I think that Emanuel is likely to be the axe man against liberal Democrats so as to keep the House and Senate in line. That is Obama recognizes the problem of a very liberal congress that might wish to pass legislation that would hurt Obama politically.

very good point! i’m tired of the kids fighting. if there’s a good nany in the house, they might learn to play nice.

I agree that conservatives shouldn’t just fall over. However, payback is not much of a political philosophy. Effective opposition to President-elect Obama’s questionable policies must be based on conviction and principle, i.e. the so called “loyal opposition” or it will do the country more harm than good.

There was certainly plenty of room for people to have principled disagreements with President Bush’s policies. But the “Bush Derangement Syndrome” helped no one. Neither did Clinton Derangement Syndrome. Obama Derangement Syndrome won’t help anybody either. I think we have had enough of the paranoid style in American politics for a while.

I might well be wrong but I think Emanuel will have as his primary function not alienating and subjecting Republicans as the liberal version of Tom Delay but rather in keeping Democrats from passing every liberal wish list regardless of consequences. (As many very liberal Democrats have been voicing the past few days)

On the night after the 1996 election, “Emanuel was so angry at the president’s enemies that he stood up at a celebratory dinner with colleagues from the campaign, grabbed a steak knife and began rattling off a list of betrayers, shouting ‘Dead! … Dead! … Dead!’ and plunging the knife into the table after every name.”[2] His “take-no-prisoners attitude” earned him the nickname “Rahm-bo”.[14]

so what is is about him you don’t like?

Not sure who you’re asking, but I don’t have anything against Rahm Emanuel specifically. I said he is not my favorite guy, by which I meant that he is a liberal and I am a conservative. I do like the family duties comment and I’m ready to give him a chance. As Eric Russell intimated, I think it may be a good thing if he is in there when Israel is on the line.

Rahm Emanuel is interesting guy. I just heard him publicly state he had to discuss the position of chief of staff with his wife and make sure he could fulfill his family duties with his new job. get’s a gold star from me in that department

so what is is about him you don’t like? He’s pro business and willing to piss folks off.