President-elect Obama selected Rahm Emanuel as his Chief of Staff yesterday. The pick had been rumored for the last couple of weeks.
Rahm Emanuel is a highly partisan, tough-as-nails, Democrat. His reputation is one of being a partisan hammer. He is considered a highly skilled political operative who is brilliant and hard edged. Political junkies everywhere know this and we knew it long before he was named Chief of Staff.
I respect Emanuel. Most political professionals respect his acumen and political skill. He is a partisan warrior.
Here is something you will not hear from the media: Rahm Emanuel = Tom Delay. Tom Delay was the Republican hammer--the highly partisan Republican warrior that helped the Republicans rule the House. Of course, the media will never paint such a picture of a Democrat political operative.
President-elect Obama's first presidential pick is a disappointment to me. He is well within his authority to make any choice he wants. But, like so many Americans, I was hopeful that he would actually live up to his "post partisan" rhetoric. By making Washington insider Emanuel his first pick, he missed a chance to prove that he would actually bring change to Washington.
Rahm Emanuel is a highly partisan, tough-as-nails, Democrat. His reputation is one of being a partisan hammer. He is considered a highly skilled political operative who is brilliant and hard edged. Political junkies everywhere know this and we knew it long before he was named Chief of Staff.
I respect Emanuel. Most political professionals respect his acumen and political skill. He is a partisan warrior.
Here is something you will not hear from the media: Rahm Emanuel = Tom Delay. Tom Delay was the Republican hammer--the highly partisan Republican warrior that helped the Republicans rule the House. Of course, the media will never paint such a picture of a Democrat political operative.
President-elect Obama's first presidential pick is a disappointment to me. He is well within his authority to make any choice he wants. But, like so many Americans, I was hopeful that he would actually live up to his "post partisan" rhetoric. By making Washington insider Emanuel his first pick, he missed a chance to prove that he would actually bring change to Washington.
