Rahm Emanuel's Record on Education

Write A Caption: Rick Scott Edition

Gov. Rick Scott appears in a Facebook photo with Toronto Mayor Rob Ford. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel shares the same misfortunes as Scott. Ford has been forced to admit that he smoked crack. Ford has no plans on resigning. I'm fairly certain Scott and Emmanuel have no plans of ever doing a photo-op wuth Ford again.

Rahm Emanuel Admits to Killing Gun Control

As President Barack Obama's Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel stopped Attorney General Eric Holder's attempt to gun control. Emanuel admitted this to Politico.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Tuesday didn’t deny telling the Justice Department that Attorney General Eric Holder needed to “shut the f—k up” about gun control in 2009.

Emanuel, who was then White House chief of staff, issued the warning to Justice in February after Holder said at a press conference the administration wanted to reinstate the assault weapon ban. The incident is recounted in Daniel Klaidman’s book, “Kill or Capture.”

“Let me say this,” Emanuel, whose use of profanity is legendary, said on CBS’s “This Morning” when asked about the report. “President [Barack] Obama always stood for getting this done, No. 1. No. 2, I passed the Brady Bill with the assault weapon ban. It is very, very important that we do that. The fact is, in 2009 the president and the entire government was very clear to say this, as the attorney general knows, in getting all the president’s legislation done and working with Congress to do that.”

The reality is that Obama was so uncommitted to gun control that the Brady Campaign gave him an F grade.

Team Obama Opposed Elizabeth Warren Nomination

I like to see how Obamabots frame this. Huffington Post reporter
Shahien Nasiripour cites sources that the Obama administration never had any intention of nominating Elizabeth Warren for the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. In 2010, Sen. Bernie Sanders asked President Barack Obama if would nominate Warren.

Last summer, during a White House meeting with first-term Senate Democrats, Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, asked Obama whether he'd nominate Warren for the role.

Obama held up a half-full glass of water and told him: "That's the problem with you progressives. You see this as half-empty."

Obama's tone towards Sanders makes it obvious that the president does not view himself as a progressive. Wall Street got a bailout. Americans are being foreclosed upon through illegal means. The President campaigned on change and gets pissed when people call him out for protecting the dysfunctional financial system.

Rahm Emanuel made it clear that he did not want Warren confirmed.

Last July, the night before a Senate vote on the administration-backed bill to reform financial regulation, Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) told reporters that he was still unsure how he’d vote and was concerned about who might be named to run the soon-to-be-created consumer unit.

Hearing the news, Emanuel took the temperature of the administration on Warren's nomination and reported back to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that it was cool, according to Senate sources with knowledge of the call.

“We don’t like her either,” the then-White House chief of staff told the Nevada Democrat.

Ben Nelson's lack of support was unsurprising. Chris Dodd. Part of Dodd's problem was Warren publicly pushed back against Dodd to not soften the financial reform bill. Dodd was obsessed with getting bipartisan support for a financial reform bill that no Republican had any intention of voting for. What is it about Beltway Democrats that are obsessed with bipartisanship?

Treasury Sec. Tim Geithner is pro-corporatist. It wasn't surprising that he didn't support Warren's nomination. Warren also took Geithner to task for not knowing where money for credit default swaps went. AIG sold swaps and then couldn't cover the bets when the market crashed.

Rahm Emanuel Petition

Dave Weigel reports the Progressive Change Campaign Committee sent out a petition urging progressives to not contribute or do fundraising for Rahm Emanuel's campaign to become Chicago's next mayor.

I will not support Rahm Emanuel in any future election for Congress, Mayor of Chicago, Governor, or other office. He sold us out on the public option and is a weak Democrat who caves instead of fighting conservatives and corporate power. We won't forget the choices you've made, Rahm.

Weigel states the obvious about progressives hating Emanuel. What Weigel forgets is Emanuel called us "fucking retards." So, I would be more than happy to see Emanuel's campaign go down in flames.

Side note: I can't find the petition. Anyone have the link?

Update: Progressive Change Campaign Committee co-founder Adam Green made this statement to The Huffington Post.

