I Am Become Rahm -- Destroyer of Bipartisanship
Seems the Republicans don't like White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel:
"We won the election, we wrote the bill," said Pelosi as many times as she could to an open microphone. But what was happening away from the microphone made it even easier for the Republicans to hold together. All they had to do was bring up Rahm Emanuel."Rahm hates us and lets us know it, and we hate him back," said a senior Republican.
Really? Get out of here. Rahm wasn't interested in working with Republicans? Who could have predicted...
Rahmbo Chief Of Staff? You Can Kiss Bipartisanship Goodbye
By: Jane Hamsher Monday November 3, 2008 8:50 amIt's a real knee-slapper. Rahm and 85 votes? You've got to be kidding. It will be an instant sign that all the bipartisan talk is just that -- talk -- and signal that Obama intends to work solely within the Democratic caucus to achieve his objectives. The Republicans would be welcome to tag along if they like....Rahm doesn't do "bipartisan."
And....
Rahm as Chief of Staff? See Ya, Bipartisanship...
By: Jane Hamsher Wednesday November 5, 2008 11:21 amI wrote the other day that "Rahm doesn't do bipartisan," and Scarborough resoundingly echoed that sentiment. He said that appointing Rahm as COS would be like Bush appointing Tom Delay. He's basically telling the Republicans to go Cheney themselves.
I subsequently got into an email exchange with someone who argued that Rahm was was very much a bipartisan operator, who orchestrated the caucus to capitulate to bipartisanship bullshit from 2006-2008.
I replied that it's not conservatism Rahm hates, he's actually quite fond of that. It's Republicans.
When Rahm works to get legislation passed, he beats up Democrats, he doesn't reach across the aisle and try to negotiate with Republicans and make them happy.
Rahm doesn't really operate from an ideological standpoint. He sees political parties more like sports teams.
Who could have predicted? I mean, outside anyone who's ever met the guy.
Hope Bill Kristol enjoyed the gazpacho.
Jane Hamsher blogs at firedoglake.com
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True journalism; if you can't prove something with a fact, make one up and quote yourself. Really, you must not let this "predicting" talent go to waste, I hope you charge for that kind of insight.
I'm reading a blog in which the blogger quotes her blog to make a blogging point. I'm all blogged up.
See Sandy Goodman's Profile
i think this is a one of the most interesting posts i've read in a long time. jane hamsher is pointing up what seems to me like a real contradiction: obama is trying to court republicans with milk and honey while at the same time his very own chief of staff is shoving a broomstick up their asses. personally, i'm with rahm because i'm convinced the republicans are beyond milk, honey or sanity for that matter. but why is obama playing nice with them, while his man rahmbo is pushing hard on that broomstick?
Irrelevant gossip. The stimulus package is about America getting back to work, not about personalities. Except of course for small-minded Republicans.
Good for Rahm! He can kick a$$ all over the White House in the name of the American spirit. Would we be American if we weren't so brazen? I can pick out Americans in a sea of foreigners just by how they walk--they look like they think they own the place. That's who were are sometimes; crass, rude, playful, arrogant, disrespectful etc. Isn't every American who's cast as the "wise-cracking American" in every action film? Aren't we the ones who come up with all the cool lines and go all the way to Tibet to spin the prayer column just to ridicule it? "I-I-I want the knife!" (Eddie Murphy in The Golden Child) Rahm is just an average American and we are frequently jerky, self-important people. I like him. He makes us look in the mirror at ourselves and I like our American personality in spite of it. The world loves us, too, when we have an administration that doesn't stomp on people's sensibilities. The world will love us again, every one of us American a-holes.
Right. Because if Rahm Emanuel was not on the team the GOP would move right past partisanship and would totally be embracing all of our new President's policies. Puhlease! Rahm may have his faults (just like the rest of the human race) but I believe he will work hard to move Barack's initiatives forward. Let's give the man a chance.
Best post I've ever seen. Can't believe they allow this kind of honesty...
Every time a Republican is defeated an angel gets its wings.
The "3% going to infrastructure" was posted by a GOPer, and is incorrect. Not that I think less than 20% is what the stim bill should contain -- I want far closer to 35%, myself -- but the low-ball was just a typical FOX News-type report. Check Nate Silver's site for accurate numbers.
sick sick sick.
"Rahm hates us and lets us know it, and we hate him back," said a senior Republican.
The GOP can dish out all the hate Rush can think of, but
HOW DARE WE FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT THEM.
Do as I say
Not as I do.
Well, well, well... So now they know how we felt for the past 8 years when the partisan Republican agenda was being pushed down our throats. And guess what, so far it seems that agenda and that partisanship hurt the country more than they helped, so why don't we try the opposite for a change?
Jane conveniently forgets that Obama is the boss. If Obama wants Rahm to make nice with Republicans, Rahm will make nice. If Obama wants Rahm to bang heads, Rahm will bang heads. That's what makes this self-indulgent post so pointless.
Obama knows the 'talk softly, but carry a big stick' philosophy. Do people think Obama survived Chicago politics by singing kumbaya? Washington is the big leagues, and the Republicans are EXPERTS at bullying. Rahm is Obama's way of saying that if the Republicans want a knife fight, he's going to bring a gun.
If the Republicans learn to play nice, I'm sure Rahm will too.
Way to win an argument with yourself.
Regardless, I think you're missing the forest for the trees. The American people don't want a bipartisan gov't, they want a gov't that WORKS. One that solves problems.
(And whether you meant to or not, you made Republicans sound like petulant school children who would choose to get even with Rahm over serving their country).
More to the point, if you read a bit more, you'll note the actual reason House Republicans voted no. They're betting the farm on the hopes that Obama's stimulus package fails to deliver any results within a six-month period, because they're planning to blame the entire mess on him.
"you made Republicans sound like petulant school children who would choose to get even with Rahm over serving their country"
What the hell WERE we thinking?
Hundreds of Millions of wasted stimulus dollars to no effect and you blame Rahm because the Republicans don't like him?
Wow!
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