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Cenk Uygur

Cenk Uygur

Posted: February 21, 2010 01:06 PM

Rahm's Parting Shot at Obama Insiders

What's Your Reaction:

It looks Rahm Emanuel is done. Dana Milbank transcribed an article written by Rahm Emanuel today in The Washington Post. Never has an article been more clearly written to support a political benefactor.

As I was reading the article lavishing praise on Rahm Emanuel and throwing dirt on everyone else inside the White House, I kept thinking two things. First, how many leaks has Rahm given Milbank over the years? How much do they love each other? Milbank gets a cherished inside source so he can seem like he's got the scoop on what's happening in DC and Rahm gets a hatchet man that'll write whatever he tells him to, I mean whatever he leaks to him as "important inside information."

My second thought was, "Wow, what a hatchet job on Jarrett, Gibbs and Axelrod!" Since Rahm is obviously feeding this to Milbank, that is very revealing. You don't throw these kinds of bombs unless you've already lost. This is an act of desperation. It's bound to make mortal enemies of these people inside Obama's inner circle. You can't really work with these people anymore. That means you're already finished there.

This is basically Rahm saying on his way out, I was right all along and these guys were wrong. Maybe it's a last minute attempt at a Hail Mary to swing the decision in his favor if he can start a conversation in DC about how he had offered better advice than the other three to Obama (by the way, everything he claims to have been right about inside the article was disastrous advice that led Obama further and further away from his voters). But either way, that means he thinks he is very close to being on his way out the door.

For my part, I don't think it will work at all. It seems desperate, vindictive, political and obvious. If Obama was still considering which direction he was going to go, I think this will certainly cinch it. He hates these kinds of leaks and this kind of internal dissension. Rahm is done. Thank God.

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It looks Rahm Emanuel is done. Dana Milbank transcribed an article written by Rahm Emanuel today in The Washington Post. Never has an article been more clearly written to support a political benefacto...
It looks Rahm Emanuel is done. Dana Milbank transcribed an article written by Rahm Emanuel today in The Washington Post. Never has an article been more clearly written to support a political benefacto...
 
 
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08:36 AM on 03/02/2010
Amen.
02:19 PM on 02/25/2010
The lawyers are eating themselves!
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BuckCarson
Life outside the ObamaSphere
12:29 PM on 02/25/2010
My understanding is that Rahm is for more IRS seizures for those families making under 180K/year (gross).

I think this is good. My son wants to become an engineer or a physicist and I think he should become an accountant or a lawyer. As we move our agenda forth (health care, business takeover, fairness doctrine, etc.), law and servicing the tax code will become even bigger business. As I've told him, I will not pay for him to practice free market principles.

More Republicans are at the 180K level, and I think that the more leins and imprisonment we can get for them, the better. LOOK AT THE TEABAGGERS!!! LOL!!!
garystartswithg
el sueno de la razon produce republicans
01:33 PM on 02/25/2010
theres not a lot wrong with actual free market principles. when you buy a loaf of bread that is a free market principle. of course that is about as far as the free market goes in the united states -- and thats even only true if you go to a local baker. i guess i am lucky to have a whole grocery store that is still privately owned.

after working in education i would talk him out of working in engineering or physics on very simple bases -- does he want to spend all that time in school to work for peanuts for a defense contractor? is he as misguided in thinking real jobs exist in the free market in these fields?

war is big buisness in the united states -- i think at some point dismantling war will be even bigger business. learning the difference between military guns and gaining some auctioneer experience in multiple languages -- i am thinking asian -- korean, japanese, chinese -- might come in handy soon.
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BuckCarson
Life outside the ObamaSphere
08:36 PM on 02/25/2010
You assume there still will be defense contractors. As we move our socialistic agenda forward, we will see a huge economic depression, one that I feel will dwarf the great depression.

Our people will rule by continually increasing complexity of government, certifying that their opponents are stupid and unworthy (like the tea-baggers) and by invoking a body of law that will originate from something similar to Kerry et. al "The Fairness Doctrine".

This will be great for the status and economic well being of attorneys, accountants and social workers. These are the reasons that our children should concentrate not on science, but on community activism, law and accounting.
09:50 PM on 02/24/2010
As usual, your wrong. Rahm would have NEVER leaked like that on his own president. It would only make him look bad. Rahm is a lot of things, but he is not immature like you progressive folks. See YOU would tell everything. There is a definite leaker in the WH and they will soon be gone. I suspect it is Steve Clemons "inside source" he always quotes when he leaks on Obama. They will be gone soon enough. Easy to figure out. You see Steve Clemons has friends, including Jane Hamsher, he mentions a lot included in his "Growing Surge of Concern about Rahm Emanuel....". Clemons' words, not mine. So Clemons should keep spilling the beans and one more problem child out the door, but it won't be Rahm. You and Jane are not nearly as smart as you think. I don't always agree with Rahm, but if he angers a lot of people; that just means he is protecting the president. Remember what he said--F. R.
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12:19 AM on 02/25/2010
Hmmm...interesting, but if Rahm gets fired, then you were wrong. I tend to agree with you, Rahm strikes me as one who is aligned with Axelrod in terms of denigrating the left for its expectations and general querulousness regarding health care.

