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Left Takes Out Rage on Rahm

Emanuel takes heat for the president

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Jan 26, 2010 8:57 AM CST
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(Newser) – Liberals disappointed with Barack Obama are pointing their daggers less at him than at his chief of staff. Rahm Emanuel is not a popular guy on the left these days—many see him as the obstacle to the change they thought Obama would bring. One liberal radio host called him “Obama’s Dick Cheney,” top blogger Jane Hamsher has launched a campaign targeting his time on Freddie Mac’s board, and one group even briefly aired ads attacking him in his native Chicago.

The feud went to another level after a meeting between Emanuel and liberal groups in August on health care. Some said they were planning to air ads attacking conservative Democrats who were gumming up the works. “Fucking retarded,” Emanuel replied. That cemented the left’s belief that Emanuel favors, and readily rolls over for, conservative Democrats. But liberals don’t worry Emanuel. “They like the president,” he tells the Wall Street Journal, “and that’s all that counts.”

Rahm Emanuel listens to questions from students from Raymond and C.W. Harris Elementary schools during a Reading to the Top event at the Department of Education August 10, 2009.
Rahm Emanuel listens to questions from students from Raymond and C.W. Harris Elementary schools during a Reading to the Top event at the Department of Education August 10, 2009.   (Getty Images)
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It's better if everyone on the outside is mad at the chief of staff than mad at the president. - John Podesta, former Clinton chief of staff

He's a pretty skilled practitioner of what it takes to get something done on Capitol Hill. But by moving in that direction, they've paid a big price on the public side, and the bill is unpopular and misunderstood. - John Podesta, former Clinton chief of staff

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 20 comments
LovinLife
Jan 27, 2010 3:50 AM CST
Excellent summary, Foodchain. It's like cursing the garbage man for smelling bad after a long day of honest work. Libs piss me off sometimes, too - and I'm one of 'em!
JonmarkP
Jan 27, 2010 3:46 AM CST
Rahm is a corporate shill, trying to "triangulate" every policy like Clinton did. That means compromise. But that doesn't mean compromise between what's good for Americans and what's possible, the compromise is always between the interests of huge, wealthy corporations and war profiteers vs. the interests of middle class working Americans. Just like under Clinton, guess who wins that one? Liberals, please don't trot out the bullshit that Clinton left the country with a surplus. Clinton benefitted from a massive increase in productivity attributable to computers and the Internet, while sponsoring all kinds of legislation that destroyed our true source of wealth - our agricultural and manufacturing base.
foodchain11
Jan 26, 2010 11:31 AM CST
While the GOP blames everyone else for their problems, the Dems blame themsleves!! Too funny. Pack of wolves, herd of cats. No wonder this is such a mess. GOP trusted Bush for 8 years; we can't trust Obama for 9 months! Rahm is a truth speaker; that's all. He says what he says because he knows that Ben Nelson is a prick. He knows that Progressives are going to scream and quit and he knows that Blue dogs will obstruct. All he's doing is trying to get something done. It's a lousy, smelly process, but it's what we have and don't anyone think that there are votes to pass everything we want.

 
Rahm Emanuel • Obama administration • liberal media • left wing

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