"Rahm is unfit to represent Democrats in office," Progressive Change Campaign Committee co-founder Adam Green said. "He's a cancer on the Democratic Party. Democrats' current 2010 situation is due to a weak Rahm Emanuel mentality that says water down real reform at the urging of Republicans and corporations, thus making Democratic reform less popular with voters than the real deal would have been. If Democrats had passed the overwhelmingly-popular public option and broken up the big banks when they had the chance, they'd be cruising for a landslide victory right now."

Emanuel has offered Obama horrible political advice. The trouble is Obama thinks very much like Emanuel. Obama is govering like a state legislator and not a man who as the bully pulpit of the presidency. Jacob Weisberg eloquently made a point that I made several times on this blog. Obama refuses to fight for anything. Weisberg used Prop 8, Cordoba House, and the Arizona immigration ID bill. Can anyone remember delivering words that sounded passionate on any of those issues? John Edwards said that Obama's plans with Republicans and special interests to "nice them to death" would never work. Edwards is a deeply flawed man but was right about Obama. The Preident doesn't have a Plan B after the charisma wears off.

Rahm Emanuel: the Poster Child for Neoliberalism

Dan Froomkin tears Rahm Emanuel a new asshole for his horrible policy advice and perpetual leaking to the Beltway media.

The Rahm Emanuel that Obama hired is the poster child for the timid, pseudo-pragmatism that is inimical to the idealistic Obama agenda so many excited voters responded to last November. And it's a pragmatism that is absolutely killing the Democratic Party in the long run, because American voters have an intrinsic distrust of politicians they see as tacking with the polls or shying away from a fight. This if nothing else is the lesson of two George W. Bush presidencies: American voters have a profoundly soft spot for people with clear, strongly-held principles, almost regardless of what those principles are.

Emanuel is a Bush Democrat - but not in that he has learned the lesson about the value of holding firmly to core values. He is a Bush Democrat in that he has allowed Republicans to traumatize him into submission. Emanuel operates on a battlefield as defined by Republicans, where the terrain is littered with the specter of imaginary but profoundly terrifying GOP attack ads. His reflexive approach is the strategic retreat. Most obviously in the current debate about health care, he has empowered the Democratic and centrist Republican obstructionists by validating their fear that come campaign time, they will be portrayed as radical -- even when they are supporting measures such as the public insurance option that have public support among a super-majority of voters.

Emanuel isn't a Bush Democrat. Emanuel is a neoliberal like Harold Ford, Evan Bayh, and Ed Rendell. The neoliberals call themselves New Democrats these days. The neoliberal position has been support for Wall Street and less regulations. The most successful neoliberal was Bill Clinton.

The former President signed the repeal of the Glass–Steagall Act. The repealed law made it illegal for investment banks and depository banks to be one financial entity. Sen. John McCain supported making the Glass–Steagall Act law again. President Barack Obama would not back McCain's proposal. John McCain was actually to the Left of Barack Obama on financial reform. Obama's stance on financial reform should not be surprising.

Obama: "I am a New Democrat."

Rahm Emanuel Ignores Crist

Marc Ambinder reports that Charlie Crist attempted to contacted Rahm Emanuel through intermediates. The White House refused to take calls from Crist's supporters. The White House is 100 percent behind Kendrick Meek.

Is the Public Option Dead?

Josh Marshall reports the public option is dead.

The AP is reporting that the Senate Dems have come to a tentative deal, which drops the Public Option from the senate health care bill. What is in its place, if anything, is not clear.

The Associated Press lacks details about why the public option was dropped. What is clear is Majority Leader Harry Reid ruled ruled cloture to pass the public option with less than 60 votes. This is a tactical mistake. I understand the Senate health care bill would be debated and voted on in piece meal. I actually think that is a great idea.

The good news is Sen. Ben Nelson's anti-abortion amendment failed on a 54 to 45 vote. Nelson said the amendment's failure "makes it harder to be supportive." Like Nelson was actually going to vote for the public option. Nelson just wanted to get his amendment in.

What is clear is President Barack Obama's lack of leadership on the public option. Mainly, the President and Rahm Emanuel have been trying to kill the public option. As much as people such as Kenneth Quinnell, want to have you believe the fantasy that Obama supported the public option. Obama told Senate Democrats he prefers a trigger. Obama spoke to Senate Democrats this weekend and didn't once mention the public option or Nelson's anti-abortion amendment. Obama is not conserned with protecting women reproductive rights or creating a competitive health care market. Obama wants a political victory and to increase business of the health insurance industry. The lobbying money from insurance companies will help Obama's 2012 re-election campaign.

