So. Obama's Chief of Staff -- Change?

DriftingByTheStorm

What exactly are we supposed to make of this guy?

Rahm Emanuel

Mr. Wallstreet ... one of biggest recipients of wall street money in congress ...

... looks like just another corrupt partisan hack,
taking orders from on high.

And his opinions concerning personal liberty and the constitution ... speaking here about his desire to force the youth in to para-military "civil" service ... are disturbing at face.

Again, i'm getting really worried about where an Obama presidency is going to take this country. I can't wait to start hearing what he is going to do with carbon credits, either. :(

Wilds

That choice doesn't thrill me at all. :(

Anon

DriftingByTheStorm wrote:

What exactly are we supposed to make of this guy?

What a fucked up website if ever i've seen one.

FrankBauer

the republicans can't be happy about this choice because he's clearly partisan.

the "obama is change" believers are probably wondering about obama's definition of change.

the anti-war folks can't be happy about this choice either.


change was a great slogan but he hasn't shown any evidence of that during his campaign (ie biden, surrounding himself with all those former clinton people and washing insiders) nor now with this pick. i hope he eventually reaches across the aisle with other cabinet positions maybe picking some prominent respectable republicans.

the only happy groups - the jews and the partisan dems. most jews thought obama wouldn't support Israel as ardently as bush did. so, this pick certainly made a few jews smile.

but its early. again, we elected him based on hope and really nothing else. i believe he truly wants to be a good president, so we'll see how this plays out.

tybird

Change does not equal a bunch of retreads from the Clinton years or the Kerry campaign. :(

JaneNY

From what I've heard in the media, this guy is the pit bull, not palin. He has been termed as 'someone who gets things done'. I'll let Obama worry about his cabinet - that's what I voted him in for.

norm

JaneNY wrote:

From what I've heard in the media, this guy is the pit bull, not palin. He has been termed as 'someone who gets things done'. I'll let Obama worry about his cabinet - that's what I voted him in for.

his brother is ari emanuel who is a high powered talent agent in hollywood.....if you've ever seen "entourage" jeremy piven's "ari gold" is loosely based on him....i have no doubt he's a hardass.....whether that will help the administration and the country remains to be seen

g under p

tybird wrote:

Change does not equal a bunch of retreads from the Clinton years or the Kerry campaign. :(

Amy Goodman...To talk more about the state of the economy and the economic policies of Barack Obama, we’re joined by two guests. Robert Kuttner is the author of the new book Obama’s Challenge: America’s Economic Crisis and the Power of a Transformative Presidency.

Bob Kuttner, let’s begin with you. You begin your book, Obama’s Challenge, by saying that Obama has the potential to be a transformative progressive president. “By that,” you write, “I mean a president who profoundly alters American politics and the role of government in American life.” Can you talk about how he can fulfill this potential?


ROBERT KUTTNER: You know, Amy, a crisis is also an opportunity, and the crash on Wall Street was also the crash of right-wing ideology, the ideology that claimed that markets could do nothing bad and governments could do nothing good. We’re going to have reality making the most compelling case for activist government since the New Deal. The question is whether Obama seizes the moment. He will either be Roosevelt, or he will be Hoover. There’s no middle ground.


We need the most expansive use of government. We need Obama’s ability to teach, to be wielded in service of a massive recovery program that I think has four parts. First of all, do the financial rescue right, not just to throw money at Wall Street, but to get the credit system functioning again. Second, put a floor under housing prices, so that the collapse doesn’t continue. Third, re-regulate banks. And fourth, spend a lot of public money to rebuild infrastructure, do green energy, turn bad jobs into good jobs, put money back into people’s pockets.


The concern I have is the names you hear floated about are Clintonistas. Their economic centrists. And my bet is that Obama is smart enough that he does not want to fail and that events will force him to be sufficiently bold, but he has very little time to get this right.


AMY GOODMAN: Alright, let’s talk, Robert Kuttner, about some of the names being bandied about, for example, to be Treasury Secretary. Larry Summers, former president of Harvard, former Treasury Secretary under President Clinton, what does he represent?


ROBERT KUTTNER: Well, he—I mean, I’m speaking candidly here. He would be my last choice. He is a protege of Bob Rubin. When he was at Treasury, he was part of the group that promoted greater deregulation, the same deregulation that brought this collapse. He’s not famous for being a respectful listener. He had a disastrous experience as president of Harvard. And in the conversations within the Obama camp and between the Obama camp and the Democratic leadership, Summers has been a force for the idea of not spending too much money on a stimulus, not spending too much money on a permanent recovery program, fiscal caution, not putting too much pressure on the banks to resume lending. It would be both the wrong signal and the wrong policy.


The other name you hear, Tim Geithner, who’s the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, he would be somewhat better. In the negotiations about rescues for Wall Street banks, he has been a somewhat more forceful advocate of stronger regulation.


