Rahm Emanuel's wearing a target on his back -- and liberals are the ones opening fire.
Last week a liberal group called The Progressive Change Campaign Committee began circulating a petition in Chicago asking voters to pledge not to vote for Rahm Emanuel in any future elections.
Emanuel left his post as 5th District Congressman to take the Chief of Staff job, and has been rumored to desire a return to Illinois politics, be it as a congressman or even Chicago mayor.
The ire isn’t reserved strictly for Emanuel’s potential employment in Illinois.
Prominent liberals from across the nation are calling for his head:
- "Fire Rahm Emanuel Today," writes Matthew Rothschild at the Progressive.
- "Rahm Goes Apeshit on Liberals in the Veal Pen" writes liberal blogger Jane Hamasher, who is leading the charge for an investigation into Emanuel’s time as a Freddie Mac board member.
- "[Emanuel is] Barack Obama’s Dick Cheney,” Cenk Uygur says on his radio show.
- "Rahm Emanuel: Don't Worry About the Left," Jonathon Weisman noted at The Wall Street Journal.
While the progressive hatred is somewhat surprising -- and is the catalyst for the Chicago Mayor rumors --- the conservative hatred is steadfast.
Emanuel has had beef with other party since his time in the Clinton administration.
“Rahm hates us and lets us know it, and we hate him back,” a senior Republican told the Daily Beast shortly after Emanuel took over as Chief of staff and began rallying support for the now stagnant health-care bill.
Republicans are still smarting from a 2006 Democratic take over of congress that Emanuel, in his role as chief fundraiser and candidate recruiter basically engineered.
Some in the know say this is how its supposed to be; Rahm Emauel is there to get beat up.
Politics
For the president, Mr. Emanuel is a useful foil, playing a role akin to that of James Baker, who absorbed attacks from unhappy conservatives while chief of staff to Ronald Reagan. Mr. Emanuel is a centrist cut from the Bill Clinton mold, and his presence is useful as the president tries to cut deals with centrists and conservatives.
It may be bashing by design, but, still, it's tough to see a home town boy take such a beating.
