Emanuel represents a district centered around Chicago's Northwest Side. He had small shoes to fill when he succeeded Rod Blagojevich--who moved on the governor--and federal investigations.
Emanuel served in the Clinton administration, and he was known as "that Clinton guy" in 2002. It looked like he would lose to popular state legislator Nancy Kaczak when some goof, albeit a prominent one, said that Emaunuel once served in the Israeli Defense Forces and held dual American-Israeli citizenship. Neither were true.
That obnoxious gaffe wounded Kaczak, but it probably would not have been a fatal blow. Enter Mayor Richard M. Daley, who dispatched his head of the Chicago water department to send a bunch of patronage workers to the Northwest Side to put "that Clinton guy" over the top. Chicago Tribune columnist refers to the congressman as Rahm Emanuel (D-Tomczak). Emanuel raised money for Daley, a lot of it, for Daley in his first run for mayor in 1989, and Emanuel in turn came to Daley's defense as dozens of city workers faced bribery charges as a result of the US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald's Hired Truck investigations.
It's the Chicago Way.
Part of Fitzgerald's catch was Don Tomczak. He's in prison now, and won't be part of an Obama administration. Unless Tomczak's prison makes drapes.
UPDATE Oct 31 8:15pm CDT: Anne Leary of Backyard Conservative notes on her blog that Rep. Emanuel is one of the meanest partisans within the Democratic Party.
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I hate to say it but it seems likely to me that Obama could win this. Don't take it from me because I don't do well with Presidential predictions. All the same I also know that Obama hasn't landed that knockout punch. At this moment he's just been largely ahead.
ReplyDeleteAsking Emanuel to be his chief of staff is a lil presumptuous don't you think?
...lil presumptuous don't you think?
ReplyDeleteJust like the Obama campaign itself.
Presumptuous John? Why? Does this mean you're reverting back to the experience argument?
ReplyDeleteAnd McCain's so experienced that his transition staff already has its security clearances? Or that planning for November 5th matters to anyone inside Team McCain?
It's like your candidate's vetting problem, he doesn't think details matter. Roll the dice and hope for the best. Great strategy. How's that working out for your team?
All in all, and having read much of the stuff here on your blog over the past year, I have to admit you are a very good writer, and it is a first-class site. I've enjoyed the experience and wish you the best.
Give my love to Pat Hickey, Greybeard and the rest of the gang. Good sports all.
Johns (Ruberry and McCain) ... then-Governor George W. Bush had a list of judicial nominees vetted and in place weeks before the 2000 Election in addition to his transition team and the makings of Cabinet and West Wing staff. Al Gore had a transition team put together as well (I don't think he had judicial nominees lined up).
ReplyDeleteThis ain't dodgeball, John. You don't pick the team a minute before you play.
This is the President of the United States of America.
Commander in Chief of the strongest, best military in the history of mankind.
Leader of the Free World.
Election Day to Inauguration Day isn't even three whole months. Not planning for the event of being elected (whether you're McCain or Obama) is stupid and a dereliction of duty to the American people.
Try taking your partisan blinders off and thinking for a minute or two.