Rahm Emanuel wants to be speaker

[CatWoman]

Before he was mentioned as a possible Senate successor to Barack Obama, before he helped lead the Democrats back to power in the House, before he was even elected to his first term as the congressman from the North Side of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel was telling friends that he had one goal in life: to become the first Jewish speaker of the House.

But the No. 4 man in the House Democratic leadership has become a victim of his own success. As chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Emanuel helped lead the Democrats back to the majority in 2006. That victory put the speaker’s gavel in the hands of Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and she’s not likely to give it up any time soon.

Emanuel — who is both ambitious and impatient — may not be able to wait. In early June, conservative columnist Robert Novak wrote that Pelosi was “reported to be privately talking” about Emanuel as a possible successor for Barack Obama if Illinois’ junior senator is elected president.

Emanuel and Pelosi flatly denied the rumor, but it has sparked a new round in one of Washington’s favorite parlor games: What does Rahm want now?

The now part is easy to answer, Emanuel says.

Although he has what insiders call a “solid relationship” with Democratic Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who would name Obama’s replacement if it comes to that, Emanuel says Obama’s job isn’t on his radar screen.

“I’m not interested in the seat,” Emanuel said several weeks ago. “I enjoy my job in the House, and I am not interested in going to the Senate.”

But if Obama’s seat becomes available and Emanuel doesn’t jump, it will serve only to raise the questions all over again: What does Rahm really want, and what is his timetable for getting there?

Emanuel won’t say, and other Democrats are not eager to make pronouncements about the political outlook of their sometimes volatile colleague — at least not publicly.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0708/11782.html

[Hell Hath No Fury]

1. Ick.

I can't stand the guy -- he is one of the reasons we have so many Blue Dogs/New Dems to deal with right now. :mad:

[LostInAnomie]

2. He couldn't do much worse of a job than Pelosi.

She's worthless.

[kentuck]

3. Anybody but Nancy...

I'll take him.

[NashVegas]

22. I Wouldn't

No fucking way. Nancy might be misguided, but Emanuel is just plain back-stabbing, power-broking scum, IMO, and needs to go.

[blues90]

4. He's a slime , the hell with him .

[XOKCowboy]

5. Not just NO but HELL NO!!

Can we please get a REAL progressive as Speaker this time?

I'll also be interested to see who the candidates are for Senate Majority Leader. I think we'll all agree that Pelosi and Reid must go...

[mod mom]

6. No thank you-didn't he attempt to undermine Howard Dean's 50 state strategy?

I DON"T TRUST HIM!!!!

[AngryAmish]

7. As a selfish matter, I'm for it

He's my crongressperson and we could use the money.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

8. I suspect Blagojevich will appoint someone who will help make a deal to keep his ass out of jail.

Or he might appoint himself.

[Hidden Stillness]

9. God, No!

God no--Rahm Emanuel is part of the "D"LC group, along with Schumer, etc., that has been fighting the candidacies (and not even funding them) of many of the new members of Congress who won, the progressive ones; yet claims credit, here and eveywhere; "helped lead the Democrats back to power in the House" my ass. Some months ago, there was a thread on DU (I think by madfloridian) exposing Emanuel's "plan" to undermine Social Security by inventing a "privatized" "savings account" to be "managed by the private sector" (I remember the phrase, scary). Don't let this happen or this bastard will start implententing these horrible things.

[devilgrrl]

10. Blech!

:puke:

BTW, politico is a joke and it really annoys me that people cite them.

[Eric J in MN]

11. We need a real liberal as Speaker of the House.

Not Rahm Emanuel or Nancy Pelosi.

[Individualist]

12. Damn the DLC

[madrchsod]

13. "backstabbers"

"they smile at your face........"

[TornadoTN]

14. Wow, what a choice - Pelosi or Emanuel

Pretty pathetic we have reached this point.

[Dr.Phool]

15. Oh, you could have Hoyer too.

I guess that makes the choices even worse. Or Debbie Lieberman-Schultz.

They call this leadership? :puke:

[TornadoTN]

17. "Leadership" is a term to be used very loosely around them

I had suspicions when they took over Congress in 2006, but not in my wildest dreams would I have thought that they would prove to be completely ineffective at best and aiding & abetting at worst.

[Malikshah]

16. Please, dear God, no. It's Pelosi Part II with extra snark. Why not Ford of TN.....?!?

Anything but this hawk.

[TornadoTN]

18. Ford's no longer in the House

Left to take a nice big fat paycheck as a vice chairman with Merrill Lynch and to take over the chairmanship of the DLC.

Ah hell, might as well put him in charge anyway. No one would be able to tell a difference anyway.

[fascisthunter]

19. I Bet the Corporate Weasel Does

[Clear Blue Sky]

20. He couldn't be worse than Pelosi...nt

[NashVegas]

21. Isn't It Time?

Emanual had his clock cleaned once and for all?

I was reading about this just a little while ago. In addition to trying to fuck over Dean (and I DO have to wonder what hijinks are being pulled with the DNC move to Chicago), Rahmmie screwed Florida voters by back-stabbing a bonafide Dem candidate to take Mark Foley's seat and rolled him over for a Country Club Republican who he convinced to switch parties and run.


http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2006/12/rahm-emanuel-should-resign-from.html


If anyone has any blackmail dirt on Rahmmie - and I suspect they do - I wish they'd use it.