Brookings Institution Fellow Responds To Rahm Emanuel Shot

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel recently took a shot at The Brookings Institution, suggesting it didn't live in the political real world. He probably didn't expect the esteemed think tank to respond.

"Let's be honest," Emanuel said in an interview with the New York Times on health care reform costs. "The goal isn't to see whether I can pass this through the executive board of the Brookings Institution. I'm passing it through the United States Congress with people who represent constituents."

William Galston, the institution's senior fellow, sent a pretty harsh response:

It may surprise you to learn that many of us here at Brookings like politics as much as you do, and some of us even know something about it. But we don't understand it exactly the way you do.

Yes, politics is the art of the possible. But leadership is the art of expanding the possible. Leadership without politics is futile. But politics without leadership is blind.

Galston ends the letter, posted on The New Republic, by identifying himself as being associated with "The infamous den of useless utopian thinking known as the Brookings Institution."

Read the whole thing.

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Comments

[wizzardly]

Rahm sounds like he's running the show not Obama. Another example of inexperience in this WH. I don't know if I can stand another 3 years of these clowns.

[reedmaker]

William Galston for president.

[Billar]

Hey Rahm, keep it up and you all will be one termers.

[Marnie1]

"Yes, politics is the art of the possible. But leadership is the art of expanding the possible. Leadership without politics is futile. But politics without leadership is blind."

Well said.

But an elected administration that does not seek the best goals for its citizens but limits itself to, the lying, cheating, buying and selling, back stabbing Game of politics does not represent anything but the win at any cost ego prize that is the reward of Politics.

Put another way gaming Americans is not what representatives are elected for, it is what they stoop to because it is an easier path to travel than truly representing the best interests of the people who voted for their promises. Which is why Politicians are so dispised.

Oh, and Rahm, cutting the President's programs off at the knees, turning your back on his promises, may make you feel like a big man, but it just proves you a political hack with no abiity to lead.

[masher]

Rahm is doing his best to provide cover for Obama's plan to recapitalize Wall Street. Obama isn't doing anything for working American families. He only cares about Wall Street. Heck, Obama is still issuing work visas which Microsoft and others use to replace programmers in their 50s with workers from India and China. Obama lets them import the labor into the US (H-1B).

So yeah. Rahm needs to spin this disaster as "being practical".

[jonmonbuckeye]

Sounds like someone is a tad miffed, so time to blame others for your troubles eh?

[TrueSense]

Rahm Emmanuel is from the banking world and has hated progressives.
By Constituents, he means finance and industry that have money, not the people.

Apparently Obama has the same sentiment. Whether it is from Rahm or Obama always thought that way and played the people is hard to tell. Based on what I have seen and saw, it is a little bit of both.

Mr. Diamond and Wall St. apparently are co-presidents with the admininstration and have made Obama back off of many of his promises to make sure they are adequately served and not too threatened by any real and needed changes.

[Ramirez]

The Left is forming up its traditional circular firing squad.

[thnk4selfagain]

That's the way democracy works. Even the idiots GOP knows you do not continually slap your base in the face. So is it a firing squad or political suicide?

[RoveRoveRoveYourBoat]

.....rahm stands well outside the "left" making him legitimate and nessesary target.

[thnk4selfagain]

Under Emanuel's tutelage and perhaps a reflection of well hidden hypocrisy of Obama's campaign, a disdain of progressives -- even mainstream think tanks like Brookings. Waging war on liberals and progressives did not help Kerry win the election in 2004 (I'm electable, really I am!). The WH is positioning itself to the right and it will not pay off, but when you have an also ran like Emanuel running things whaddya expect? His Blue Dogs have really paid off....for the GOP and lobbyists.

[masher]

Right. But the rhetoric is different. Bush and Obama have the exact same policy towards working Americans which is to basically dismantle the middle class. But the way they talk about it is different.

And on social issues they talk differently about it. But its just talk. Pretty talk.

People need to remember that Bush passed Medicare Part D. That was a huge expansion of medical coverage but it was also a fiscal boondoggle­....just like Obama's "reform".

[pakaal]

"The infamous den of useless utopian thinking known as the Brookings Institutio­n."

No, the infamous den of useless DYSTOPIAN thinking known as the Brookings Institution. Another right-wing think tank trying to convince people they're nonpartisan. Yeah, right.

[efmo]

Actually, the Brookings Institute is one of the (only) liberal leaning think tanks that I'm aware of. They're definitely not right-wing. Check out their website.

[FearlessFreep]

They once offered a "liberal" argument for the death penalty.

[Booblius]

All these think tanks are the same just a retirement pasture for blowhards. I mean who reads their vanity press reports anyway.

[emlr]

I've been on a calling and emailing mission to oust Emanuel. He is detrimental to the progressive movement.
What does he mean when he says "The goal isn't to see whether I can pass this through the executive board of the Brookings Institution. I'm passing it through the United States Congress with people who represent constituen­ts." Is this HIS bill??!!! HE'S the one passing it??!! I know he has subverted a lot of things in the bills that progressives want.
Time for Rahm to go.

[masher]

Uh, Obama picked him. And Obama picked Summers and Geithner. And if you look at the rest of his cabinet its not much better. The labor sec. favors work visa programs and amnesty for illegals.
Uh yeah.

We can survive 4 more years of Bush.

[Chris]

Why does Rahm use "I" ? Is he in charge now? I do not remember his name on a ballot.

[dadw5boys]

Because in this instance he was ask a question about what he can do about what the President ask him to do.

[constitutional 1]

yes he is

[meko]

Rahm's "where else are they going to go?" philosophy toward progressives, gays, women's rights and those who want robust health care reform is the reason people stayed home from the Virginia election and will be the reason people stay home from the congressional elections.

I know I won't be campaigning for anyone but Democratic challengers and Greens in the next election. I was betrayed by Democratic promises. And Rahm, and his boss the President were leaders in that betrayal.

[9liberal]

you're talking like its been 3.75 years Obama has been in office. It has been 1 year, lets at least give him his term to find out what the full 4 years will look like. Of course we have to speak out and make them all hear that we do want real change, but giving up is not an option.

[meko]

Who's given up? I'm just campaigning against those who have not kept their promises. That's congress and 1/3 of the senate next year, and the president in 3 more. If he stays on the path he's on now, he will not be missed by me.

[masher]

I think we are getting smarter. We don't have the 3.75 year learning curve we used to.
After Clinton and Bush its pretty clear when someone is a corporatist. And Obama is a corporatist. Obama is a pure trickle down kinda guy.

[Pegi]

touche for Brookings. this rahm guy is leading the President down the golden path of one term!

[Manhattanite]

I'm afraid you are right. For the WH to position itself right-of-center is tantamount to drive Democrats into registering as Independents and voting for third-party candidates (assuming there will be viable candidates). Obama is being poorly advised by Emmanuel. The 2010 elections are not that far away.

[Pegi]

correct - or worse, they stay home. i would never vote conservative candidate or republican candidate, but I can stay home! and so can a lot of Americans on election day.

[masher]

But left and right are sort of meaningless these days (except on social issues). When it comes to economics Obama is a Bush clone. Bush was not a conservative at all, he was pure Wall Street. And so is Obama.

[whitewater]

Be very careful when dealing with Raum Machiavelli. He holds no friends and uses his enemies with gusto.

[FearlessFreep]

In other words, he's a jerk.