Obama's First Staff Pick, Rahm Emanuel: Washington insider, Helped erode Loan Standards

from butasforme

Rahm Emanuel Famously Earned The Title “Rahmbo” For His Hyper-Partisanship And Bare-Knuckle Tactics:

“Emanuel’s Reputation For Political Ruthlessness Earned Him The Nickname ‘Rahmbo,’ An Image Reinforced By A Legendary Episode When He Sent A Dead Fish To A Pollster Who Displeased Him.” (Janet Hook, “Meet The Powers Behind The Democrats’ Strategy,” Los Angeles Times, 7/5/06)

• Emanuel Calls Himself A “Vince Lombardi Democrat,” Because He Believes “Winning Isn’t Everything. It’s The Only Thing.” “Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), earlier this year called himself a ‘Vince Lombardi Democrat.’ It was Lombardi, the Hall of Fame football coach, who said, ‘Winning isn’t everything. It’s the only thing.’” (”Chairman Rahm,” The Hill, 12/14/05)

• Emanuel’s Political Style Was “Honed In Chicago” And Has A “Reputation As A Political Street Fighter.” “But his political style–honed in Chicago and on the presidential campaign trail with Clinton–isn’t gentle or uncertain. His reputation as a political street fighter inspires respect and more than a little fear.” (Naftali Bendavid, “The House That Rahm Built,” Chicago Tribune, 11/12/06)

• “[Emanuel] Was Also Zealously Partisan. He Had Once Owned A Consulting Business Devoted To Finding Skeletons In Republican Closets.” (Edward McClelland, “The Legend Of Rahm,” Salon.Com, 5/8/07)

Emanuel Told His Staff That Republicans Could “Go F— Themselves!” “‘I’ll tell you this,’ Emanuel shouted out to his staff. ‘The Republicans may have the 72-hour program. But they have not seen the 22-month program! … Since my kids are gone, I can say it: They can go —- themselves!’” (Naftali Bendavid, “The House That Rahm Built,” Chicago Tribune, 11/12/06)

Emanuel Even Told Then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair Before An Appearance With President Clinton: “This Is Important. Don’t F— It Up.” “Mr Emanuel is reputed to have walked up to Tony Blair before the prime minister’s first public appearance with Mr Clinton, during the Monica Lewinsky scandal. ‘This is important,’ he told Mr Blair. ‘Don’t f— it up.’” (”Former Ballet Dancer Turned Political Fixer,” The [London, UK] Guardian, 11/10/06)

Emanuel Attended A Meeting With Clinton Campaign Advisers Following The 1992 Campaign To Discuss Which Politicians And Members Of The Press They Would Seek Revenge Upon. “It was there that Emanuel, then Clinton’s chief fund-raiser, repaired with George Stephanopoulos, Mandy Grunwald and other aides to Doe’s, the campaign hangout. Revenge was heavy in the air as the group discussed the enemies - Democrats, Republicans, members of the press - who wronged them during the 1992 campaign. Clifford Jackson, the ex-friend of the President and peddler of the Clinton draft-dodging stories, was high on the list. So was William Donald Schaefer, then the Governor of Maryland and a D emocrat who endorsed George Bush. Nathan Landow, the fund-raiser who backed the candidacy of Paul Tsongas, made it, too.” (Elisabeth Bumiller, “The Brothers Emanuel,” The New York Times, 6/15/97)

• “Suddenly Emanuel Grabbed His Steak Knife And, As Those Who Were There Remeber [Sic] It, Shouted Out The Name Of Another Enemy, Lifted The Knife, Then Brought It Down With Full Force Into The Table. ‘Dead!’ He Screamed.” Suddenly Emanuel grabbed his steak knife and, as those who were there remeber [sic] it, shouted out the name of another enemy, lifted the knife, then brought it down with full force into the table. ‘Dead!’ he screamed. The group immediately joined in the cathartic release: ‘Nat Landow! Dead! Cliff Jackson! Dead! Bill Schaefer! Dead!’” (Elisabeth Bumiller, “The Brothers Emanuel,” The New York Times, 6/15/97)-end

... OKAY, so much for that non-partisan BS Obama has been giving us.

The first guy Obama brings in and hires is a guy who was partly RESPONSIBLE for the fannie mae-freddie mac disaster which CAUSED the economic crisis we are in.
nice.

I Planted an ACORN and a Big Fat Obama Tree Grew

Question for Senator Obama. Did you ever train or advise ACORN staff or individuals on how to badger banks into making subprime loans to minorities?

Obama and ACORN

Engram BackTalk Blog:
In an earlier post on the origins of the subprime mortgage fiasco, I noted that ACORN had harassed banks into making subprime loans to minorities. I also noted allegations that Barack Obama had trained members of ACORN to do just that. To check on those allegations, I went to Obama's "fight the smears" web site (here) noted that (at the time) it said this:

Fact: Barack was never an ACORN trainer and never worked for ACORN in any other capacity.

I then described my reaction:

I read his web page as attempting to create the impression that he was not associated with ACORN by claiming that he never worked "for" ACORN. But did he work with them to advance their cause? His web site does not say. I wonder what he would say, if asked?

Today, McCain released a new advertisement accusing Obama of training members of ACORN to harass banks. This surprised me, so I went back to Obama's "fight the smears" web site. The "fact" quoted above has been changed and now reads:

Fact: ACORN never hired Obama as a trainer, organizer, or any type of employee.

This interesting change reinforces my view that Obama is using his lack of formal employment with ACORN to create the impression that he did not train members of ACORN to do things like badger banks to make subprime loans to minorities.
Someone needs to ask him if he ever did that."
-end

Engram's BackTalk Engram is a self -described liberal Democrat who's view of the world changed on September 11, 2001.