Cenk Uygur blasts Obama for not lobbying for the public option. Is this the change Democratic voters were expecting?



Update: Jay Rockefeller confirms there will be no Medicaid expansion deal.

This afternoon, Jay Rockefeller said that the new proposal to expand Medicaid coverage for those who are 133% to 150% above the federal poverty line was dropped during a meeting of key legislators this morning. “I was sad this morning,” Rockefeller told me and a few other reporters. “We walked in, and it was 133[%] to 140[%], then it’s staying at 133... So we didn’t get anything.”

Kent Conrad said Governors did not want to pay funding into Medicaid. Considering the current economic situation that is understandable.

Update: the opt-out public option is gone. Medicare will be expanded for people 55 to 64 for people 133 percent above the poverty line. The idea is to reduce cost. We just added people to the Medicare rolls that can't afford health insurance. There are good arguments to add these people for medical and humanitarian reasons. The Senate is not addressing rising health care cost. That was the whole point of the debate. This is a victory for the health industry lobbyists.

I am not even going to waste my time discussing the trigger.

Jane Hamsher On Health Care Bill

The Young Turks interviews Jane Hamsher about the difficulties getting the health care bill through the Senate. Senators Joe Lieberman, Ben Nelson and Blanche Lincoln have promised to filibuster. Rahm Emanuel has pressured Harry Reid to dump the public option for the trigger. Republicans don't habve the power to stop a health care bill. The problem is corporatist Democrats and a neoliberal President.

Why White House Is Fighting the Public Option

I am getting tired of Rahm Emanuel trying to kill the public option. Emanuel told the Wall Street Journal the public option wasn't necessary for a health care bill. Emanuel told Charlie Rose the Senate won't pass a bill with the public option. Translation: the White House doesn't support a public option. The White House would be more aggressive for a public option if President Obama really supported it.

"I think the Senate's been clear what the prospects [are]," Emanuel said. "That doesn't mean in the House, they're not gonna come to the table and demand it."

Emanuel's political instincts are horrible. The latest New York Times/CBS News Poll has voters favoring the public option at 65 percent. Sen. Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and several Congressional Democrats made it clear there will be no bill without the public option. To make matters more embarrassing: Sen. Sherrod Brown quickly refuted Emanuel.

Emanuel is "wrong, because of this: Not every Democrat right now would prefer the public option in the Senate ... but no Democrat in the end is going to vote against a procedural question to kill the health care bill," he said.

"The 60 Democrats will stay together on procedural questions and then, on final passage, some may vote against it because it's got a public option. But I don't see that," he said. Brown added that at least 50 Democrats in the Senate support the public option.

The poll numbers and congressional votes are against Obama signing a bill without a public option. To understand why the administration is taking such a bizarre course is because Obama wants a bill that is friendly to the health care industry. The White House held private meetings with health industry CEOs. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics sued and the White House made the log public. Health insurance CEOs Karen Ignagni, of America's Health Insurance Plans and Stephen J. Hemsley of UnitedHealth Group Inc had several meetings with the White House. Health insurance companies managed to get the White House to agree that all Americans are mandated to have coverage. This would increased customers for the industry. Bill Tauzin, of the Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America got the White House to agree to veto any legislation that would give Medicare the power to negotiate prices or import drugs from Canada. Obama was gifing the health insurance and pharmaceutical with increased profits. This explains why the White House is pushing against poll numbers and Congressional Democrats.

Public Option Alive

President Barack Obama has never previously said the public option must be in the health care bill. Senator Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi have promised the public option in the bill. Obama's Joint Session of Congress speech left progressives wondering if the public option was being abandoned.

"The public option -- the public option is only a means to that end," the President said. "And we should remain open to other ideas that accomplish our ultimate goal."

Administration officials implied a health care bill without the public option would be acceptable.

Rahm Emanuel's comments to the Wall Street Journal created a progressive backlash.

WASHINGTON -- It is more important that health-care legislation inject stiff competition among insurance plans than it is for Congress to create a pure government-run option, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said.