The best one—I hope she’s still under consideration—would be Sheila Bair, head of the FDIC. She’s been the toughest regulator of the batch. She happens to be, nominally at least, a Republican, as well as a woman. That would be a very classy appointment, but I fear it may not happen.

Can Grassroots Movement that Propelled Obama to Victory Chart a Better Economy?


Democracy Now this morning: Great interview on Obama's economic plan and choices give it a listen or a look and see.

Peace

Milhouse VanHouten

Emmanuel oversaw the DCCC in 2006. No single person should get more credit for the Democratic takeover of the House, except perhaps George W. Bush.

As a veteran of both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, Rahm is known as a foul-mouthed hard ass who gets shit done. Paul Begala compared him to a toothache and a hemorrhoid when talking about Emmanuel's tenacity and drive.

Emmanuel should be extremely suited to running the White House.

Fighting Hellfish

well, I know Sean hannity absolutely hates the Rahm pick. That tells me it is a great pick

Pearls&Stones

After selecting Joe Biden as his running mate, I have no doubt about Obama's judgment and ability to surround himself with the best people.

MrBrian

Pearls&Stones wrote:

After selecting Joe Biden as his running mate, I have no doubt about Obama's judgment and ability to surround himself with the best people.

sarcasm?

jdr3777

DriftingByTheStorm wrote:

What exactly are we supposed to make of this guy?

Rahm Emanuel

Mr. Wallstreet ... one of biggest recipients of wall street money in congress ...

... looks like just another corrupt partisan hack,
taking orders from on high.

And his opinions concerning personal liberty and the constitution ... speaking here about his desire to force the youth in to para-military "civil" service ... are disturbing at face.

Again, i'm getting really worried about where an Obama presidency is going to take this country. I can't wait to start hearing what he is going to do with carbon credits, either. :(

This sounds more like sour grapes to me.

Strangest Tribe

I don't think this means anything.

dribble

bootlegger10

This thread is good example of what the next four years will be like. Show the hypocrisy of Obama, and then the blind sheep respond. Obama is infallible.

RolandTD20Kdrummer

jdr3777 wrote:

This sounds more like sour grapes to me.

Here we have a guy nobody really knows much of anything about, and he comes out of nowhere talking hard knocks to Iran, Pakistan, Syria, and Russia, and anyone else that defies US policy, and claims undying blind patriot love and military support to an apartheid like state of Israel, and now he puts a hard nose zionist in such a high ranking position, and it's sour grapes?


Riiiight....sour grapes. Sure.

aNiMaL

My god folks, lets let the man finish putting his cabinet together and take the oath of the office before we start belly aching.

He could put together the most diverse and bipartisan cabinet since Clinton. Give him a chance.

I don't beleive that Obama is evil and I do beleive that he has the best interest of this country at heart. let him prove us right or wrong - but let him do it.

RolandTD20Kdrummer

aNiMaL wrote:

My god folks, lets let the man finish putting his cabinet together and take the oath of the office before we start belly aching.

He could put together the most diverse and bipartisan cabinet since Clinton. Give him a chance.

I don't beleive that Obama is evil and I do beleive that he has the best interest of this country at heart. let him prove us right or wrong - but let him do it.

It's incredibly naive to think he's going to walk into the MIC and tell everyone to bow down and take it Obama style. In fact everything he says so far with regards to FP is pro MIC anyways.

This is the first tangible evidence of it, and it's right that he's called out on it for what it is.

Let's play count the dual citizens in office shall we?

aNiMaL

RolandTD20Kdrummer wrote:

It's incredibly naive to think he's going to walk into the MIC and tell everyone to bow down and take it Obama style. In fact everything he says so far with regards to FP is pro MIC anyways.

This is the first tangible evidence of it, and it's right that he's called out on it for what it is.

Let's play count the dual citizens in office shall we?

Rahm is an American who was born in Chicago.

You lost me on the rest of your post. I don;t know what MIC or FP is.

MrBrian

aNiMaL wrote:

My god folks, lets let the man finish putting his cabinet together and take the oath of the office before we start belly aching.

He could put together the most diverse and bipartisan cabinet since Clinton. Give him a chance.

I don't beleive that Obama is evil and I do beleive that he has the best interest of this country at heart. let him prove us right or wrong - but let him do it.

Bipartisan? as in dems and republicans? Because you need to understand that it does not matter if he has both in his cabinet/admin. Not if they hold such similar/same views on a country like Israel.

Also whats with all these clinton guys he's getting? what 'change' is that?

aNiMaL

MrBrian wrote:

Bipartisan? as in dems and republicans? Because you need to understand that it does not matter if he has both in his cabinet/admin. Not if they hold such similar/same views on a country like Israel.

Also whats with all these clinton guys he's getting? what 'change' is that?

So, you want to throw out every politician out if they beleive and see Israel as an ally to the US?

