Let's keep this thread open as the place to discuss Barack Obama's appointments to his administration. I'll update the post as each major appointment is made.
November 6th, 2008 - Rahm Emanuel, White House Chief of Staff
The WHCOS is a usually a very powerful position, chiefly responsible for controlling the flow of information, protecting the interests of the President, and advising the President on policy issues and politics. From what I know of Mr. Emanuel, he is regarded as very intense and direct, but above all, someone who gets things done. He has a personal relationship with Obama and they should form an effective good cop/bad cop routine. Republicans are wary of his partisan reputation, but he is not an idealogue, and his git-er-dun nature seems to make him an ideal candidate for this demanding position as a sort of realist grounding rod for the idealist Obama.
Discuss!
Obama's Appointments
Posted by big.bald.dave on 11/07/2008
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8 comments:
thanks for this post! the choice of emanuel is interesting. he is not a moderate or centrist figure but very partisan. emanuel is well-known as a clintonista, having served as bill clinton's deputy director in the white house. if you remember he was infamous for telling republicans to f*** themselves. i'm very interested in seeing if obama's other cabinet choices follow emanuel's same line of partisanship.
Not the type of move that I expected from someone trying to unite the country... I'm really hoping he doesn't have Kerry as the Secretary of State. :/
He is an informative read about Emanuel from 2006.
Sorry, Im not link savvy:
http://money.cnn.com/2006/09/17/
magazines/fortune/politics.fortune/
index.htm
I agree with Jen and Tug. I was just getting excited about Obama being a unifier, when he makes this selection. Emanuel is a known divider.
I don't believe that Emanuel is the change people were looking for. Been there, done that.
Obama got major points by having a good temperament. Publically screaming the f-word is not very well controlled if you ask me.
Interesting comments on the Emanuel pick from Republican Senator Linsey Graham of South Carolina, someone who knows him well and has worked with him across the aisle:
This is a wise choice by President-elect Obama.
Rahm knows Capitol Hill and has great political skills. He can be a tough partisan but also understands the need to work together. He is well-suited for the position of White House Chief of Staff.
I worked closely with him during the presidential debate negotiations which were completed in record time. When we hit a rough spot, he always looked for a path forward. I consider Rahm to be a friend and colleague. He's tough but fair. Honest, direct, and candid. These qualities will serve President-elect Obama well.
Rahm understands the challenges facing our nation and will, consistent with the agenda set by President-elect Obama, work to find common ground where it exists. I look forward to working with him in his new position and will continue to do everything I can to help find a pathway forward on the difficult problems facing our nation.
Check out this video of Barack Obama roasting Rahm Emanuel in 2005. From the 5:00-mark to the end is the best and funniest segment.
Wow Hilary as Sec of State!! How is that for an olive branch.
That's not official, right?
Did everyone hear about Rahm Emanuel's father's 15 minutes of fame this week?
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/john-farrell/2008/11/14/barack-obama-israel-and-rahm-emanuels-fathers-intemperate-remarks.html
Interesting article, and I have to say I agree. Maybe my next post will be about US/Israeli relations!
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