"The goal is to have a means and a mechanism to keep the private insurers honest," he said in an interview. "The goal is non-negotiable; the path is" negotiable.

Kathleen Sebelius and Robert Gibbs made similar comments on the Sunday talk shows. The White House held private meetings with health industries companies and refused to make the visitor logs public. Obama attempted to have Tom Daschle appointed as Health and Human Services secretary. Daschle is a paid advisor for UnitedHealth and Tennessee Hospital Association. He has also worked as a lobbyist. Daschle has been going to the White House in attempts to steer Obama from the public option. To make matters worst: a memo of the deal the White House and Max Baucus struck with the pharmaceutical industry has been leaked to Huffington Post reporter Ryan Grim.



The Baucus bill has been greeted with contempt. Senator Jay Rockefeller said he won't support the Baucus mark up.

"There are only about 4 to 7 [Co-ops] that exist [nationwide]. And I’m very skeptical… of starting up a system that doesn’t work."

Rep. Anthony Weiner called the bill "dead on arrival."

Rep. Weiner on Maddow: Baucus Bill Dead on Arrival- Watch more Politics Videos at Vodpod.

President Obama has had a sudden change of heart. The Hill reports Obama gave a near endorsement of the public option.

"I absolutely do not believe that it's dead," Obama told Univision. "I think that it's something that we can still include as part of a comprehensive reform effort."

Blogger Jesse Livermore predicted in August that the Baucus bill would fail. I agree that the bill will pass by reconciliation.

Side note: Health care industry officials that met privately with the White House.

Write A Caption: Rahm Emanuel

But can Rahm do the proper evil laugh?

Why Franken Is Kept From Senate Seat

RNC Chairman Michael Steele has voiced his approval for Norm Coleman to fight Al Franken in court forever. (It sure feels like it's been forever.)

No, hell no. Whatever the outcome, it's going to get bumped to the next level. This does not end until there's a final ruling that speaks to whether or not those votes that have not been counted should be counted. And Norm Coleman will not, will not jump out of this race before that.

Many have speculated Steele's real reason to support Coleman's legal battle for Franken's Senate seat is a Politico gem that Coleman will replace Steele as RNC chair. It is only a rumor at this point. A telling comment by Judd Gregg reveals why Republicans have no desire for Franken to take his seat.

“Usually you need 41 votes to get anything done around here. But right now, you can do a lot with 40 votes,’’ said Judd Gregg , R-N.H.

I give Gregg credit for being honest. I don't agree with the Republican Party's platform. I don't expect the GOP to give Obama a honeymoon. Notice Republicans are muted about Obama not being bipartisan. Obama did everything short but group hug Senate Republicans. Unlike Bush, Obama is concerned about public perceptions of being too partisan. Even Rahm Emanuel is being sent out to reach out to moderate Republicans. Emanuel made his political career out of plotting strategy against the GOP. The Republicans can't pull enough Blue Dog Democrats in the House. The only option is the Senate. That explains why the Coleman/Franken legal battle continues ad nauseum.

White House Backtracking on Torture Prosecution

President Barack Obama has left the door open to prosecution of Bush administration lawyers involved in making torture policy.

"With respect to those who formulated those legal decisions, I would say that that is going to be more of a decision for the Attorney General within the parameters of various laws, and I don't want to prejudge that. I think that there are a host of very complicated issues involved there."

Asked about his opinion of a congressional investigation into the matter, Obama refrained from taking a position -- but maintained that such an investigation should be bipartisan if it happens. "As a general deal, I think that we should be looking forward and not backwards. I do worry about this getting so politicized that we cannot function effectively, and it hampers our ability to carry out critical national security operations."

That is different than Rahn Emanuel's previous statement.

Asked Sunday on ABC's "This Week" about the fate of those officials, Emanuel said the president believes they "should not be prosecuted either and that's not the place that we go."

The release of the memos was going to create pressure on Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder to prosecute. Obama was asked in the Oval Office if Bush lawyers could be prosecuted. "I don’t want to prejudge that," Obama answered.

Obama repeatly stressed C.I.A. operatives will not be prosecuted. The President went to the Langley headquarters to personally deliver that message.