And the definition of bipartisanship is: of, relating to, or involving members of two parties ; specifically : marked by or involving cooperation, agreement, and compromise between two major political parties

MrBrian

aNiMaL wrote:

Rahm is an American who was born in Chicago.

You lost me on the rest of your post. I don;t know what MIC or FP is.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1034635.html

I'm not sure if he gave up his Israeli citizenship.

RolandTD20Kdrummer

aNiMaL wrote:

Rahm is an American who was born in Chicago.

You lost me on the rest of your post. I don;t know what MIC or FP is.

With strong ties and deep rooted associations with hard right aspects of Israel. I'd go so far as to say that his American citizenship is no more than a piece of paper when it comes to agreeing on foreign policy (FP) and complying with the needs, and wants, of the MIC (Military Industrial Complex)

MrBrian

aNiMaL wrote:

So, you want to throw out every politician out if they beleive and see Israel as an ally to the US?

If they back Israel 100%, yes.

One must also wonder why its good to support Israel like that, a country that has broken many UN resolutions, humans rights violations. Then from the other side of their mouth scream at Iran for its human rights violations.

They refuse to be critical of the Apartheid state Israel, I mean would you want people in your admin, would you not worry if they were in support 100% of South Africa in the 60's and 70's (for example)

and yes I will make the comparison. Desmind TuTu himself made the comparison and cited that in some cases Israel is even worse.

aNiMaL

MrBrian wrote:

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1034635.html

I'm not sure if he gave up his Israeli citizenship.

I didn't read that whole article. He was born in the USA, so if he had duel citizenship, the Israeli citizenship was not a natural one as he wasn't born there. He is a natural US citizen, just like Barack Obama and myself.

aNiMaL

MrBrian wrote:

If they back Israel 100%, yes.

One must also wonder why its good to support Israel like that, a country that has broken many UN resolutions, humans rights violations. Then from the other side of their mouth scream at Iran for its human rights violations.

They refuse to be critical of the Apartheid state Israel, I mean would you want people in your admin, would you not worry if they were in support 100% of South Africa in the 60's and 70's (for example)

and yes I will make the comparison. Desmind TuTu himself made the comparison and cited that in some cases Israel is even worse.

I truly think that we would need to come up with a viable 3rd political party in the US to find politicians that do not view Israel as an ally.

MrBrian

aNiMaL wrote:

I truly think that we would need to come up with a viable 3rd political party in the US to find politicians that do not view Israel as an ally.

Zionism is deep within the American bloodstream. We need an entire Blood transfusion.

People need to see that supporting Israel is not a positive, they are not friends now and never have been.

It is scary to have leaders in such high positions say that they back Israel 100% and the average American thinks nothing of it. Infact if a peson does not back Israel 100% they are considered an anti-semite to some degree.

Even to be critical of Israel is looked at in a bad way. Imagine, If Obama did not say that he supports Israel in whatever they do, how much he backs them and that this 'special relationship' will last forever, he would never of won.

That my friend, is scary. That needs to be looked at.

RolandTD20Kdrummer

aNiMaL wrote:

I didn't read that whole article. He was born in the USA, so if he had duel citizenship, the Israeli citizenship was not a natural one as he wasn't born there. He is a natural US citizen, just like Barack Obama and myself.

I wouldn't refer to him as a "natural" or "normalized" US citizen.

As per Wikipedia:

"Emanuel has been described as a “strong Israel partisan”[25] and a “convinced Zionist” and “prominent figure in the US Jewish lobby.”[26] A strong supporter of AIPAC, he personally introduced fellow Chicagoan Barack Obama to the organization's directors during the 2008 presidential campaign."

aNiMaL

RolandTD20Kdrummer wrote:

I wouldn't refer to him as a "natural" or "normalized" US citizen.

As per Wikipedia:

"Emanuel has been described as a “strong Israel partisan”[25] and a “convinced Zionist” and “prominent figure in the US Jewish lobby.”[26] A strong supporter of AIPAC, he personally introduced fellow Chicagoan Barack Obama to the organization's directors during the 2008 presidential campaign."

Emanuel is a Natural-born US citizen. Are you disputing that?

aNiMaL

MrBrian wrote:

Zionism is deep within the American bloodstream. We need an entire Blood transfusion.

People need to see that supporting Israel is not a positive, they are not friends now and never have been.

It is scary to have leaders in such high positions say that they back Israel 100% and the average American thinks nothing of it. Infact if a peson does not back Israel 100% they are considered an anti-semite to some degree.

Even to be critical of Israel is looked at in a bad way. Imagine, If Obama did not say that he supports Israel in whatever they do, how much he backs them and that this 'special relationship' will last forever, he would never of won.

That my friend, is scary. That needs to be looked at.

I agree that our relationship with Israel need to be in question. However, I hope you are not insinuating that this is a partisan opinion, as both the right and the left recognize Israel as an ally. That's my point.

MrBrian

Yes I am aware of that,