great asset to Obama and to the US. Given Blago's reputation, Emanuel's letter appears to be a subtle reminder of what it means to be an American who "works" hard.

[strangerinthenight]

Spin, first class.

[soapington]

I suppose it's not worth asking you to explain that remark.

[thepoliticalcat]

Cryptic child. Won't you please expand your essay?

[GeorgeP922]

Rahm, please save your State's reputation and make Blago, Burris, and Rush need to resign.

[pupbayer]

LOL!!! LIke that's all it would take. Get a grip.

[thepoliticalcat]

Hey, it's the aspirin pupper again! How's the headache now that the O man's won, pups?

[dibick99]

these 2 guys are good friends. it takes something really, really awful to break up a friendship of such long standing.

[karela]

Trying to make something out of nothing. I wish when there wasn't any news that news men would take a nap or have a beer instead of trying to make news out of nothing to the detriment of people who have done nothing wrong.

[Strobe74]

Nothing wrong? Conspiracy is conspiracy even if you got caught before you could do the illegal deed. It's still illegal. The crime doesn't need to be committed for it to be illegal.. and i think they can prove easily that his intent was to do something that was clearly illegal.

They need to flush this guy down the toilet where he belongs.

[judiNJ]

There just isn't room with all the crooked GOP down there.

[separatingwheatfromchaff]

Are you listening to right wing radio?You guys are really good at making stuff up even if it's a lie.Then after you make it up you spread it like manure for your cohorts to graze on.Where is your outrage at the Republicans who sent our country into the sewer?

[thepoliticalcat]

'Scuse me, but what conspiracy? Who gets teh flush? You dudes are more cryptic than teh secret svc at their best.

[rmetz74]

I love it. This is the state of Republican thinking..­. If someone says he didn't do anything wrong, and all the facts say he didn't do anything wrong, and independent investigations find he didn't do anything wrong... It's a conspiracy.

And they wonder why they're not doing so hot.

[Strobe74]

sorry for the misread.. i thought karela waswas saying blago did nothing wrong. The guys a crook and blago needs the flush.

[SouthernBlueBelle]

Has humanity been outlawed? These specious articles and insinuations are just ridiculous. Kick him while he's down is the new morality. Sad but true.

[annis]

Yes. Legal proceedings can take their course but the public doesn't need to flog an obvious situation
and personally rip anyone to shreds.

[diggg]

I clicked on this link thinking that there was news contained here. My mistake.

[Housewife]

Seems to be the case more and more with each new post.

[elimenez]

Yeah everyone is trying to usurp everyone else much to the detriment of actual reporting.

[loucreattie]

Thanks for the laugh.

That was good.

Lol.

[bby328]

However, there was STILL no "suggestion that the Governor expected a personal benefit (like a $9 million beach house) in return for making this appointment to the Senate."

I never heard it put exactly. . . that way before. . .

[Nancy84]

The Chicago Tribune must be having a slow news day. This is how adults converse. He was just pointing out something they have in common. (there could also have been a bit of a jab in it..... as in "you are known by the works you do")