The White House press corp is curious about why the Obama administration backtracked on previous statements about criminal prosecutions against Bush officials. Press Sec. Robert Gibbs does his best to spin.



Kevin Drum makes a strong argument that Office of Legal Counsel attorney can not be prosecuted without charges leading to George W. Bush. Drum sees Obama eventually ruling prosecution is impossible. My take is this is take on momentum of it's own. Bush supporters are fewer than the people that dislkie him. That doesn't mean Bush, Dick Cheney, or Donald Rumsfeld will be prosecuted. George Tenet is another story. Some people were born to fall on the sword.

Quote of the Day

"Rush knows what he is doing. The worse conservatives do, the more important Rush becomes as leader of the ardent remnant. The better conservatives succeed, the more we become a broad national governing coalition, the more Rush will be sidelined."

David Frum, on how the GOP remaining in minority status is good for Limbaugh's radio ratings.

Bill Clinton had Newt Gingrinch to make him look better. Barack Obama has Rush Limbaugh. Obama told Congressional Republicans not to listen to Limbaugh. White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel called Limbaugh "the voice and the intellectual force and energy behind the Republican Party." Obama and Emanuel are propping up Limbaugh because they know Republicans are terrified of the speakers of their base. Right now Limbaugh has the biggest soap box.

No Earmarks in Stimulus Bill

President-elect Barack Obama vowed he will not allow earmarks in the stimulus package.

"We are going to ban all earmarks, the process by which individual members insert pet projects without review," Obama told reporters after a meeting with his economic advisers.

Obama said that getting a handle on the country's skyrocketing budget deficit must begin with the economic stimulus plan, and that the plan must include changes in the way Congress does business.

"We're going to be investing an extraordinary amount of money to jump-start our economy, save or create 3 million new jobs, mostly in the private sector, and lay a solid foundation for future growth," he said. "But we're not going to be able to expect the American people to support this critical effort unless we take extraordinary steps to ensure that the investments are made wisely and managed well."

Good for Obama. Tax dollars will be spent for state infrastructure projects. Lawmakers will tack on earmarks to help campaign contributors. Obama will have to be willing to veto the stimulus bill. That will aggravate members of his own party.

Obama will most likely try to get these earmarks out before a final vote. An oversight board will review earmarks. Obama and Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel will try to settle disputes with legislators behind closed doors. It is not Obama's style to have public feuds. Keeping Joe Lieberman, in the Senate caucas, is a fitting example.

I don't expect all earmarks to disappear and some are good. Rep. Patrick Kennedy and Sen. Jack Reed earmarked $2 million for research in how to better treat combat wounds. That research can help soldiers and American citizens injured in violent crimes.

The major budget problem is entitlement programs and military spending. Neither are about to go down soon. I would like to hear an honest discourse about how we can make Medicaid cheaper and stop feeding the mititary industrial complex. Members of Congress don't want to go on the cable talk shows and attempt a rationale conversation about military or entitlement spending. Would you want to have this conversation with Sean Hannity?

State governors need $136 billion for infrastructure projects. The projects would creates jobs. New highways, schools, and water treatment plants would be created or updated. Infrastructure is lagging and will cost more later to do these projects. Republican governors and congressional members are hopping on the stimulus bandwagon. The old talking points about trickle down economics are falling on deaf ears.

Will Be Governor For Food

Fiscal conservatism goes out the window. Republican Governors are holding out their tin cups.

Republican governors told Mr. Obama they had qualms about what they called indiscriminate federal spending. "Every dollar they send to us is money they don't have," Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty said. "Meantime, that bill is being sent to our children and grandchildren."

But when the governors were asked at a news conference whether any would refuse new federal funding, no one from either party stepped forward. "None of us are comfortable with the $10 trillion in debt that has been amassed over the last several years. But for the short term, most governors agree some funds are needed for state and local governments," said Republican Vermont Gov. James H. Douglas, vice chairman of the National Governors Association.

Tim Pawlenty gives his fiscal conservative spiel in front of the cameras. When put on the spot, Pawlenty could have said he wouldn't take federal funding. He didn't because his constituents wouldn't tolerate less school and shaddy roads.

