More Reasons to Despise Rahm

chicago dyke's picture

And there are a million of 'em:

Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), the Democratic Caucus chairman, has told new Democratic members of Congress to steer clear of Stephen Colbert, or at least his satirical Comedy Central program, “The Colbert Report.”

“He said don’t do it … it’s a risk and it’s probably safer not to do it,” said Rep. Steve Cohen.

One of the most popular shows for young and progressive audiences...and Rahm says reps shouldn't talk to them. Wouldn't want the freshmen to come to understand ideas like "the war is really unpopular" or "hypocrisy is detestable" now would we? But wait, it gets better:

Last year, as the House Democrats’ chief election strategist, Emanuel engineered the party’s takeover of the House by capitalizing on a nationalized midterm election.

No, no and no. Jesus I want to kill this meme. Progressive candidates did exceptionally well, often with fewer resources and no other champions but the Netroots. Rahm's choices, and those who ran their campaigns according to his mushy middling advice, did not do as well. It's dispicable that Rahm is always taking credit for victories that he actively worked against. But par for his course.

Did I mention how much I dislike him? Here's another reason why:

One freshman who has been on the receiving end of Emanuel’s “tough love” is Rep. Steve Kagen (Wis.), who boasted to a group of anti-war activists that he had dressed down President Bush’s top political adviser, Karl Rove, during a White House reception. The administration denied the story.

But Emanuel threw a fit. Kagen’s staff was hauled into the Democratic Caucus’s office for lessons on how to handle the media, Democratic sources said.

Fuck you Rahm. Ok? With a rusty chainsaw. Really, progressives don't need your help "handling" the media on the issue of the deeply unpopular war. You, on the other hand, need to be lobotomized.

Rep. Nancy Boyda (D-Kan.) said, “It took [Emanuel] three weeks to come down off of the ceiling” after she refused to accept the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s (DCCC) assistance in her bid to win reelection in 2008.
Boyda said Emanuel would “worry until November 4, 2008, but he says it in a very caring, grandmotherly way.”

Yes, clucking like a hen over her corporate charges, no doubt. Can't have anyone going off message and saying things the DLCers and their Masters don't like, now can we?

I'm ready to join any effort to take Rahm out. I can't think of a better primary challenge target. He is scum.

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vastleft's picture

Thanks CD, and Amen!

lambert's picture

Heaven forfend that the Dems would take risks!

Kudos to Kagen for not exhibiting deference to thugs -- Rove or Rahm.

No authoritarians were tortured in the writing of this post.

First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win. -- Mahatma Gandhi

Rahm

You have to admit that Colbert can be dangerous for anyone
including the experienced. Stephen can come at you from behind the clouds or over your shoulder and slam you w/ the unexpected. If the cameras were not rolling or the time not ticking one might have a chance but that's not the case so I see why the caution is perhaps good advice.

vastleft's picture

The only people that really come off badly...

... are the ones who try to be wittier than he is (odds are very poor for that) and the ones who seem not to get the joke and try to out-debate him (ditto).

The ones who roll with it look like mensches. Or is that menschen? Or menschim?

www.vastleft.com

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