Friday, July 29, 2016

Rahm Emanuel, dead man walking




     So how bad is it for Rahm Emanuel?
     This week, in the New Yorker article on why Barack Obama failed to close America's shameful black hole prison at Guantanamo Bay, Rahm Emanuel is portrayed as the Machiavellian manipulator who urged the president to leave the imprisoned to rot there forever and focus on more significant policy issues. 
    But it's worse than that.
    At the Democratic National Convention Wednesday, Barack Obama's video showed our mayor-to-be warning that the affordable care act would cause him to lose the 2012 election. Better to leave millions uninsured than take a political risk.
    But it's worse than that. 
    The media erupted with hoots of how he was "thrown under the bus" by his old boss.
    But it's worse than that.
    He was a ghost at the convention, a "fading star," to be kind, denying that obvious fact, wandering like Lord Jim, trying to escape his shame, his lapse over the Laquan McDonald shooting following him, quacking like a pull-toy duck. Not at all the power broker he was last time. Back in Chicago, his staff is fleeing the 5th floor at City Hall like rats scurrying down the cables of a ship sinking at the pier.
    But it's worse than that. 
    I contemplated writing something on the mayor's woes for the newspaper. Then I shrugged, and thought: Why bother? It's Rahm Emanuel, dead man walking. Nobody cares about him anymore. He's not even worth making fun of. 
    Instead, I wrote about an imaginary black bear who's very popular in Japan. 
    That's how bad it is. 

17 comments:

  1. I'll be contrarian and disagree.

    In 1968 Daley presided over the west side riots (with the shoot to kill orders), and the Democratic convention. The knives were out for him, but by 1971, that was all forgotten.

    Rahm has three years to put his nose to the grindstone and turn it around. That's almost an eternity. Even better, there's a governor's election in 2-1/2 years. Lisa can't make her mind up, Daddy's going to hold on to the speakership until real rigor mortis sets in, and today there's a story saying that a poll has democrats saying that Dick Durbin is their choice to run for governor, and even he's not stupid enough to bite on that.

    Why wouldn't Rahm run for governor? Rainer's not Mr. Personality, and I can honestly say that Rahm would be better than the last four of them.

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    1. The vast majority of Chicagoans -- the vast majority of Americans, for that matter -- supported Daley and his cops for their criminal excesses in '68. Why do you think Nixon and his "law and order" catchphrase won that year?

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    2. Big Mike is right. I'm not sure how vast the majority was, but it was definitely a majority. OTOH, no one but the most rabid racists could be 100% behind the police on the McDonald shooting.

      Bitter Scribe

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    3. I wouldn't say "vast." Nixon barely squeaked by Humphrey in '68, thanks to the violence at Daley's convention.

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  2. Good to see a Rahm article again. It's been a while. He's a narcisstic, power hungry DINO anyway and he's getting his just desserts. Thanks for the other info of his being against healthcare reform, etc, didn't know that. (Though I would have liked to have seen this in the paper.) It seems it took the federal courts to make him turn over any info of Chicago happenings. He'd be so comfy on a Republican ticket.

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    1. Peter, I don't think he could salvage his political career to run for dog catcher. He would be despised in the Chicago area and certainly even moreso downstate.

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    2. I always thought the Daleys were Republicans masquerading as Democrats. We recently had a chance to vote for a genuine Democrat, but didn't do so. To be honest, however, I'm not sure that Mayor Chuy wouldn't be in the same straights as Mayor Rahm...or worse.

      john

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  3. (Tate, I have a question for you on the Thursday blog.)

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  4. Meh. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

    Bitter Scribe

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  5. Don't underestimate Rahmbo,I'll bet he's gotta few moves left.

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  6. Because of his prickly personality it is unlikely that Emanuel will be anything but the Mayor people like to hate, but should he be masochistic enough to run again I doubt that all these real and imagined sins will count for much unless all the people who despise him are able to get behind a more plausible opponent than Chuy Garcia. He's done some unpopular but necessary things, like closing underused schools and raising taxes, but given the irresponsible behavior of politicians in both parties that brought us to this pass some people may come to see that as admirable.

    Tom Evans

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  8. I voted for him. Twice. Result: people are routinely mugged in my neighborhood at 10 am. And, taxes on my modest condo doubled. After working over 30 yrs full time as an RN and living here my whole life, I cannot afford to live here when I retire in a few years. Thanks Rahm.

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    1. How very sad. It seems like Chicago is worse off than ever under Rahm's reign. I hope you are able to stay in your home.

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  9. Well as long as rich lawyer Burke, Rahm and the gang can get property breaks for the big businesses and bldgs. here, Trump's included...I guess the middle class has to pick up the slack. That is a darn shame, Barbara. You may have to move even sooner. The crooked Democratic city machine lives on. There is something wise about not living in Chicago or Crook County.

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  10. Rahm's number one mistake was not getting Daley indicted for all his financial misdeeds.
    Daley is the one that wrecked Chicago, not Rahm. Rahm's problem was & is his cowardice to not go after Daley, corrupt cronies & all the shenanigans they pulled.
    The city needs to file bankruptcy, to rid itself of all the pensions & put everyone on Social Security.
    And only the federal Bankruptcy Court has that power!

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  11. Rahm also has to march in step with the FOP.

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