I think that Jane Hamsher is smart but that no one is as smart as s/he thinks s/he is.
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BryanTheRegOps
03:42 PM on 02/24/2010
Howard Dean for CoS!!!!
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BryanTheRegOps
03:39 PM on 02/24/2010
Cenk, don't tease me like that. If Rahm is truly on his way out maybe just maybe Obama can save his presidency and return to his voters.

Does anyone has a timeline when this might be? The sooner the better.
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Robert Cantor
I am a human being descended from a small group of
04:43 PM on 02/24/2010
what does it say about Obama's political acumen if he was 'lead' so far astray with such bad advice so early in his administration?

Ir RE's dumb ideas appeared reasonable to Obama what does that really say about the President?

Democrats dont govern well

Republicans govern badly
03:11 PM on 02/24/2010
I agree with Rahm. I think Jarrett is a huge problem and should go.

Poltiics is about being in a snakepit and Rahm is a good snake.
12:13 PM on 02/24/2010
I don't know Cenk, Obama's been fiercely loyal to those he brought with him to the WH. I hope you're right though, and I hope he taps Robert Reich to be his COS. Mr. Reich will whip the agenda back into shape.
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Suntio
Amat victoria curam.
10:31 PM on 02/23/2010
From your lips (or fingers, in this case) to God's ears. Now how can we get the Pres to push for the friggin' public option?
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Halsey
"There is a price to pay for speaking the truth. T
02:21 PM on 02/24/2010
Suntio...you literally wrote my exact thoughts...I've hoped and prayed that Rahm will fade into the sunset..could it be?..and yes...REICH would be perfect (but would have to be so strong to counter the other wall street scions...Sumners, etc... Obama (another story indicated he's preparing now for re-election)..MUST know, that even we faithful will not vote for him again if HE does not make radical changes to his closest advisors. Our POTUS...MUST grow up..and face reality..not just "hope"...we are in deep doodoo..a Balkanized United States... the far right hates him more than they even hated Clinton..he will not win their hearts or minds..his best shot is to get MY heart back...otherwise..I will start SOON working on a Kucinich campaign...one of the FEW on the Hill who cannot be bought...

Peace On...brothers and sisters
07:45 PM on 02/23/2010
I hope you're right Cenk.. and that Jayar is wrong!
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chariotdrvr14
07:33 PM on 02/23/2010
Good bye Rahm, ...don't let the door hit you where nature split you!
07:24 PM on 02/23/2010
Believe it when I see it.

That would be change I could believe in.
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Horus45
Liberal Activist, anti-Fascist
06:50 PM on 02/23/2010
Thank God is correct!
The only misgivings I have about him leaving at this time is that Sarah Palin is going to take credit for forcing him to resign.
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06:38 PM on 02/23/2010
WOW! That offsets some angst. Hope you're correct!
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oregon bird
06:01 PM on 02/23/2010
President Obama came into office shiny and wet behind the ears. He had very little experience inside the beltway, didn't know where the skeletons were dancing, couldn't find the little senator's room (no, not that one!) He needed an insider, he needed someone who would show him all the ropes. That was Rahm Emanuel. The guy might have spent the last year pointing in the wrong direction, but during that time we KNOW that Obama was paying attention, and learning just what made all those old men tick and tock.

It was a convoluted world of wheels within deals, and Obama picked a very canny guide. I'm willing to bet he's got what he needed... he knows the bad guys, the good guys and the ones he can use. Emanuel didn't lead the president (I'm in full-on Hope Mode here) he was a hired tutor. Obama will use that information to lean further to the left (not anywhere near as far as we want) and to force the Congress back into action.

Please let me be right. I need a job. Talking to y'all is fun, but I'd rather see faces.
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07:00 PM on 02/23/2010
The problem is as COS you need someone who is good on policy, not just politics. Rahm is a politics guy, not a policy guy.

What's happened with Rahm as his chief advisor is everything is politics, the WH is being run like a campaign office....when something bad happens; the White House ends up having to react to it like they would during a campaign instead of being proactive and out in front of the issue.

Very similar situation to the Bush Admin. in a lot of ways.
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JohnDewey
Knowing Doing Being
11:01 PM on 02/23/2010
Joe Biden is supposed to be the President's "Man on Capitol Hill," to guide the President's wishes through Congress. Rahm, as Chief of Staff, should be the enforcer/guardian of access.

I think the problem is President Obama got exactly what he wanted in Rahm and, for that matter, Joe Biden. Rahm is a DLC hatchet man known for freezing out the Democratic base in favour of corporate donors and Joe Biden is a creature of the Senate and its chummy institutional complacency.