Rahm Emanuel - Barack Obama
UPDATE: CHECK OUT THIS LINK: Emanuel’s links to the Israeli intelligence servic
“Clinton’s going-away gift to Emanuel was a seat on the quasi-governmental Freddie Mac board, which paid him $231,655 in director’s fees in 2001 and $31,060 in 2000,” Lynn Sweet wrote for the Chicago Sun-Times on Jan. 3, 2002.
During the time Emanuel spent on the board, Freddie Mac was plagued with scandal involving campaign contributions and accounting irregularities. Freddie Mac and its sister organization Fannie Mae were taken over by the federal government in September 2008 after years of mismanagement and scandal. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson put the two beleaguered GSEs into a conservatorship, stripping common stock shareholders of their rights to govern the companies.
In 2006, Freddie Mac was forced to pay a $3.8 million fine to the Federal Election Commission to settle allegations it illegally contributed to congressional candidates between 2000 and 2003 – while Emanuel was on the board and running for and serving in Congress.
“Freddie Mac was accused of illegally using corporate resources between 2000 and 2003 for 85 fundraisers that collected about $1.7 million for federal candidates,” an Associated Press story from April 18, 2006 said. “Much of the fundraising benefited members of the House Financial Services Committee, a panel whose decisions can affect Freddie Mac.”
And, since his successful run for the House of Representatives in 2002, Emanuel has been the beneficiary of campaign cash from Freddie Mac and its sister organization Fannie Mae – $51,750 according to the Center for Responsive Politics Web site OpenSecrets.org.
While Emanuel’s was on the Freddie Mac payroll in an overseer capacity, the government-sponsored enterprise was cooking the books. According to a Forbes magazine article from Dec. 11, 2003, the GSE was fined $125 million for understating its earnings by a whopping $5 billion.
SOURCE: READ MORE HERE
Rahm Emanuel, the Chicago Congressman who will be President-elect Barack Obama’s White House chief of staff, is “dangerous, absolutely relentless when he’s got a political kill in sight,” according to an admiring Republican colleague, Oklahoma Congressman Tom Cole. Emanuel is also, President Clinton once told Fortune, “one of the top political minds in Washington,” a former ballet dancer who “favors the counterattack over the attack.”
SOURCE: White House chief of staff
Political views
During his original 2002 campaign, Emanuel “indicated his support of President Bush’s position on Iraq, but said he believed the president needed to better articulate his position to the American people”.[7] Inspired by his pediatrician father, one of the major goals he spoke of during the race was “to help make health care affordable and available for all Americans”.[7]
Emanuel has maintained a 100 percent pro-choice voting record and is generally liberal on social issues. He has aligned himself with the Democratic Leadership Council.
Rahm Emanuel endorses the United States Public Service Academy Act.[citation needed]
According to Fox News, in accordance with his deep Jewish roots and his volunteering in Israel when it was under attack from Saddam Hussein’s missiles in the first Gulf War, he has indicated consistent support for Israel. A November 2008 article it claimed that while expressing empathy for Palestinians, Emanuel has explicitly condemned their leaders.[21] In June 2007, Emanuel condemned an outbreak of Palestinian violence in the Gaza Strip and criticized Arab countries for not applying the same kind of pressure on the Palestinians as they have on Israel. “Fatah and Hamas are tearing the Palestinian area of the Gaza strip apart in what they call a political rivalry, and the Palestinian people are paying a price for Palestinian violence,” he said at the time. “Governments from around the world and the Arab world have said nothing. … I just want you to think for a second, if this were the result of Israeli-Palestinian hostilities, would the international silence and the silence of the Arab world be this deafening?” At a 2003 pro-Israel rally in Chicago, Emanuel told the marchers Israel was ready for peace but would not get there until Palestinians “turn away from the path of terror”, according to the Chicago Tribune.
SOURCE: Wikipedia
Was picking Emmanuel as White House chief of staff a good one in your opinion? Obama has started his transforming of the White House into his image!Check this out: America transformed
goodtimepolitics
4 responses so far ↓
lukemcgook // November 6, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Well, the choice strengthens ties to key Dem constituencies. As the Clintons’ former finance guy, he’ll be able to reach out to any insane billionaires not already corralled by the Hope Change Ranch. As a guy who made millions at one of the investment banks where Dems on sabbatical get parked, he’ll be able to reach out to the go go sector of the financial industry. As an ardent Zionist, he may reassure the Jewish lobby. As the former head of the DCCC, he may be able to keep Nancy Pelosi from deciding she’s the real president. As a crook from Chicago, he’ll further strengthen ties to the Chicago crooks who know so much more about the Obama than we do. And, of course, he’s a bridge to the key ballet dancer demographic. Too bad the guy’s a hateful sumbitch and will likely have a terrible time getting the WH to run smoothly.
Angie // November 7, 2008 at 1:52 am
he has already appointed the FCC Transition Czar….an avid opponent of free speech on the airwaves….he was actually the FCC Commissioner who resigned during the Reagan Administration and Reagan was able to bring free speech and “free market” speech to the airwaves.
Obama touts his change rhetoric but its only words in a speech….First, he appoints Rahm Emanuel as his Chief of Staff…..some change…Emanuel is known for his nasty partisanship and he hails from Chicago and probably attended the same “Old Chicago School of Thuggery” that Obama attended.
Now, Obama has appointed Henry Rivera, the old school radical leftist “executioner of free speech”…
I don’t know, GTP. Too liberal for me. On the other hand, I support Israel..will have to see I guess.
There are so many things coming down if not soon, before his term is over. I think he will do some of the things like Freedom Act, Fairness doctrine pretty soon. The Health care will be put on hold because of the money required and the economy.
We need a grassroots leader that can organize us to be more effective..such as massive calls and emails writing and faxing our reps when it comes down. Like we did without an organized effort with the bailout, safer borders, drilling. However it appears we may have to do that again.
Dali // November 7, 2008 at 7:00 am
Rahm is surely a skilled and efficient guy in gaining elections. But as he backed the illegitmate war against Irak and as he never hid his unconditional support to Israel, is he the right man to help Obama change Washington? I unfortunately don’t think so.
goodtimepolitics // November 7, 2008 at 4:29 pm
From what I see Obama keeps the same old Washington politics and adds his Chicago friends to the list of spenders! When someone sees a change for the good of this country please let me know. When cost of living goes down or my money goes further then I will say the change is here.