It has always been thus. Now comes round two.
In the first round, Rahm Emanuel and Howard Dean butted heads on what strategy was best in regaining House seats in 2006 (also to some degree in 2008). Emanuel was chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and Howard Dean was chair of the Democratic National Committee. Dean's path was the famous 50 state strategy. Emanuel thought that was foolish and that the Democratic Party would be much better served spending more money in traditional political ads in more "realistic" districts.
As it turned out, Emanuel was wrong and Dean was right. The Democrats won everywhere, including districts previously thought unimaginable. Dean's efforts to reach out to all the states paid off huge dividends as the Democrats became competitive in districts no one had thought possible.
Now, we're in the second round. This time it's the health care debate. Rahm Emanuel has been pushing for a weaker version of reform from the beginning. In his defense, he believes he is focusing on what is doable (nearly the same thing he said during the previous House elections). Emanuel has argued for a trigger from the beginning of the debate and seems to think that a public option is not realistic in this political environment.
Howard Dean has instead argued for a stronger version of health care reform. He believes the country is persuadable (the same position he had in the House elections) and is largely on the side of bolder reform already. He believes the Democratic politicians need to have the courage of their convictions and they can make a real difference.
Once again, Howard Dean is right and Rahm Emanuel is wrong. The voters didn't vote for a little bit of change. They gave the Democrats the White House and overwhelming majorities in the House and Senate. They voted for real change. The kind of change that Dean always pushes for (and often accomplishes) and the kind of change that Emanuel doesn't ever find "realistic."
Emanuel needs to change his definition of realistic. We didn't elect Obama to fiddle around the edges. We elected him to change the current reality of Washington. We didn't elect him to figure out the best way to appease the lobbyists; we elected him to figure out the best way to beat them. What Rahm Emanuel doesn't seem to get is that real change is realistic. You have all this political power. It's time to use it. If not now, when?
There were rumors when President Obama was picking his cabinet and administration that Emanuel kept Dean out of the West Wing because of their running feud. If there was truth to that, then it seems Obama picked the wrong guy - not just for pushing forward bold reform but also for actually getting it done.
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RealClearPolitics - Articles - Why Are Dean and Emanuel Fighting?
Howard Dean, Rahm Emanuel Bury The Hatchet
The feud between Howard Dean and Rahm Emanuel appears to be over ...
"Why Rahm?" His journal article goes on to answer that question: "Emanuel was no stranger to [President Obama] as they emerged together from the world of Chicago politics. They had ... a good working and personal relationship. Emanuel's experience in Washington was deep, having served for seven years in the Clinton White House as a senior advisor and point person on a number of important policy initiatives including welfore reform and trade."
According to Cohen, Mark Leibovich at the New York Times, and close sources, Obama had chosen Emanuel long before he was elected: "He was drawn to Mr. Emanuel's experience in both the White House and Congress and called him 'the whole package' of political acumen, policy chops and pragmatism."
I think it's an interesting evaluation. The last page has a list of all Chief's of Staff from Bob Haldeman, through Baker, Baker again, Baker Jr, Panetta, Panetta again, then recently Andy Card and Josh Bolten.
The article compares Emanuel's experience and current progress with those other Chief's of Staff, and notes that those chiefs "who oversaw a smooth transition, initiated a new administration and were successful in the first six moths also tended to carry that success throughout the first term."
Rahm's brother Ari Emanuel is a Hollywood talent agent, and the basis for the character Ari Gold from Entourage.
“Rahm Emanuel is working with Barack Obama to create the most unbalanced and partisan government in a generation. Emanuel is among the most vitriolic and partisan people in American politics. Reports that Obama wants him to be White House chief of staff undercut any claims to unity and bipartisanship, and should alarm every voter.” –
Alex Conant, RNC Spokesman.
Another commenter mentioned their disappointment at Obamas staff & cabinet appointments, & I agree. From Geithner & Summers catering to the banking/Wall St theft sector, to Emanuel being a nay-sayer on health care reform(among numerous weak actions) to Interior Sec Salazar removing protections for Wolves & Polar Bears so the depraved can murder them, Obama's appointments have in many ways been a major disappointment. We gave him a mandate for real change & he has not shown the same forceful action many expected. That being said, Barack is a very smart cookie & may be playing Rope-A-Dope ala the great Muhammad Ali who let his opponents wear themselves down then knocked them out. This may be the reality, & it is we critics who are impatient & not as canny as Barack. We will soon see where he really stands.
Dr. Dean's "50 State Strategy" was brilliant and not only put Obama in the White
House, it played a major role in red states turning blue. And how has Dr. Dean
been rewarded, he has been treated very badly. And it is his voice that Obama
should have listened to on healthcare reform. And Obama should be listening
now to Dr. Howard Dean, not Emanuel. Let us not forget it was Howard Dean
who said, I represent the Democratic side of the Democratic Party.
He knows more about healthcare reform than anyone in Obama's cabinet or
inner circle. He should be in Obama's cabinet.
The media and conservative Democrats worked to "stop" Dean's presidential bid, even though he was the most popular candidate before the primary, winning clear and powerful endorsements of the major Democratic backers. Before the primaries in 2003, news stories abounded with titles openly stating "Can he be stopped?" as the Democratic Party leadership like Terry McAullife fought to keep Dean from winning the Presidential candidacy. In the end Dean's Democratic rivals, Kerry and Edwards, teamed up in the caucuses to stop Dean from getting the nomination. It had nothing at all to do with "The Scream", it was pure intra-party infighting.
The war for the soul of the party continues, with Health Care becoming the deciding (IMHO) battlefield. Corporate Democrats can no longer hide behind empty promises and gestures, they are being forced to go on the record and show their true colors, going against broad popular support for health care reform and overwhelming support for the issue within their own democratic constituency.
Well thought through, well written, and, well, well done.
I bow my head in respect to you and thank you for the education you have given me.
My opinion of Dean at the time was that he seemed a bit mercenary, albeit paid to fight for a good cause and the right issues, but mercenary nonetheless. He seems to have been humbled by the 04 race and the job of heading the Democratic National Committee, and seems to generally be on the right side of the issues for the most part now.
And I see Emanuel's hand in the the Obama Administration's pressuring certain candidates not to run in 2010, e.g., Rep. Carolyn Maloney, against Kirsten Gillibrand; and Gov. David Paterson for another term. Regardless of the merits of these candidates, I think this is odious and strikes me as an abuse of power. Rep. Maloney has in fact now withdrawn her candidacy. (This was before her husband recently died while mountain climbing.)
I think that, by and large, it is the centrist, business-friendly values of the Democratic Leadership Council that prevail in this administration.
Rahm called me f-ing stupid?
Oh no! How will I ever sleep at night?
Yesssss! Cenk, you are right on.
We did vote for change we can believe in.... we don't want the lobbyists running this country any more. The time for appeasing them is over. We want our country back. And it seems that Emmanuel and Geitner keep giving it back to the people who had it before we elected President Obama. How can we get them to listen to us???
And in answer to your question: "How can we get them to listen to us?", we do that by making sure we are heard.
Call the White House. Or write to Obama. Or email him. Tell the administration what you think and how you feel (yes, I strongly believe that Obama cares about both). And then do it again. And again. And again. (Letting appropriate time elapse between contacts, constant harping deadens the voice.)
Do the same with your congressional reps.
Use the system the founding generation fought and died to give us. Never stop speaking out.
Howard Dean is progressive in constitution as well as politically. America needs people to speak truth to citizens, whether it be Dean or Volcker. Our leaders are not doing it. Indeed, debate seems to be avoided while distract and dissemble are embraced.