Rahm Emanuel made it clear that is not going to happen. President-elect Barack Obama wants green energy technology and broadband lines. Obama is staying away from "brick-and-mortar improvements" that could be used for pork barrel spending. Harry Reid said the stimulus package will be $500 billion. This will add to our growing deficit. That isn't going to stop Pawlenty from taking federal funds.

Update: Pawlenty is consciously distancing himself from Obama and his previous request for more federal Medicaid funding. What a difference 11 months (and presidential aspirations make.

His view on Medicaid is a turnaround from his position as chairman of the National Governors Association in January, when he signed a letter seeking more health care funding as part of a prior stimulus package.

"All the money that people are asking for from the federal government, and the money they are sending out, is money they don't have," Pawlenty said Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Pawlenty is dealing with the Minnesota budget deficit. In the next two years, the state is facing a $4 billion to $5 billion shortfall. Pawlenty will make noise about being a fiscal conservative. In the end, he will take the federal money. I just wish he would spare us the grandstanding.

Naked Brunch: Flock of Seagulls

It's taken me almost a week to tread the path of the pundits opinions in the aftermath of the stunning victory of President-Elect Barack Obama.  I'm extremely pleased about the first and not so much about the pundits, as follows.  I am, however, interested in Obama's picks for his cabinet.  

Some of the offers out there for posts to Obama's cabinet and their specialties.  Quite a list of names in that menu.  At this point, Rahm Emanuel has accepted Obama's offer for White House Chief of Staff.  I am not sure whether I would prefer him there or in position as Speaker of the House where he would be extremely useful to Obama in accomplishing his goals.  However, this suppositioning really is unnecessary and ticks me off, bt American Prospect does a good job of discrediting the idea.

I am thrilled beyond measure that one of Obama's first issues is to review and reverse Bush's executive orders.  There are a lot of them and most are reprehensible.  More on Obama's intentions to reverse these executive orders:

Transition advisers to President-elect Barack Obama have compiled a list of about 200 Bush administration actions and executive orders that could be swiftly undone to reverse White House policies on climate change, stem cell research, reproductive rights and other issues, according to congressional Democrats, campaign aides and experts working with the transition team.

A team of four dozen advisers, working for months in virtual solitude, set out to identify regulatory and policy changes Obama could implement soon after his inauguration. The team is now consulting with liberal advocacy groups, Capitol Hill staffers and potential agency chiefs to prioritize those they regard as the most onerous or ideologically offensive, said a top transition official who was not permitted to speak on the record about the inner workings of the transition....

More on Obama's fist steps.

Saxby Chambliss is such a pig, which must make McCain and Palin alike in their support. 

This is an awesome synopsis of what Obama's next steps entail. 

Jonathan Chait asks:  "What part of "overwhelming electoral defeat" does the GOP not understand?"

Damn, I'm getting hungry.  I wonder what's for brunch?

On Obama's reception throughout the world.  I agree, show me the money!

I love this:  Obama a two-term President of the USA and tte folks jostling to create a relationship with him.  A more negative attitude from the Boston Globe.

The New Yorker details "How Obama Won."

Naked Brunch Music:  Amos Lee (Get them at my place)

Naked Brunch:  Lusty French Toast, thick smoky bacon, tangy tangerines, and java.  Yum! 

And, just because it will aggravate Michael's musical taste:

Ta Ta!

Word Is Obama Asked Rahm Emanuel to Be His Chief of Staff

The AP reports Barack Obama approached Rahm Emanuel about being his Chief of Staff. Marc Ambinder doesn't see it happening.

Emanuel has been a regular behind-the-scenes adviser to Obama, knows everyone in Washington, is one of the better communicators in the party, and certainly is qualified for the post. But he's ... got a very strong personality that doesn't exactly jibe with the tone Obama likes to set for his endeavors. (David Plouffe and Rahm Emanuel could not be more different in temperament.) He also has a young family, and he has not moved them to Washington, and his hours as chief of staff would be hellish.

I don't see it happening because Nancy Pelosi is pushing to have Emanuel fill Obama's Senate seat. Jesse Jackson Jr. has been lobbying to fill the vacancy. Emanuel has more political capital within the party to make Governor Rod Blagojevich appoint him. Emanuel is fairly young and his star is rising. Chief of Staff would be a career dead end.